St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-06-25

as fOllows:-
Connecticut River railroad, SJO,0O0
Frederick Billings. Woodstock, 10000
TrenOr w. Park, Bennington, 10000
Lyon & Healey, Chicago, 20,0jO
Taunton locomotive manuiactur-
ing company, 1900
{. j. Amidon, Hinsdale. N. H., 1900
Nermilian & Co., New York, 5000
Total, S2I2.OO
These notes were signed with the
names Ot the principals only, and ap-
parently with no great attempt To make
them resemble genuine signatures. and
were laid before the .lirecssfs AZ diner
ent times as among the assets OF the
bank. Bank Examiner llcndee IL re-
ported to have told Waite at one time
That the notes Ought 10 have other
signatures, or collateral security and he
replied that the parties were perfectly
good and every body knew them To be
so, To which Of course Mr.. Hendee had
10 give assent. The note against Ami
uon Is shown by the latter, who il a di-
iector, and one of the tive or three who
nave paid some little attention to the
affairs of the concern, to be clearly n
forgery. Whenever be has called at
the bank to talk over matters Waite
has carefully removed that paper from
the package so that he should not dis
cover it, while on other occasions if
has helped swell the list of assets. 1t
Is thought that numerous smaller for.
Se[Ies may be discovered. The name
OF Walte's brother, the late c. C.. Waite
Oh the Brevoort house at New York.
supposed to be bogus, was found on
some OF the banks documents.
SOME -sUsPICIoNs-ANE ExPLA-
NATION DEMANDED.
A hint thrown out by Mr.. Waite him.
self indicates that the first step in tn,
career OF crime was taken several year
ago when his brother, Henry Waite
was involved in some financial irregu
larity connected with a bank or insur
ance company in Chicago. At tina
time, as it is supposed, Silas NJ. Wait
took some $4,000 from the bank
funds to help Henry out of difficulty
as he is known to have no great pei
sonal income. Then, nearly ten yeal
ago, Mr.. Waite became connected wit
the famous organ patent suit of Bul
dett against Estey which has been cal
ried from court to court till it no
stands before the United States supreu
court on an appeal from a verdict
the district court of 100000 in fave
of the plaintiff. Waite went into tn
after it had been running for some tim
furnishing the capital for the proSecr
ton, the expenses of which have bee
immense. Such lawyers as E. j. PhelE
of Burlington, Senator Edmunds an
E. w. StoughtOn of New York hav
been employed, the latter of whom
said to have received $4,000 in fee
One expert who was on the witnes
stand 81 days received 800 day. M
Waite has apparently stuck to the sui
with his usual bulldog tenacity, a
much for the sake of carrying his point
as the prospect of pecuniary gain fror
verdict in his favor. This drain upo
his purse is believed by the people G
Brattleboro to be sufficient to accoup
for the disappearance of the money
Even his last great victory in the sui
did not give him the ready money t.
tide over his difficulties.
The history of the bank almost iron
its opening in 1853, is little more thai
the history of Waite himself. Its frs
president was Nathan B. Williston
brother of the late Samuel Williston O
Easthampton, who is living in Brattle
boro at nearly 85, and was nominal,
at the head of the institution till Janu
ary, 1879. Waite, who mad been cash
ier from the start, was then made pres
ident, and has since combined both du
ties, though it appears he has nevel
given the bonds required by law. Th,
directors appear not to have found any
fault with this irregularity, and it i
doubtful if the bank examiner knew it
A couple Of years ago strenuous eff
forts were made by some of the stock
holders and directors to put in a cash
ier, leaving Mr.. Waite the presidency
only, but he resisted the plan, telling
those who preached it that he could dt
the duties of both officers without diff
ficulty, and save the salary of one
Last winter one of the stOckholderl
asked him if he did not take the cash
ier's salary as we'll as the president
himself, and he replied that he did, al
the bank could afford to pay it to hin
as well as not. Having thus all th'
ends of the complicated affairs of tn,
institution in his hands he managed
them to suit himself. Some eight year
ago, in broad daylight, a mysteriou
robbery of special deposits took place
This has never been explained satisfac
torily, and the prevailing theory nov
is that Waite in some way, either will
or without assistance, carried it through
himself. According to the "Official
statement, one of the clerks was at din
ner, when a customer came in to tran
sact some business with the other
While the clerks head was turned, o
he had saofe, rstlfeds dsdiHe fiji one rushed in an,
around the counter, grabbed what val
uables were in reach, and disappeared
'Tne bulk of the pIunder WIS gUvvru
ment bonds which had been left ther
as special deposits. This affair was th
first to bring any distrust in Waite
management, and though he has sine
enjoyed the confidence of the public,
has not been with a great many as ur
shaken as it was before.
Gradually more and more suspicion
of the banks soundness spread anon
BIattleboro and other Vermont bus
ness men. The first efforts on larg
scale put forth for rescuing propert
invested there were made i'll 1877
They resulted in the retirement of M
WillistOn from the presidency, takir
all his money with him, and the cred
for this achievement is wholly due
Rev. DR.. George Leon Walker, forme
ly of BrattlebOro and now of Hartfor
CT. Mr.. Waite attended DR.. Walker
church regularly, but, not liking b
successor, has not of late been much
church-goer. DR.. Walker receive
the first intimation that something W
rotten in Denmark from Frederic
Billings of Woodstock. Preside
, Williston is Walkers father-in-law, al