The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-05-26
HE TOOK THE CASH.
How a Bank President Tried to
Get Rid of q Cashier.
A STREET FIGHT THE RESULT.
Disagreement Between tho Omcere OF
Pike Street Dime Savings Insti-
tuition Becomes Public.

An encounter between I. n. Bigelow.
president. and E. J. Landers. cashier. OF
the Seattle Dime Savings bank. at pa
Pike street, yesterday afternoon. brings to
light an unpleasant state Of affairs. and
will doubtless end in the cashier severing
his connection with the institution.
The bank commenced its career about
year ago. under the direction OF +. J.
Landers, q new arrival in the city from
the East, and in q short time /. n. Bige-
low. one Of the best known ana wealthiest
pioneers in the city. became its president.
As near as can be learned, he furnished
the money and Landers the experience.
OF late. however. Mr.. Bigelow became dis
satisfied with the cashiers management.
and desired q quiet separation. to which,
il is said, the cashier agreed. but Vanted
$1,000 to withdraw. Mr.. Bigelow refused,
and after consulting an attorney con-
cluded to take matters into his own hands,
and, as he SAYS, secure the depOsitors.
Consequently he had to figure how to
get the cashier out of the way. The OPP
portunity came Yesterday noon when it
was time for Mr.. Landers to go to the
clearing house. Miss Bigelow. the presi-
dents daughter, took charge. A short
time later Mr.. Bigelow came in and took
all the cash from the stand and drawer,
with the exception of about $1,000. This
was taken down town and placed in q de.
pository known only to Mr.. Bigelow and
those whom he chose to tell. In the mean
time the cashier returned to the bank and
looked with amazement on the depleted
treasury. He questioned Miss BigelOw.
~,L 4 Cal tcH ~
money as he expected an attachment to be
levied on account Of judgment Of $1,000
obtained by Michael Earle against MIN.
About this time in came Mr.. Bigelow with
Attorney Babcock. The latter was intro
duced to Mr.. Landers. and while they
were conversing the president OF the bank
went behind the desk and picked up the
note and mortgage pouch. He got into
the street with it, but the cashier went
after him on the run. At the corner of
Pike and Third streets he caught up to
Mr.. Bigelow. and a short scuffle ensued,
resulting IN Mr.. Landers' securing posses
sion of the pouch which contained papers
aggregating $4,000.
The whole affair was over in q short
time, and but few people realized what
was going on. Rumors spread somewhat.
and few depositors came to the bank. but
saw nothing unusual, and concluded
everything was all right. When Posi-
INrELLIGENcER reporter reached the bank
office hours were over. and Cashier Lam
ders was busily engaged on his books. At
ter two knocks on the door and motion
ing of hands he came forward. and in re-
Spouse to an inquiry as to the nature of
the trouble shook his head. Finally he
opened the door a little way on account Of
the noise in the street, and told the re-
porter he would have nothing TO say until
this morning, and that there had been no
arrests made. When asked what amount
had been taken away by the president, he
said about SIG 900 III cash and securities.
but that he got the latter back. He would
not give any circumstances, and abruptly
shut the door.
Mr.. Bigelow was found last night on the
sidewalk in front of the bank talking with
several men and laughing at the remark
Of Mr.. Landcrs made to Press Times re-
porter ABOUT an irresponsible president.
Mr.. Bigelow at first was not inclined to
give his side Of the case. preferring that
his attorney should speak. but finally con-
cluded that as the cashier held him to be
an irresponsible president" he would
give the plain facts and let the public
Judge He said:
f., ]. Landers came to Seattle about n
a year ago from Michigan and opened the
Seattle Dime Savings bank at pa Pike
street in the /. n. Bgc.ow block. After
running the bank two months and not
succeeding ne came to me and asked me to
nut up cash to conduct the business against
his experience. I agreed to help him out
and furnished the money. Sixty per cent.
of the $50 900 stock was issued to me and
nv friends. Landers vas made cashier
with salary, and business went along all
right until he became interested in the
Boston Fish Company without my con-
sent, and finding that he had put his own
money and some of the banks into the
business | became dissatisfied and negotia-
lions were begun to have him sever his
connection with the bank. My mind
was made up on the point because do
not believe in outside specuiations, and.
again. l was dissatisfied with Mr.. Landers'
manner Of conducting the bank with
which he was connected previous to COM
ing here. He proposed to sever his con-
nection with the institution, but wanted
SO large a sum that refused TO consider
the proposition. He had no money in the
business and ] expected nothing more
than that he would resign. Instead, how
ever. he refu sed TO so unless he received
the amount demanded. 1 consulted my
attorney, who advised me To secure the
depositors by taking the available funds.
This did and the bank will go on as
usual"
SIR. Bige,ow said that the attachment
L. -
pcaied the case. and even II the final de-
cision were against him he thought he
could find money enough TO pay il.
As the reporter wen; out, Mr.. Bigelow
iaughingly said: Il will leave i, 20 the
Ia "a thu