Keen eye for detail
On the morning of 15 September 1911, an urgent telegram was sent by BMO’s Superintendent of British Columbia & Yukon: “Bank of Montreal, New Westminster safe blown last night most contents gone…”
The bank sprang into action without a moment to spare. A circular was dispatched across the bank’s vast network of branches and offices, immediately alerting employees to the serial numbers of the stolen notes. Upon employing Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency to track the thieves, this information was also spread through posters at major sites of currency circulation in Canada and the United States, such as post offices and clearinghouses.
Branch employees played pivotal roles in recovering the stolen currency. As the first lines of defense, tellers were tasked with identifying any notes among their branch’s incoming deposits with serial numbers that matched the circular description. They were likewise tasked with examining notes brought into their branch by members of the community who believed them to be stolen. Once correctly identified and removed from circulation, branch managers then traced the origins of the notes as far back as possible and forwarded the information to Pinkerton’s detectives to help them determine the robbers’ whereabouts.
Attempts were made to conceal the stolen notes’ serial numbers, but little could evade BMO bankers’ keen eye for detail. A letter by Percy J.E. Graham, branch manager of the Hartland branch in New Brunswick, reveals how carefully bills were examined for signs of tampering:
“I enclose you herewith our $10 bill, bearing the number 692506, series B, as we are unable to decide whether it has been tampered with, or not.
The first 6 is of a bright, newer looking ink than the other figures, and appears of a slightly different shape to the end 6, and is not in true line with the rest of the figures. Also, the shading around the vignette of the late General Manager, which on the bill we compared this one with extends over and around the numbers, on this one seems to have been obliterated. The 6 in question, under a glass, has the appearance of having been stamped, or pressed, thereon.”
This diligence is a hallmark example of BMO’s commitment of prioritizing financial security. At the end of the day, one question remains: Was justice served? The answer: Only history knows…