, 1865-12-23
BANKING ON NOTHING.

TcFtlnlOny OF hADHfUTt BANKER on
alle Vacuum IN His own Institution.
The Cincinnati Ga=eye publishes some re-
markable testimony Of Mr.. R. Ellis, Jr., the
insolvcnt banker, taken before the Commls-
sion Of Iusolvents in tLat city, from which we
extract the following:
Il. Ellis, Jr., being first duly swoln on oath,
deposed as follows:
Q-Wherc do you residcr
Ain Arondale, Hamilton county, Ohio.
Q-uow long hayc You lired In Hamilton
AIlhlrty.three ye.ss last June.
Q-Afc you married, or uu1naraeds
Q-Hayc you eye. before taken the benefit Of the
fnsolrens actt
Al never have.
f,-Whal is yaur cccupai1onf i.
AL have no occupation. ...-.
r-Do. you own any property Of any kind or de-
Al fsse no property OF any kind whatever.
Q.-ro Jou owc any person OF persons any
Al do not owe anybody anything. hare con-
trsctcd no debts whatever s!Ece my assignment. /
harc made complete statement ol my Indebted
ness a1,d my a:sG;s M 10 A. John & G. Donelass, ny
taye no knowledge Of any indebtedness o. cGects
t2-Krs you able TO tel, COW, without an czaml.
nation OF thr becks .nd papers you handed over to
tic css::sncc, what your Indebtedness Isl
t-l1sse @ sos any con.sol OF the boohs papers or
evidences o: indebtedness jon banded ofer q Jour
ase:cncey
Al lave not.
sctfplon ia, dG IS now I wiibin yoar eoairoii >
Q-IIase @ 1oa any property in expectancy, re-
ma.1der, or seveIstuns
Al have rot.
Cross examination by Wilson md Champion,
attorney; rs az ssGss q 7ost Ct a.
A.-1be 18th day OF September, 1865, as near rs
can rccolleet.
WssI msss ne sn ss ss a of September
A-Eetwcen eight and nine O'Clock a. m. Of that
i.-now long have you been In tho bsnk1ps ousl-
sX-slneo Dec. 1851, 4 on ny pm account, and
nsSn fs ysnr r., r. T. sat Gis u + cn;, G1 mil, ,,ch
ION first ertered INTO business as X Ellis, jr. s.
A-Eetwcen len and twenty thousand dollars,
borrowed capital, a. near rs can remember
ts-HaA son no noncJ 81 yonr OWL Invested In
the banking business at that Itmas
Q-Of whom did you obtain your borrowed
All was in the nature Of deposits, by several
pSarss e., ssnn0 specify the aD0nn or BY whom
i G-Whst Va the a1nonnt Of your capital invest
| ed In your business tn 1e60l
/ E-Nad you any capital ot yous owa invested IN
1 your banking business that yeArf
Al bad some, but don't kncwzhow much.
GNWhat xast Tic aE1Hnnt Of your capital invested
in The banking business In A. b. 1SG1f
Al had SONG, but don't know how much.
V-IIsd yoa any eapita! q yout own invested N
Al bad some: but don't know how much.
Q-What was The NM nI,ou9t OF your capital IN Joul
bnsiness IN 4. D. lS,al now much YVES borrowed
and hoE much Tas your own!
/. Q-What wes the amount Of your capital in your
| business a. u. 1863. How Eauch waa borrowed and
| bow much was your oHn?
j.: Al do not know.
Q-Whst rs 'hs amour: Of youE capital IN .hs
ycar 4. H. 1854 How much WIS borrowed and
| how much was your own4
al do not know. -.-..-...
| year a. u. 1855. How much was borrowed and
how much VIZ. your own1
Al DO not know.
Q-Wcre your a~scts greater than your liabilities
In she yesr i. j.. 1851 '" ~ ' '0''''''~
Al do not know. -....,.....
Q-Wcre yong asseLs greater than your liabilities
Al don't know, hut presume they were.
Q-Were your nsseis greater than your liabilities
Al don't know, bnt presume they were.
G.-Wete your asee,s greater than yonr 1abiliHea
| in The year 4. D. 1SGas
Aldo not know, but presume They were.
in The ycar 4. D. 1864,
A. DO not Know, but presume they were.
R-Were your assets grcates thau Jour liabilities
in The year 4 D. 16G5l
Al do not kuoW, hut presume they were.
Q-DId you eFer balance your books?
A-1he book-kcGper did; Incler did,
|: Q-Dla you evcr cxaDline your booksf
! A-Neler except In EcneEn1 way.
II Q-Ahout what time did ypu c5au1iue them last
| Al cannot state the date. relied altogether
on my bcok-keerer to keep my books strnight.
| . Q-Dld your booS-keeper inform you OF yonl
business taken from your booke, and II go how
/ often:
A-OccasioDuljy; csunot say how often; neY'
er aeked for statement except for special alaccounts
t-Wheu did he llst inform you or ths condition
| Of four btslncss?
Al don't know That be ever informed me-
:.C-Who xas your hook-kecper during the lae
~ Eonlaad EllIa, md for the last three months
| WE. c. Ellis.
,QWha, interest had they in yonr banking busl
| peSsf
.,A-Thcy had no interest; neither had any ON
Q-How did you learn the condition Of your al
fai1s IN the banking business IN the month OF Sep
| tember, A. D., 1SG5f
A-Br the knowledge OF tho excessive losses
had made In The sa1c aod purchase Of gold an
e;ocEs.
Q-State about The amount Of your losses In you
operations in gold and stocks In the year A. D.
A-Betwecn three and four hundred thouEan,
dollars.
Q-h your operations In gold and asocks did yo'
use yuUr OWL money OF The money or othersY
A-sometimes both I Never made my secret q
my operations In business. i WIS well know thu
was large oEerutor in gold and stocks
.Q-How much or your money did you uec
these operations, during the LAST Scar, at any on
! litaef
Al cannot state.