The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-09-05
HARRISON AMONG THE BANKS
HE WAS NOsIN0 AROUND THE VEST
ERN NATIONAL IN FEBRUARY.

Son or tho President OF tho Tnited
states-The Complaint Against the Bank
Came that Mouth-what MA Young
Harrison Want or = silver Certincntes
Gen. Louis Fitzgerald. President OF the
Mercantile Trust Company in the Equitable
building, came up from his summer homo Mt
Seabright yesterday and found NUMBER
Of visitors who wanted to ask him about
the experience he had ha, with Russell
Harrison. tho son OF the president ofthe United
States As stated in THE SuN yesterday.
young Mr. Harrison asked Gen. FitZIeiad 20
lend lin money on collateral which Ten.
Fitzgerald declined 10 accept. After that re-
fusal. young Harrison suggested to Gen.
fitzgerald thu. the legality OF tho silver certiis-
cato business OF the Western National Bank.
OF which Gen. Fitzgerald is director. might
be questioned. Complaint actually was made
about this business and the Comptroller OF me
Currency is still engaged IN the inquiry.
Gen. Fitzgerald was not inclined 10 TALK
about tho case He Admitted that young liar
rison al called on him. and he said that he
had reported tho incident to President l'rayton
Ives OF tho Western National at the time. II
was learned that young Harrison asked for tic
the loan in February last. l, was in that very
month that Edward $. Lacey. Comptroller OF
tho Currency. began to inquire. on compliant
received from source not stated. whetner tne
Western National. under the National banking
act had authority to issue its silver certificates
Tho next interesting point was that when
young Harrison could not get the loans him-
self from Gen. Fitzgerald he tried other means.
He took the collateral which Gen. Fitzgerald
had refused to lend on to Gen. {. II. I. Coils
an agent Tor the Equitable Life Assurance So
ciety. The next heard OF tho collateral was
when Con Coils handed it to Washington f.
Conner. Jay Gould's old partner. at II Broad
way. and asked Mr.. Conner to get loan on it.
Mp Conner called on Gen. Fitzgerald. presented
the coatera! and a.. asked Tor me ,d ,o s lie
Genera me n Mr. !he coDno nave
rison.'
said said hat he did not Know that Mr., HARRISON
has % shs. believed
some on influence.
sons connection with this matter. and it ap.
peared that he made his first movement lust
the silver certifcais busine IS OF the " estern
National. For instance, a bank official says
him aud said that he was very anxious to SEQ
one OF TIE silver ser,irntes Issued by oy m, ne
% S.nS TrS Sasns n nn1s n"
| the bank President hunted through HIS vaults
one OF which he handed to Russell Harri-
| son. Tho Young man then asked the DanH
Presideni II lie might not take stenoGraphic
certificates. The bnnk President did not az
the time know what Harrison was up to. 4. and
for tho ank took II COPY of all the engraved
matter ON The certiMcnle. and that copy was
Just before Comptroller Lacey at somebody =
| instiGation began the inquiry into the Lawful
81 !Ss and
Young Harrison had tried to borrow from
included shares OF the .j!dge and fidnk Lesi.es
companies. The collateral was refused.
talk Yes yestardaS aud wero glad that the meth
ODDS OF russell Harrison had been brought 10
bon H IN not a WIS, hs name, uSn na
President told stury OF the money trouble
last fall. when he Treasury Department. IN an
| effort to relieve tho money pressure thought
| it advisable t. buy four per ent bonds. This
| was consIdere cd some m. before it was done.
ions to sell some OF their. four Der cents. At
that time Russell! Harrison called not only
upon the bank President who tell, this story.
| going 10 Washington.
see is!hsr aIo " 4, ,hisn h said land
would Sir up the President to influence
s G hs The BANK ss
| dent says he does not know Just what. in
| lnence young Harrison had but tie does
know thnt Young Harrison. IN returning tn
| New FORK called on him and several oths,
bank Presidents and asked for iayors in the
! shape OF loans on the strength OF his al eyed
| iniluence with the Treasury department in the
matter Of the purchases OF the per cont.
| bonds But In almost every case the loans
were refused because the collateral was not
WAsH.SGroS. Sept. 4-Mr. Lacey. Comp
trollar Of the Currency declined to talk to- day
| about the pu bli he'd account OF Prince Russell
| Harri.on's Nttemp. 70 borrow money OF Pros
| ident Fitzgerald Of the Mercantile Trust Cons
pnny. aud his remark tina the Western Ma
tlona Bank Was issuing SILVER csrti " ~, con.
weeks. and wa, returning to Washington from
| the Sc ashore when he stopped for day or two
IN New York. He ma. nave . ION. 70 say
Russell had. and tho facts upon which 1t was
based
The Comptroller is evidently annoyed at the
| I'M ina,ion that he is in any way responsible
| for Russell Harrison's knowledge OF DEPART
mont bus mess. which il carefully kept from
| thing o say about how such Information gets
| ont. At present he declines 10 mako my state
ment Tor publication.