The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-07-23
COLD NERVE AND WASHERS.

How a Young Clerk at Cheyenne Stopped
Run on the Bank.
"We've got bank clerk up in our
neck O. woods who some day win give
Jay Gould cards and spades in the game
of financiering and beat him to stand
STILL" says Mortz Curren. Hes only
nineteen years old but is a hummer.
Two or three months ago, while the
president of the bank was away, the
cashier was taken sick and in few
hours was in a delirious state. The
young Napoleon was left in full charge
of the bank. Some evil disposed person
started the story one afternoon that the
institution was in bad way, and init
mated that the president had skipped the
country and that the cashiers illness was
only bluff Before night it was evident
there would be run on the institution
the next morning. The young CLERK
knew there was scarcely money enough
to last an hour. He had no one to adj
wise him, but he acted promptly.
HE called on the leading hardware
merchant and held a brief conference.
Then this young Napoleon went home,
where he found a committee from the
depositors awaiting him. He did not
wait for them to speak, but made this
bluff: 4 refuse to discuss business with
you. There will be $780, 900 in gold here
in the morning, and there is a like
amount in the safe. You may draw out
every dollar you have deposited, and
we'll be glad to get rid of your small &C
counts Then he turned on his heel
and left the committee. Bright and
early there assembled at the bank the
creditors.
Just before time for opening the
doors an express wagon was driven up,
in which were seated two heavily armed
men, one of them the Waterman of the
bank. A pathway through the crowd
was made, and the Waterman began
carrying into the bank canvas bags con-
tanning gold coin, as indicated by the
prominent marks. Some Of the bags
were marked '$5,000,' and one or two
$4,000 The people saw these bags,
heard the chink of the metal, and be-
heving the bank was 30 K" were about
to move away.
Gust as the last bag of gold was
handed into the door the young fnaI-
cier threw the bank open. The crowd
did not make any effort to reach the
paying teller's window. Come on, now,
every one of you shouted the clerk No
one responding he made another bluff.
You must come and get your money.
We don't want your id accounts
any more. Here, Jim BARLEY, take this
and sign this receipt in full. Here, Bill
Wyman, come and get your dust He
insisted on their taking the money. Just
at this juncture the committee came in
and begged the clerk to stop, for Gods
sake They almost got down on their
knees to ask the bank to keep their
money The young Napoleon finally
but declared if there was ever
ANY more nonsense he would throw
every depositor's money into the street.
'The crowd departed happy, and con-
fdent that the bank was one of the
strongest institutions of its kind in
America. Their confidence might have
been shaken had they known the canvas
bags marked 5000 gold,' ETC., and be-
aaubed with red sealing wax, contained
nothing more nor less than iron washers,
which the young clerk had purchased |
from the hardware man, who had other
wise assisted in the deception, he being
convinced of the soundnesS of the bank. !
The two men the young Napoleon in
sisted on paying in full the bank had
ong wished to get rid of."-Cheyenne
leader