The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1877-10-25
]. c. FRAKER's STATEMENT.
TIE Other Late Officers of the First National
Bank and the Present Condition Of
that Institution.

OF ssguilty'' to the indictments against hin
for unlawful Irregularities aud embezz!e
menis. The statement is not only published
in justice 10 him and the other officers asso
dated with him, upon whom it win be seer
he does not reflect but rather exoneratos, bu,
frem the conviction that large number Of
our local readers, many OF whom knew Fra
kor psrsonally, VIII he interested in It's peru
.sai 1t is given in full, rot abating or adding
single word, just as it came from his Owl
lips, be haiin. sent Us personally the copy
The statement speaks FOR Itself and upon its
face btaTs the impress OF unvainished truth,
even did not a. the surroundings and circum-
stances, as the words OF those most intimate
with the affairs OF the bank, eOnfrm. One
has 10 but in Imagination put himself in the
same place 10 understand how IN his anxiety
T. tiGe over the disastrous collapse Of 20
which left such alarse amount OF what proved
10 be worthless paper on tae banks hands
nearly $50 OO0--in his anxiety to save his
name, credit and family from ruin, and
10 return the In oney Of friends and pat
rors, tia. he himself went, and induced 9th
ers to 20, beyond he limits prescribed by
law. But nc did il and 10 explanation, ex-
cuse or paliiation could save him from the
dreful penalty Of violated law An up
right, conscientious official and private life
covering many years OF time, count as moth
ing, nor even the fact that in the last 81 x
months many Ike offenders In the United
States have gone free. Il win be seen that
The reason given Tor the banks embarrassment
are identically those which were put forward
by The EAGLE Few months since as proba-
bic. Fraker explains in his statement how he
came 10 run awsy-how in the face OF ruin
and scattered fortune, the ioers of the crowd.
The threats OF individuals, and, worst OF all
the suspicion and distrust of old friends, his
manhood, which had sustained him in all the
trials OF years, torsook him, and be became a
coward aud fed from the face OF all that had
known him.
L. q. Wright makes no statement for pub
LEGATION, but his case also enlists our fullest
sympathies, ana we here express them in all
freedom in defiance OF the curse OF hypocrites
and the horror Of mere purists. True, he
WAS an officer in one sense, but lie owned
none OF The capital stock and was responsible
only 20 far as his clerical duties were concern
e.. Al lie had TO lose was bis situation, SUI
that situation was his all, and be no doubt felt
more interest in Keeping the institution up
than mary mere stockholders. To help those
with whom be WAS intimately and daily asso-
ciated. oil; CT trouble, aud TO keep alive the
Place 10 which be had been for several wears
looking for the bread eaten by himself, by his
faithful wife and innocent chiliren-he, too,
violated the letter Of the law, and in the ad-
mission OF that fact poor Ed. Wright was SEN
fenced ie bear the ignominy of j C. Fraker.
In bis associations with his feilow-men he has
always, so far as we know, been upright, hon
o7able and above suspicion, commanding and
retaining the respect and confidence of all.
The places Of trust or honor ia either
degree or number had not been held By him
a by Fraker, but in all be had been true even
t. the sacrificing the rooi that covers the head
OF his children to make gcod the city's money
which he, as treasurer, held and which
went With the rest, and for one we stand
ready with pen, voice, or whatever influence
we may have 10 implore and beg for execu-
tive clemeucy aud pardon. Even The jury,
dispssssonaie strangers who felt bound under
their oaths to return the verdict that like an
unexpected CHI OF gloom, shut cut his sun
OF freedom and took him away from all lie
owed. these twelve men not oa.y signed a Pc
titon lOr his release but waited upon him in
his ssony and with heavy hearts told lin
how unequal in his case WAS TIE effect Of the
law. The very voice Of Tie Judge must have
fAltered in passing 50 hard sentence upon
one WHO had slnned more in thoagAtlcss COM
passion than design.
J. w. Edridge, a. al officer, was indicted
Tor tcing prisy 10 aud an alder and abettor Of
the wrong done BY bis associates. Upon trial
a minority Of the jury refused 10 agree 10 q
verdict Of guilty, beng incapable OF consisn-
ins 10 ieion's cell, iellow-man who, ilom
tie evidence, had 10 thought Of wronging
any one. Upon that jury was Hon. James
F. Legate who though the possessor of a great
warm heart is sti one Of the soundest and
best read lawyers IN the West. MIR. EldrlJge,
in life running back over sixty years, had
borne an unbemished character. lie came
to Wichita some three years since with len
thousand dollars cash with which he purehas-
ed stock in the unfortunate First National
becoming lis cashier. When the bank went
down he was left without 4 cent. Nay.
worse. 1t carried with it three thousand dol
lars OF his cousins money. his wife's and his
mother-in-law's and brother-in-aw's money.
To make good, so far as lay in his power, the
losses OF depositors be mortgaged his home
and all he had besides and freely turned it
over, as had Fraker. On the down-hilI side
OF life all his savings of years were not only
swept away. his family left without anything,
but himself threatened with shame and dis-
honor.
There is one other officer who, though not
involved in any way that casts shadow upon
his name, to whom we wish to allude At
tempts, the most strenuous, were not only
made but money was raised for the purpose
OF procuring Vice President J. Il. Mead's in
dictment. After the country had been raked
and scraped be came out unscatAed and I'M
tainted entire. The grand jury found moth
ing upon which even a suspicion could be
hanged. In this connection we here quote an
extract from an editorial ia the Topeka daily
Commonwealth whose editor knew both Mr.
Mead and Fraker, intimately: "We have
known Mr.. fraker great many years. have
been intimately associated with him many
tunes and always found him upright, frank
and honest In connection with this subject |
we can't refrain from saying a word about
another OF the National Bank. We refer to |
J. Il. Mead, whom we have known for many
years. and under varying circumstances. and |
never knew aught against him. There has |
been an sGort-some think rindictiye one,
hut we viii not say SOTO connect him with |
he dishonest transactions in connection with |
he bank. The case has been before two Uni |
Led States grand juriss aud been Investigated |
TO the bottom, aud he comes out eatirely un-
scathel. Mr.. Mead has been heavy loser by |
the bank. He put money iato il as IN invest |
ment in good faith, and went about his other |
business, supposing that his inyestment was
q sale one. lie has lost, we think, aboat S30,- |
GOO, besides beiE. subjected to suspicious and |
going through terrible ordeal. He is, as
we said above, completely exoneritcd, and |
many viii hear tais with great satisfaction. |
lie was known 10 nearly every old citizen in
the state. To have found that two suea men
Is we believed Nr. Fraker and Mr. Mead 10 |
have been, were bad, would have been more |
than human nature could bear. Perhaps We |
write too freely, but cur associations with |
both men have 20 intimate that we feel deep |
"" The truth is, Mr.. Mead for years has |
had large business aud yantd Interests to
look after ard knew very little of the bank or |
It's aiia.rs other than what Mr.. Fraker frsm
time 10 time told him. How be has suffered
in the oollepso is known to more 90 well as 10