One of the many victims who has paid for his confidence in the honesty of Josef Tuma, former private banker in our community, is Vaclav Novy, a building contractor. He had borrowed $1,500 from Mrs. Josephine Simek. The money was deposited in the private vaults at the office of Tuma, negotiator in the transaction, and was to be paid in installments to Novy, who was then building his present residence. After Tuma's tragic death, the money together with the deposits made by other Chicago Czechs became part of the estate under the administration of the Chicago Title & Trust Company. Mr. Novy appeared before Judge Henry Horner of the Probate Court in order to recover the amount not paid out yet, claiming it was not a regular but a special deposit. The court dismissed his petition, declaring Tuma had acted as an agent, wherefore the petitioner could be given no preference.