The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-02-01
THE DEXTER BANK. MYSTERY.
Mob Satisfactorily Unraveled.
BELIEF I'm MIR. RARRON'S IN
TEGRITY NOT YET DOUBTED,
The Detectives Solution of the
Deed.
THE CONDITION OF THE BANK.
Opinions of the Press, &C., SC.
Special TO the Press.1


DEXTER, Jan 80 The little town has been
thrown into fever of excitement by the REPORTS
which have been sent abroad, implying that one of
its prominent citizens was murderer. The pepple
here with one accord laugh at the idea but thew
have quite much confidence in it as they do in the
later and baser statement, that John Wilson
Barron, the man whom they loved and trusted
while alive, and have regarded martyr since his
death, can have persisted by his own hand. There
have been some very mysterious proceedings here OF
misconceptions OF all sorts of crime; but no in
teIligent citizen has yet confessed to belief in
either of these strange theories.
Origin of the Excitement.
The present excitement seems to have originated
from the fact that the trustees of the savings bank
were not satisfied that Mr.. ,rrons books were alb
solutely accurate, and the administrators of his
estate have found them rather hard set of men to
deal with. Out of their claims upon the estate grew
dispute. This led to the employment Of an expert,
who is now making most thorough invesI alton
into the affairs of the concern, and also to the pro-
curing of the services of Detective Dearborn of
Boston, who, with companion, has been here and
looked the ground over.
From the presence OF these detectives, and also,
and more clearly. from the rather unguarded and
suspicious exciting talk of of tue BANKS officers
tho proscnJ excitement has arison. These officers
see their blunder. aud ara the closest mouthed
men in town; but the mischief has been DONE The
name Of the alleged prominent citizen who was
! going to be proved murderer was freely spoken
through all the surrounding towns. Men came here
from 20 miles away with the expectation of seeing a
former resident brought back here in irons. For this
cruel SANDER some one should be made to suffer.
Yesterday the officers Of the bank authorized de-
NAL of the bond story which the allegation rested
There various hints thrown out as to important
disclosures and startling arrests which are to come
the sequel to all this talk and and investi-
gaton but il seems be settled that no one outside
Of the bank officers know anything about such re
sus, and they have been frightened by the sound
of their that they will not say any thing
The only immediate outcome of it all will be very
bitter state of feeling between those intimately
associated with the murdered cashier, as it still ii
safe to call him, and those who have stored up th
trouble.
So far as careful research shows, Mr. Barron,
| habits were of the most exemplary kind. Swine
| and women had no charms for him. Financially
he was not placed just be might have wished, bu
Wall street speculations never allured hm-at leas
| SO far as Dexter people know. His record Is sngu
larly pure az spotless. From boy up, his conduc
has been exceptionally marked by its freedom from
vice and folly. His friends, Including, especially, Iii
widow feel most keenly the insult offered to hi
memory.
MIR. Barr0n's Estate.
Mr.. E. F. Copeland, the administrator of Mr.. Bar
Ton's estate says that Barron's real and persona
| property at the time his death amounted to abou
$4,000 tree of al incumbI In addition to thi
sum there was an insurance on bis life of $4,000
which ne received. OF the latter sun Mr.. Copelan
has paid $4,000 to thu Dexter savings bank and 500
to other creditors of the late cashier. The accoun
between Mr.. Barron and the savings bank, he says
was complicated and mas not yet been made clear
| 1t appears that the bank kept two sets of books
which, according to strict construction of the law
they were not allowed to do. depositor of th
bank, who deposited $1,000 while Mr. Barron wa
cashier, now claims Of Mr.. Copeland $780, He say
he drew at different tin of MIR. Barron $780, and
the time of the tragedy last February had $500
the bank. Mr. Copeland, after consulting promi
nent legal gentlemen, refused to pay the sum AM
asserts that the bank should. Mr.. Copeland can fin
no transaction of this kind among Mr.. Barron's az
counts, and the bank officers affirm positively tina
that it was purely private business matter betwee
Barron and the deposition.
Finaue Condition of the Bank.
The State Bank Examiner visited the Dexter Say
ing. BANK on the 18th of August. 1877 and reporte
its condition at that date as follows: