The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-23
DIR. MYERS STATES FACTS.
lie SAYS Controller ECkClS' Letter Does
Him an Injustice.

him an Injustice.
/ he Reiterates the Conclusions He Had
! Reached and Replies to the Letter
Written by the Controller to Re-
ceiver Bennett-He Shows That the
Banks Condition Hardly Warrants
so Large an Assessment on Such
| Short Notice.
| Mr. Herman Myers viii not withdraw
/ as a member Of the committee represent
| ing the stockholders of the Oglethorpe
| National Bank of Brunswick, but will
| continue his work even though it be at a
| disadvantage, until the committees report
| is made.
! He says he regrets having been brought
| into any controversy over the affair, but
| that the letter of Controller Eckels to
Receiver Bennett was unjust and uncalled
/ for. Mr.. Myers has been in business in
| Savannah for years, and there is no one in
| the community who believes that he
would make any statement that was not
well founded. 1t is due Mr.. Myers to
state that the interview with him in
which the charges against the controller
were made was sought and that it was
merely an expression of his opinions in
regard to the matter
! AS to the receivership the interview
with Mr. j. p Williams published some
! days ago in the MoRNING News shows
conclusively that Mr. Myers was not an
| applicant for the receivership, as was
! charged by the controller, but that Mr..
! Myers name was suggested by MIR. Will
Jams himself, and when it was found that
he could not give his entire time to the
matter, and that on that account he
! would be unacceptable to the controller,
| the names of the three other gentlemen,
! either Of whom would have been accepta-
bic to the stockholders, were suggested.
ANSWERS THE CONTROLLERS LETTER.
| Mr.. Myers was asked yesterday about
| the letter of Controller Eckels to Re
ceiver Bennett.
! Yes, notice Mr.. Eckels' letter of re-
| cent date, to Mr. Bennett" said Mr..
! Myers, yesterday, land while regret to
| be drawn into a controversy, still it is
! proper for me to state that my interview
| contained in the MORNING News of the
! nth must have been distorted by some of
| the exchanges, otherwise Mr. Eckels
! could not have made the insinuations he
| did, Tor whatever opinions | expressed in
! that interview l still maintain except
| the slight corrections l made few days
! ago.
| "There are onlytwo salient pointsI made
in that interview. The first that the Sc
! lection Of a receiver for the Oglethorpe
| National seemed to have been controlled
! by pOlitlaal influence, and | arrived at my
! conclusions from the following occur
| renee. A few days before the appoint
ment of a receiver for the bank, a com
miCtee appointed by the stockholders to
act for them, sent the following telegram
| to Mr.. Eckels
SAVANNAH GA, June 70, 1893.
| Hon. Jas II. Eckels, Controller of Currency,
| Washington, d, c.:
| Concerning receivership Of Oglethorpe Ma
tional Bank of Brunswick, stockholders and
| creditors respectfully request a hearing be-
! fore appointment is made. Either Judge
Spencer R. Atkinson, w. G. Brantley, or E.
b. Peek Of Savannah would be acceptable
Please wire if you determine to see our
| representative. HERMAN MYERS
Mr. J. p Williams also addressed a
| letter to the controller making recon-
mendations. We received no reply what
! sOever to either of these communications
but a few days later learned through the
! public press that Mr.. Bennett had been
appointed receiver, and further learned
| through private sources that the appoint
ment was made at the instance of Con
gresham Turner, which has since been
confirmed in an interview by the control
Ter with an Atlanta journal cores
pOndent. From this l drew my conclu-
sions
MAINTAINS HIS OPINIONS.
Only second criticism" said Mr.. Myers,
''was that thought the assessment of rs
per cent. was excessive, at this early
date, and | have not altered my opinion
since examining the the assets and liza
bilities. The scarcity of money all over
the country, particularly so in Bruins
wick at this time, on account of three
fourths Of the banks of that town having
failed, makes it impossible for any one TO
| approximate correctly what could be
| realized out of the assets of the bank.
The condition of the bank on the date
the bank closed its doors is as follows:
Assets S43S, 10000; liabilities S244 0O0O0
Therefore 1 deemed it great hard
ship for the stock holders to be assessed
for such large amount and payable at
such short notice, and was of the opinion
that at least few months would be nee
essary for the receiver to determine what
assessment was absolutely necessary to
liquidate the debts, particularly taking
in consideration the conditions surround
ing the creditors of this bank at this
time.
with these facts I leave it to the pub
lie to judge whether my conclusions were
correct"
Mr.. Myers is still a member of the
stockholders committee and he will CON
tinue his work of looking into the assets
and liabilities of the bank, and will make
his report with the other members when
the time comes.
Andrew j. Hanley, Esq, Suwannee. Fla. :
Dear Sir-NIr. Gardner consents willingly