Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-07-21

Milwaukee, July 12.-No greater SEN
sation than that caused by the report
of the grand jury in the Plankinton
bank failure today has ever been ex-
perienced in Milwaukee.
A gentleman who is judge of the
United States circuit court, another who
is the head Of one of MilWaukee'S most
honored and prominent families, still
another who is one of the leading attor-
neys Of the city, and number Of others
who stand high in the community, as
well as two men who have fallen
from high estate, have been indicted
and arrested on serious charge.
The indictments returned by the
grand jury include the following:
JUDGE JAMES G. JENKINS.
FREDERICK T. DAY.
WILLIAM PLANTATION.
EUGENE S. ELLIOTT.
F. w. MOVES.
CHARLES L. CLASON.
,, WILLIAM III. MOMSEN.
FRANK A. LAPPEN.
All Of the persons under indictment,
with the exception of Lappen, were
officers or directors of the defunct
Plankinton bank.
The officers of the bank, President
Day, Vive-President Plankinton and
Cashier Momsen, are charged with re
ceivlng money when the bank was in
solvent. There are three counts against
them.
The indictments against the directors
are on fbp Same charUa and tho MN,
Der of indictments is the same. Bail
was promptly furnished in each case.
The cases were adjourned for a week.
The cases of those who have been in
dicted by the grand jury may come be-
fore Judge Johnson, Of the circuit court,
on change of venue.
Early this morning it became appar-
ent that the jury had indicted not only
Day and Plankinton, as had been sur
missed, but the whole of the bank di-
rectory.
Around the municipal court the Off
Gals were as dumb as the proverbial
oyster. Clerk Waller was busy with
his regular court work and the lot of
making out the capiases fell to Deputy
Clerk Finnegan. He succeeded in &C
complishing his task without any of the
reporters getting a glimpse of the mys-
terlous papers,.
AT 1880 o'clock Deputy Sheriff Lacy,
who was detailed at the beginning If
the investigation to attend the grand
jury, was seen "a carefully tuck bun.
die Of papers in his inside pocket.
The officer sped up the side streets
to ne county Jail, where record was
made of the capiases. Then arrange
ments were quickly made to arrest the
persons for whom indictments had been
found.
AS soon as the papers had been dock.
eted they were returned to Deputy
Sheriff acy for service. The Off eer
headed straight for the postoffice.
There he found Judge James G. jenkins
and went through the formality of plac.
ing him under arrest.
The judge was Informed that he
hight walk over to the court room un-
accompanied. He obeyed the summons
ut once and arrived at the court room
, at 11:3O o'clock. Judge jenkins re-
paired at once to the chambers OF
Judge Wallber.
From the government building Dep
uty Sheriff Lacy went down Wisconsin
street to the Pabst building. 1t was
Eugene S. Elliott that the officer was
after Mr.. Elliott was in his Office and
made no objection to accepting the
officers invitation to step over to Judge
Wallber's court room.
Then the officer crossed the river and
: Delivered the summonses to William
Planii.,ton. William II. Momsen and
Charles l.. Clason. These We're the last
persons the officer had on his list, and
he accompanied them to the court room.
The behavior Of the indicted bankers
in the court room was an interesting
study. Most of them sat around in the
room. but Judge jenkins remained
in Judge WallberS room until the for
NAL adjournment was taken, when it
was necessary for the defendants to be
n court When he emerged his face
wore an expression which showed
plainly enough that the proceedings
were not at all to his liking.
:; William Plankinton took a seat near
and sat stoically through it all, only un-
folding his arms when he was handed
copy of the indictment to read.
well" he said, they've got us on the
earpet," and then relapsed into silence.
Eugene S. Elliott, whose good nature
never deserts him, crcaked a joke or
two over the situation, though he de
clared it to be no joking matter, and
then busted himself with the legal
business TO be transacted.
W. H Momsen, who seemed to take
the matter very much to heart, sat
on one side Of the room and G. L.
+ ~ on the other. Neither had much
to say. In fact none of the gentlemen
had much to say except to the court.
1t is said that when the jury was bal
loting on the indictments they were
unanimously in favor of the indictment
Of Lappen and F. T. Day and were
nearly all agreed when it came to
: the indictment of the officers Of the
Plankinton bank.
There was division Of opinion when
the question of the Indictment of the
board of directors was raised, but the
jurors wheeled into line and the true
bills were found without much trouble
against five of tn edirectors.
The exception was in the case Of the
sixth director, Judge James G. Jenkins.
Some of the jurors thought that as the