The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-09-06
DUPED DEPOSITORS.
They Gather About the Chicago state Saw
fngs Institution and Vent Their ImpOtent
Wrath.
From the Chicago Tribune, sOth.l


ings Institution and Vent Their Impotent
Wrath.
From the Chicago Tribune, SOth.l
The news of the failure published in
the morning papers took all the States
depositors by surprise. Nearly all of
them had recovered from the July scare,
and were firm in the belief that the
bank had successfully weathered the
storm, and that their interests were Sc
cure. So firm were they in the faith
that some of those who had drawn out
small amounts during the scare regret
ted their action by which they had cut
off what interest was due on their de-
posts. There were more careful ones
who closed up their accounts during Ju-
ly and August, fearing to run what
seemed to them a dangerous risk. But
there was that other class, utterly I'M
suspecting, whose previous doubts and
fears had been quoted, and who were
living along in fancied security. To
them the news of the failure came
with all the suddenness and crushing eff
feet of blow in the dark. Trusting,
they had been deceived; and the savings
of years, often of lifetime, scraped to-
gether from the results of weary toll,
seemed gone forever. Such was the
picture they painted to themselves in the
first moments of anger, sorrow, and dis
gust, following the general spread of the
news. Then they began to reflect.
Something might be saved from the
wreck. Hope, which is said to be the
only medicine for wretched souls, began
to dawn on their minds. With the feel
ing of those who would know the worst
and build their hopes on the smallest
chance, they resolved to visit the place
where their little wealth was locked up,
and learn on just how slender thread
those hopes might hang. Accordingly,
the sidewalk in front of the State Saw
ings Institution presented, as early as
O'Clock yesterday morning, a scene
wholly unusual at such or any other
hour.
MEN AND WOMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS,
some apparently well-to-do, and others
with the signs of poverty depicted on
their pinched, wan faces, and their
mean, well worn, threadbare garments,
were there; some of them modest and
sad, more of them brawling and mad.
Here was poor woman who took in
washing. In her hand she carried
pass-book wrapped in a dirty handker-
chief. With her pass-book title to
wealth slowed away in the vaults-she
pressed forward and sought to gain
what satisfaction she could out of fat
policeman standing on guard at the
door and keeping out all outsiders ex-
cept those who had keys to the safety
deposit boxes. She didn't get the sat
isfation she wanted, and had to fail
back. Then a man whose clothes seemed
to say he had seen better times came
and recited his griefs to those around
him. He had managed to save $1,000
in gold, he said, when he was out in
California, had put it in that - -
bank, and now it was all gone. And
here were these bank officers going scot
free. Why, if he'd stolen loaf of
bread, he'd been jagged for it. And
his voice grew thick, his tones more an
cry and excited, and it is more than
probable that the tears would have flow
ed had not burly Irishman behind
him, in a red checked flannel shirt put
damper on him by singing out: "Oh,
you needn't talk there's many pOOrer'n
you as has lost every cent they had.
We're all in the same boat" A news
paper man, as he contemplated the loss
of his careful savings, muttered:
Wouldn't 1 like to seek Sioux In
dian, that had been fed on raw beef
about two months, on that - old
reprObate Spencer"
"wIsH WE HAD HIM HERE"
said rough-looking workingman, who
had overheard knot of men talking
about Spencer and his absence in New
York, ''we'd fix him on the nearest
| lamp-pOst, the - - thief" A
iob-printer on Clark Street told the re-
porter that he and his mother had man.
aged to put away 1000 for home, land
to keep them during rainy day. 1t
was all they had, and now they would
have to begin over again. Two Irish
men, who have been taking care of gen
tlemen's horses down on Wabash Avenue,
and doing any odd jobs they could get,
said they had saved $4,000 between
them, and now the savings of q years
were all cleaned out. An old German
walked up to the door and demanded to
see the Cashier. When informed that
that gentleman was not around, the old
fellow started out on a fierce TRADE
AGAINST the bank officers, telling the
crowd he had been working for years,
and had saved up little money, but
now he supposed he'd have to start
again. "Never mind" said he, "Pll
be rich in ten years, and it'll be all
right" In closing his harangue, he
sarcastically advised his hearers to take
piece of the banks doors, or the stone
walls, home with them to feed theil
wives and children on. At a later houI
in the day a little old woman, poorly
clad, but of respectable appearance, hel
features sharp and thin, her eyes snap
ping fire, and her arms flourishing 6
very dangerous-looking umbrella, bitter.
" denounced the bank officers for what
they had brought upon her. 81 had my
last dollar in the world here" said she
and those sharks have ruined me.
"TALK ABOUT MOBsi
Why don't you mob the rich men''
houses, the castles of those who rob thu
poor, instead of fighting and killing
each otherp Oh. God, is there no mercy