Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-18
THE FINANCIAL SCARE.
A FEW DEPOSTTORS WITH
DRAW THEIR MONEY.

A Slight Run on the Southern Bank by
DepositOrs of Small Sums-How the
Business Men View the situation
The scenes About the Bank During
the Excitement.
The financial rumors of the past three
or four days apparently found a culmina-
ton yesterday in Savannah, in a small
run on the Southern Bank Of the State of
Georgia, made principally if not wholly
by about one hundred depositors of small
sums in the savings department. The
congregating of these depositors naturally
attracted the attention of passers by. and
soon the widest kind Of reports were cir
culated, and others who had deposits in
the bank proper rushed in to view the
situation. When it was seen who the
people were who were Withdrawing their
deposits, and that the regular business of
the bank was being'dOn as usual, the ex-
element cooled in measure, though the
greater part of the crowd fingered in
the immediate vicinity to amuse
themselves at the expense OF those
who apparently had their all in the bank.
and were determined to take it out.
A reporter of the MORNING NEWS could
learn from no one the cause for the run
until late in the day, when it was reported
that a weekly publication edited by co..
Ored men had suggested the advisability
Of drawing out deposits without delay
The majority of those who were anxious
people. Every now and then a
white lady would make her APP
pearance. Mrs. Hennessev. among
the number, said she wanted $500, all She
had in the bank, right away
will not smaller sum do YOU to-day 2"
mo, begorrah, l want it all. I've got
to buy a COW this afternoon"
The paying teller thought that $500
ought to buy a good COW. and without
hesitating paid out the amount.
No larger sum was paid to any deposit
tor in the savings department during the
day. A colOred man drew a similar
amount about 2 o'clock. Meanwhile thou
sands of dollars were being deposited BY
business men, who thoroughly understood
the situation, and laughed at the idea of
taking out any more money than was
actually needed to pay off workmen
or settle other accounts of
the week. About y O'Clock the
express wagon delivered several thousand
dollars to the bank, but none of the money
IN this package was touched, the bank
having sufficient to meet all the demands
that were made upon it.
Several persons, male and female, came
in haste to withdraw their money, but
when they took a sober view of the mat
ter, and stopped to reflect moment, went
away without asking for a dollar. The
officials OF the bank had received instruc-
lions to pay the depositors their savings
promptly, and the consequence was that
several gentlemen who called to make
deposits, in amounts reaching 81, 900 and
upwards, had to return to their offices and
wait until Monday.
A number OF amusing scenes hap
pened at the bank during the day.
Two colored carpenters were elbow
ing their way into the crowd. One
had just drawn his money, and as he
met the other he remarked: rs you
gwine to draw your money Outen dat
bankW Dunno says the other, ''iIs so
nearly CLOCK; don't tink l can get um
Outen dere by dat time. l tink / lef7 UNI
stood till tomorrow. / amt feared"
The other replied: sYou's never see yo'
money no mo-. Dis is anudder Freed
mans Bank business, tell YER" A well
known citizen, who overheard the re-
marks, stepped up and said:
Look here, my friend, when this bank
fails the United States fails" Both
darkeys looked rather dubious at this,
and the one who was too late to get his
money scratched his head and again NUT
tered that he wasn't afeared.' The other
walked off, chuckling to himself on hay-
ing his in his pocket.
Nobody seemed to know any reason for
the run, except the publication above
mentioned, and the uneasiness caused by
the James failure in Atlanta.