Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-07
HYPN0TISM BLAMED.
How q Baltimore Bank Cashier Al
lowed q Man to 0verdraW
A PECULIAR STATE OF Affairs.
The President Can Give No Explanation and
the Cashier Won't.
An EX.coUNcILMAN GETS OVER 100000


BALTIMORE, Jan. 6.-When ex-Coun-
Gilman H. Webster Crowl. who had been so
extensively engaged in suburban land spec
ulation, failed few months ago, owing
several hundred thousand dollars, there was
at first general expression of sympathy.
Little by little, however, Mr.. Crowl's meth
ods of raising money became known. People
who had been losers began to compare notes
and their comparisons were not very favor
able toward Mr.. CrowPs methods. 1t was
only last Monday afternoon, at meeting Of
the stock kholders of the Franklin Bank. of
which Charles j. Baker is the President,
that those present learned from Mr.. Baker
that Mr.. Crowl had overdrawn his account
on that bank to about 100000.
The announcement created great astonish.
ment. Further than this the bank holds
Mr.. CrowPs paper to an extent that increases
his Indebtedness to the bank to S119, 900.
Curiosity was awakened to know how the
cashier, Emory Gardner, man who stood
high in church and business circles, had
permitted it and also how it could have been
accomplished without the knowledge of the
President, Charles J. Baker, and the
directors. The Crowl shortage and the re-
tirement of the cashier, Mr.. Gardner, were
not alluded to in the report given out at the
stockholders meeting Monday evening.
The Cashier Was Blamed.
Mr.. George, who is President of the
Traders National Bank, presided at the
meeting. President Baker, in his report to
the stockholders, said that the bank had met
with reverses on account of the incapacity
and. untrustworthiness Of its cashier to the
extent of $4,000 in allowing Crowl to
overdrew his account. The banks surplus
OF some 500, 900 was gone, and the S97, ,264 81
charged in the bank report OF January 3.
1891, to the profit and loss account is all
loss. The capital stock, which was 1920, 900,
had been impaired to the extent of one
third.
President Baker then explained the
manner in which Cashier Gardner had paid
out the large amount. 1t was claimed that
the cashier falsified the returns to the Presi-
dent and directors, and the books which
would have shown the large overdrafts by
Crowl were always in use in one way or
another when inquiry was made for them.
Gardner, it was stated, always kept the
deposit line less than it actually was to the
amount of Crowl's overdrafts.
How Crowl Overdrew His Account.
Between the dates Of September 20 and q
of last year, shortly before CrowPs failure,
the latter got S27 900 by overdratt from the
bank. Most of these overdrafts were made
bv checks signed by Crowl, payable to his
order and cashed at other banks. They
reached the Franklin Bank through the
Clearing House in the regular order of
business and were never rejected by Cashier
Gardner so far as is known. Bookkeeper
Tschudi, of the franklin Bank, is Mr..
Gardner's brother-in-law.
1t was said at the meeting that when Mr..
Tschudi. would call Cashier Gardner's atten-
tion to the fact that Mr.. Crowl had again
overdrawn his account, Mr.. Gardner would
reply: CHATS all right. 1 understand
it, There seemed to be no disposition to
question Mr.. Tschudi's good faith. Mr..
Gardner was dismissed from his place few
weeks ago, but Mr.. Tschudi is still in the
banks employ.
He Might Have Been Hypnotized.
President Baker was on Gardners' bond
| for $40, 900, and be has made good the
amount. Some of those present at the
stockholders meeting took occasion to
severely criticise the management of the
bark. President Baker was asked by one
| of the stockholders if he had any reason to
believe that Cashier Gardner had made any,
thing out of the transactions with Crowl.
81 don't think so," was Mr.. Bakers re-
| ply. 81 have known Mr.. Gardner since his
boyhood. ] can't account for his action, ex-
cept on the theory that Crowl has hvpno-
tized him." Crowl borrow ed right and left,
subscribed for stock, gave his notes for it,
and then hypothecated it. Crowl is now
in Roanoke, Va. One man said
to-day that he could trace $50, 900 alone thai
Crowl has forwarded within short time be-
fore his failure and had never made good
Gardner had been with the franklin BanE
about ten years. He is comparatively
young man, and is said to have been ehtirel,
dependent on his salary for his living
When boy he was a member of Mr.
Bakers Sunday school and alter became
Sunday school superintendent himself. 1
was only last November that Cashier Gard
ner swore out a warrant and had Payini
Teller Obadiah G. Deever arrested on tn
charge of being short in his account abou
$4,000.