The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1874-03-12
The Bank SWindle.

tUTS uuuJtSSCO ~ OOHIaS dHu OUfhFI -
p relati0e to House bill No Is, entitled
san act tosrepealthe usury laaos ofthis
Commonwealth and to fr the rate Of
interest"
TO the Honorable the House OF Repre-.
sentatives of Pennsylvania The under
signed committee appointed by your hon
orable body to investigate the authorship
of certain circular, signed r. II. Glib
bons, making assessments upon the banks
and bankers of the Commonwealth,
avowsdly to aid in the passage Of House
bill No. Is, entitled "an act to rapeal the
usury laws of this Commonwealth and to
fix the rate Of interest" have discharged
the duties imposed upon them, and re-
spectfully beg leave to report That
they have examined large number of
witnesses and have exhausted all available
sources of information in order to arrive
at all the facts bearing upon the subject.
From this evidence taken, and which is
herewith submitted as part of this re
port, the committee have drawn the fol,
lowing conclusions =
At some time prior to January 20, A
D. 1874, Mr.. William H. Dinmick, late
member of the House OF Representa-
tives from the county of Wayne, or some
one iu his behalf, caused to be printed a
circular under date of January, 1874
and signed 'R. II. Gibbons" secretary
(see exhibit d., requesting the several
banks throughout the State "to circulate
petitions favoring an increase of the legal
rate of interest to seven per centum per
annum," and in like manner procured
blank petitions with printed heading (see
exhibit II to be incloscd with the cir
culars to the banks.
On or about the Goth of January, Mr..
William Ii. Dimnick and Lewis B.
Richtmyer, postmaster of the Senate, in
room No. 81, State Hotel, Harrisburg,
enclosed and addressed to the banks and
bankers of the State copies of the forego-
ing documents.
The address of the banks and bankers
was taken from bankers almanac OF
1878, borrowed of j. w. Weir, cashier
of the Harrisburg, National Bank, by
Mr.. j. NJ. Kreiter, for the use of MIR
William Fl. Dimmick
Mr.. Dinmick furnished the printed do
euments, envelopes and stamps, aud MIR.
Richtwyer conveyed them to the post Of
fee and mailed them.
10 these circulars sundry replies werere-
ceived at the Harrisburg Post Office and
sent to the senate Post Office by the order Of
Mr. Richtmyer. At the request of Mr..
Dimmiek, from the Senate Pos. Office they
were delivered to Mr.. Dimmick by Mr..
Richtmyer (see Richtmyer's testimony
hereto appended). Subsequently during
the early part Of February, Mr.. j NJ.
Kreiter, Of the city of Harrisburg, by the
request of Mr.. William Fl. Dimmick. OBJ
taiued the signatures of the Harrisburg
banks to written document relative to this
matter.
The authentisity of the paper hereto
appended (narked exhibit A is admit
ted by some of the bankers and deniea
by others, the evidence, however, pre-
ponderating in favor of the claim that the
document was materially altered before it
was printed. This paper, together with
a circular under date of February II,
signed r. II. Gibbons, secretary, making
assessments upon the various banks (see
exhibit 81, and proposed copy of House
Bill No. IL (see exhibit O.. was en-
closed and addressed to banks aud bank
er. by Mr.. j. NJ. Kreiter in his Office in
Market street, Mr. Dimmick being pre-
sent at least portion of the time. After
they were ready for mailing Mr.. Richt
myer took them from Kreter's Office to
the post Office and mailed them at the re-
quest of Mr.. Dimmick.
a portion of the replies received to
these circulars were sent by request to the
Bolton House and delivered to Mr.. Dim
mick, and portion were returned to the
writers as uncalled for by the party to
whom addressed. To precisely what ex
tent the banks responded by checks or
drafts, as requested, your committee are un-
able to ascertain. Probably some of the
letters delivered to Mr.. Dimmick or re
turned to the writers contained such ia
closures, but Of this your committee have
no Information. The only instances of
such rsmistances that came to the know
ledge of the committee we're those ia
which they were sent to the care of Har.
risburg banks. The Upion National
Bank Of Philadel piia wrote John A. Big
ler, vice president of the City Bank, Har
risburg, to pay one hundred and twenty
FIVE dollars to Saunders, when the bill
passed (Sse Bisler's testimony, The
Manufacturers National Bank Of Phil
adeiphia sent to James w. Weir. cashier
Harrisburg, National Bank, check for
two hundred and fifty dollars. (Ses
Weir's testimony, Drexel & Co, of
Philadelphia, sent cheek for r, II. Glib
bous for seventy Eve dollars to Dougher
ty, Bros. & Co. (Ses testimony of T.
Rockhill Smith) The Westeru National
Bank of Philadelphia authorized the
First National Bank of Harrisburg to pay
one hundred aud twenty five dollars for
any necessary expenses attending the
passage of the bill. aud the Second Ma
tioaal Bank of gitusvilie sent to the same
4. 4 "a f.. ILL