The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-01
HE SAVED THE BANK.
A Western Bank Clerk Meets . Run In q
Very NuYel Mannar.

A Western Bank Clerk Meets = Run In a
Very Novel Manner.
We've got bank clerk up in our neck of
Moods who some day will give Jay Gould
cards and spades in the game of fnancier-
ing, and beat him to stand.still,'' said
Mort Curren, OF Cheyenne, to the Leader.
He's only 10 years old, but he
10 hummer. Two or three months
was away, the cashier was taken sick and in
few hours was in delirious state. The
young Napoleon was left in sole charge of
the bank. Some evil-disposed person
started the story one afternoon that the in
stitution was in bad way, and intmated
that the president had skipped the country
and that the cashiers illness WAS only a
bluff
Before night it was evident there would
be run on the institution the next morn
ing. The young clerk knew there was
scarcely money enough to last an hour.
He had no one to advise him, but he
acted promptly. He called on the
leading hardware merchant and held
q brief conference. Then this young
committee from the depositors await
ing him. He did not wait for them to speak,
hut made this bluff: II refuse to discuss
business with you. There will be SEC, 900 in
gold here in the morning, and there is like
amount in the safe. You NAV draw out
be glad to get rid of your small accounts"
Then he turned on his heels and left the
committee.
'bright and early theee assembled at the
bank the creditors. just before time of
opening the doors an express wagon was
driven up, in which we seated two heavily
armed men, one OF them the watchman of the
bank. A pathway through the crowd was
made, and the watchman began carrying
into the bank canvas bags containing gold
coin, as indicated by the prominent marks.
Some OF tho Lags were marked $4,000 and
one or two $4,000 The people saw these
bags, heard the clink of the metal, and
believing the bank was 0. K, were abo ut
to move away.
Just as the last bag of gold was handed
into the door the young fnancier threw the
bank open. The crowd did not make any
effort to reach the paying teller's window.
Come on nov, every one of you,' shouted
tho olork. No ono rospvI1uing, he made
another bluff. You must come and get
your money. We don't want your ID
accountR 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
beReed the clerk to stop, Tor God's . sake
They almost got down on their knees to
ask the bank to keep their money. The
young Napoleon finally consented. but de-
clared II there was ever any more id non
sense he would throw every depositor's
money into the street. The crowd de-
parted happy and confident that the bank
was one of the strongest institutions of the
kind in America.
Their confidence might have been
marked $4,000, gold.' etc.. and bedaubed
with red sealing wax, contained nothing
more nor less than iron washers, which the
young clerk had purchased from the hard
ware man, who had otherwise assisted in
The deception, he being convinced of the
of the bank. The two men the
young Napoleon insisted on paving the
bank had long wished to get rid off,