The Portland daily press., 1891-11-10
THERE is EXCITEMENT IN BERLIN.
Anxious Deposltors BesIege the
Doors OF Banking Houses.
Leipzig, WSIff's Confederate, APP
parentIy Robbed His Own safe.
The Effect Of the German Crash
Felt Throughout Europe.

BERLIN, November 9.-There Is no dis
gutsing the fact that financial panic of
considerable gravity prevails here as re-
suit Of the recent startling financial dis
closures and the suicides attending them.
Some people are of the opinion that the
worst Of the financial storm Is over, and
that when matters quiet down there will
be beneficial ireaction. In any case, the
market is disorganizeditoda and securities
have taken slump" to use the street
term. The influence Of this decline Of
prices is already felt in London and Paris,
and it would not be going too far to say
that the Berlin troubles have disorganized
every market in Europe.
Additional revelations in regard to the
collapses of Hirschfeld & Wolff, the fall of
Herr LeipZiger and the suicides of the
Sommerfelds, are made almost hourly
Siesmond Sommerfeld died today from the
wounds he inflicted upon himself last
Saturday, when his son Felix. took his
own life. Among the noble depositors
who were lucky enough not to get bitten
was Count Gribanow, who withdrew the
sum Of 100000 from the S0mmerfelds'
Bank early on Saturday last. From one
end to the other Berlin and all Germany
arc balking Vi uOLnlnR else Dub the man.
clal earthquakes which have shaken the
entire fabric of the Private banking system.
No such day as this has ever been known
In the history OF German finances, and 1t Is
feared that the end OF it all is far from
being in sight. A number of banks here
this morning are besieged by clients des-
perate and anxious to withdraw their ac-
counts, and some of these institutions may
find 1t difficult to stand the run. Their
clients are pressing for the banks from all
sides, evidently being under the impression
that in these times of terrible financial
crashes 1t is safest to lock up their money
at home.
The cooler heads are doing their utmost
to pour oil on the troubled waters, but
some time must elapse before the scare
passes away. The fever of anxiety has in
no way been calmed py the latest revela-
charged with examination into the affairs
Of Joseph Leipzig, who Is supposed to have
uttered number of spurious drafts for
Herr Wolff, of Hirschfeld & Wolff, and to
have pawned securities belonging to de-
positors amounting to 1850, 900 marks, de-
cided this morning to burst open Leipzig's
safe. They did so, and to the astonishment
OF some the safe was found entirely empty
OF valuables. There were few old books
and a number of packages of papers, it Is
true, but otherwise the safe was empty, as
II a gang OF first class burglars had gone
through IL.
Fresh instances of n.ismanagement and
re ;klesS extravaganza of Herr Wolff are
cited on all sides, and the only wonder is
that people did not sooner begin to ask
how he could spend 10000 marks a year
on his household expenses alone and other
wise scatter money broadcast If he was the
careful fnancier he was reported to be.
There Is an International feature 1t the
Hirschfeld & Wolff crash which Is not lost
sight of. That firm, as Is known, were
special secret financial agents for the Rus
sian Government, and Wolff and his as.
sociates are credited with having done a
great deal of dirty work for Russia.