The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-01-07
SECRETS OF TIE LOBBY.
FISANCTAB TRANSACTIONS WINCH
STARTLED 4 YE1ERAS NEW
YORK RINKEH.
a chesS Sor se1SOoo Payable ,s Beaver
CspuaiI-t- who Declined Idenuaeauos
"A Disbursement OF gsoO,Oo0 tor One
Aet-Ths Mystery OF n $50, 900 Psy-eut.


"A Disbursement or $500 900 tor ors
Ast-Ths Mystery or $4,000 Payment.
gpo- N, oios,- n.moc a.
wAsHIxdToS. Dec. 20. Nerve IL . conspicu-
Gus trait OF the successiul lobbyist A New
York bank President had this i'm pressed upon
him. This bank President was George Il Coe.
At the time he had been an officer OF the
American Exchange Bank twenty years. ard
during fourteen OF It was President yet his
experience with the washin ston lobby and lie
queer methods was something which I'm
pressed his memory with minute details.
Among the depositors having an account with
Mr.. Goes bank was Richard ID. Irwin For
ave or six years Mr.. Irwin had been known to
Mr.. Coe as . steamship agent His balance
IN tho bank had run as high as s15.OOO.
Col. Irwin" said Mr.. Coe. came into the
bank one day. as l distinctly recollect. and
came into my room. He made some remarks
TO me OF an ordinary character. having no ref
erence to business at all. and then went out.
As he passed the receiving tellers desk. IN a
very cool and nonchalant way. he threw down
his bank book with deposit OF S735. 900 and
passed out"
The deposit was In four checks one for
$4,000. one for $4,000. one for $4,000. and
one for SG50.Oo0.
After he had gone" continued the bank
President. the receiving teller reported to me
the facts Of this deposit. remarking that 1t was
an extraordinary sum to be deposited by Col.
Irwin. and was quite startled 1t was about
the time when there was great deal OF eX-
element prevailing in respect to locking UP
greenbackS. inferred. without knowing any
thing about 1t. that this had some relation to
some stock operation. and possibly some rea-
tion to trick OF that kind a thing that is very
odious to mo and ask ed the young teller why
he had not notified me promptly when the de-
post was made. lie replied that seeing Col.
Irwin come from ny own room; he supposed
thouRht was quite sufficient to excuse him, foE
Il seemed very natural was startled at the
dsposit had been made, and the man had gone.
] did not think there was any official rronrirty
know more about it. AS the bank in its regular
course Of business had taken the money.
Therefore said to theteller:
Let 1t pass now. but be very careful and
watch the operation q this deposit See who
draws the ms ney. 50 that we may avoid COM
plicating this bank with any such operations
as now going on in the street.
for tho day: The next day | directed the
tsllers all Of them to report to me how that
money was drawn Whether IN bank notes or IN
and none OF 1t was drawn at all; and the next
day there was nothing drawn against this
credit 81 Col Irwin. which was quite mysteri-
ousto me. The deposit was made on the Both
excert a small sun. and II gave an unusual
signihcance to the transaction. in view OF the
Alter n few days s323. 900 was drawn ont In
three checks one for sl25.OoU and the others
presented mt the counter ami were paid in
money. They came through other banks and
Identifying the persons who ultimately re.
ceived the cash, But on the nth Of May there
Occurred somethlng that again amazed lresi-
dent Coe and gave him an impressive expert
enre with the ways OF the Washington lobby.
Two strangers game into the bank. gen;
temen unknown TO me or to any one there"
said Mr.. Coe. They presented themselves
for $ll5.OOu. / saw the checks at the time.
Ny impression Is that they were drawn II:
s. Irwin. pay to my own order and endorsed
in blank, which made the checks payable to
bearer The two gentlemen presented them
and demanded payment in currency. The
teller. startled b. the Iargones. OF the sums.
was unwilling 70 pay them without some
give. The teller then referred them to the
officers room In the rear OF the bank and they
the same apprehension or reluctance to pay
these largs amounts without some identihca-
ton OF the gentlemen who presented the
20 me-. and hearing them very emphatic for /
had overheard part OF the conyeIsation.
what the matter was. They said in su distance:
~ We have two checks on your bank and
Said /: Let ne look at them. gentlemen
They handed the checks TO me: and I
The other was for I'll j. 900 / said; t. -''''0''
Now gentlemen. you know these are very
large sums pl money.
And one Of the gentlemen remarked: That
bnnt large sum.
vi said; Dir, S2l5OO0 We consider In New
n. answered: We handle larger sums
than that or something to that effect.
. | thon said to them: Now, gentlemen.
there IN courtesy due between gentlemen
and there IS a certain obligation which every
sums Of money, and which men who are en-
gagged In these large tro'.,actions owe TO each
general grouad i ask you to Identify your
selves, Slmrly that | may be sure that am
fhe answer of the gentlemen was some
thing Ike this, or 10 this effect. that they had
that they declined u be Identified. / saw that
! was oilrially In corner, because could not
serve his incoeHitD il he chose to- do f IT, nor the
right Of any man to demand money for checS
p ayat6Ils to bearer Thar, Of course is an IN.
could refuse was by saying the checks were
foreeries. l had looked at them and at the
fectly satisfied that they were genuine. | did
not want to belittle myself by being unnsces-
bank; Therefore said;
check IL you are going to use this in bank.
you can relieve ne oil all emharTassment'
larger check said; Yes. am going to use it
Said 1 Then have it certified and you can
trouble OF counting this large amount
lie asSented 80 / directed the check TO he
certified. Then turning TO the other GENTLE
man said How 40 YOU want yours:'
Ito said / want mine tomorrow morning
In money
- sald: Come in tomorrow morning and
you shall have it,
AsIo the first check felt this assurance In
certifying II, that IL II were deposited In an
other bank ana II proved 70 be wrong in any
morning the gentlemen came in. ana without
any Hesitation at all said
Pay this check to this gentleman
. 1t was the check for Sll5.uuu At the same
Gme, for the purpose VI protecting ms selt as
much as possible, directed the police oilicer
whose business II Is to go around among the
banks TO see this gentleman and bring me
word whore lie went. l had had an opDOT-
tuDity OF rejecting upon the matter over night,
and the bare possibility OF cur paying forged
cheek OF this magnitude WAS, OF course start
Hing to me. So said 10 this officer. whom
knewto be a very discreet man:
When We pay check this morning. as /
vii tell you, you ascertain whether the rarity
who receives II is a TespeeiHbs man. SO that
We may know that it is NOT n forgery. Bring
me that assurance. That Is all want
He said An fhnT