Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-03-28
SILENTLY STOLE AWAY.
LATEST DEVELOPMENT OF THE BANK
RoBBlNG IDlOSYNcRAcY.

|
Funds, $3.50, 900, in Their Gripsaeks--The
Bank Owned Principally by Relatives of
the Thieves-Losses of Depositors.
RALEIGH, n. c., March 2s.-The announce
ment that the doors of the State National
bank would be closed was made Tuesday
morning. Charles E. Cross, the president
and Samuel c. White, cashier, left on the
train for New York on Saturday evening
The capital of the bank was 500, 900, and the
concern was established in 1867. The most of
the stock was owned by the Williams family
Ihy whom the bank was established Cross
was the son-ln-law of Mrs. Williams and
White is her brother After the death of
John G. Williams a few years ago his wife,
Mrs. NJ c. Williams, was elected president
of the bank. and had lately given up the
place to her son-in-law, Gross. 1t was known
that the bank had made some bad loans, but
it was not dreamed that there was any
danger of a failure. 1t is believed here that
Gross and White had made false statements,
and had been guilty of violation of the ma
tonal banking act, and that they knew that
Il failure must take place very soon. There
fore before the crash came they concluded to
steal all the money they could carry away
and leave for Canada.
| Monday morning the bank was opened as
usual by the teller and other officers and was
run until o'clock, and when neither the
president nor the cashier appeared suspicion
was excited, and very soon the wife of Cross
came down and told her mother that her hus-
| band had informed her that he and
White would be in Canada by Monday morn
| ing. This gave the clew, and an investiga-
ton was commenced 1t was then ascertained
that Cross had recently been in Canada on
the pretext of looking after Silwmill owned
there by the bank. II was also ascertaned
that White had just returned from New
York, where he had hypOtheeated there all
the paper of the bank to the amount of $780,
900. Cross had been drinking and gambling,
and it is believed that some of the money
went in this way. Cross and White then
commenced to get tho money into packages,
so they could carry it away.
The last statement of the bank showed de
posits of $350,OO0. All this money is gone eX
cept $l5, 900 in silver and So 500 in currency
This silver and currency was left where the
teller could get it to commence business Mon
day The other money, including 100000
that was received here by express Saturday,
was packed up and put in two valises.
White gave out that he was going to Chapel
Hill, place about twenty-five miles from
here, to see a sick relative, and Cross said he
was going again to Canada to look after the
saw mill The train leaves here for New
York at $50 p. III. Just before that hour
Cross and White walked down to the station,
accompanied by young negro boy who car
ried in each hand the two valises in which
was the s350,O00 in currency. They went
into the second-class car and the negro took
seat in front of them, and kept guard over
the valiscs At Greensboro they changed cars
and went on direct to New York, and il is be
lieved they reached Canada early Monday
morning.
Monday, after suspicion was excited, the
wife of White was sent for and she went to
the bank. She was there piled with questions
us to the whereabouts of her husband, and
what she knew of the affairs of the bank. For
II long time she denied all knowledge about
the matter and appeared to be greatly
shocked. Finally, after muck pressing and
persuasion, she said she had known for three
weeks that the bank was on the verge of fail
ure and that Cross and White had been plan
ming to steal all the money and leave for
Canada. She then gave up 81, 900 that her
husband had given her ON Saturday last.
The loss falls heavily on many people.
William X. Poe, 81 years old, loses $4,000,
and W. S. Primrose 1000, mostly in trust
funds. The industrial school loses $50 100,
and this will stop the erection of the build
ings The state loses $4,000, the sheriff of
this county Sl2 900 Mr.. Avera $4,000, and
there are several hundred small depositors
who lose from 800 to $500, which was all
they had The Williams family are ruined.
They have lost all their money that was in
the bank, and now all their property will be
taken to pay the losses, because they We're the
largest stockholders, and they are bound in
double the amount of their stock for the
debts of the bank.
Mrs. Williams is FRUSTRATED She does not
mind the loss so much as the disgrace that
has befallen her and her large and interesting
family. 1t is not believed that she will sur
vive the shock many days Mrs Cross has
baby just two weeks old, and great fears are
felt that she may die under the shock of
the desertion of her husband and the disgrace
that has fallen upon her and her children.
Crowds gathered in the streets during the
entire day, and the greatest surprise existed.
Cross was member of the First Baptist
church, and White was a leading light in the
Methodist church, and prayed loud and long
at revival meetings. Both men possessed the
entire confidence of the community. 1t is
believed that the bank property and all that
can be made out of the stockholders in
double the amount Of their stock will not pay
more than % cents on the dollar.