The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-15

The Bank Examiner Relates His Fail
ure 20 Get the Collins to Pay Up.


nounced that, with the exception of the
evidence in regard to the report to the
Controller of Currency, if it were adj
mitted. the government was substantially
through with the direct examination of Mr..
Robinson. There were other witnesses pres
ent from out of town, and, for their con-
venience, the defense had agreed that the
government might examine these witnesses
before the defense eross-examined Mr.. Rob
inson, who was then excused till Monday
morning
The next witness called was Hugh Young
He said he resided in Pttsburg, and was
national bank examiner in that city. He
had been employed in that capacity for
thirteen years. He came to this city on
July IS, 1893, in obedience to a telegram
from the Controller of Currency ordering
him to this city to take charge of the In
dianapolis National Bank, examine it and
report to the Controller He took possess
sion or the bank at 10 o'clock on the morn
ing or July 26 and remained in possession
till Aug 8, when he turned it over TO Re-
ceiver Hawkins. He said a bank examiner
is charged with the duty of collecting ma
turing paper the same as a receiver. He
met F. A. Coffin while he (witness) was in
the city. He sent for Coffin TO come and
see him. Prior to sending for Coffin he had
FOUND In the bank a large number of loans
10 the cabinet company some of which
were past due, and he wanted to get in
Ii o from Coffin concerning these
ilodHs: he wanted this Information to aid
MN In making his report Some of the
loans We're above the limit allowed by law.
ne ne talhea with Coffin about this indebted
terrupted the witness to suggest to
tt ne court that anything Coffin might
nave nav sal9 not In the presence of the other
nnlIC b1l
against +. A. Coffin. and the jury was in
sLucted 10 that effect. Mr.. Young con-
lihuihS, SAID the conversation with +. A.
I tonl lasted nearly an hour He said they
talked over the history of these transac-
IONS. He called the attention of Coffin to
the transactions with his (Coffin's) differ
ent companies and the groups of loans in
the bank. Coffin explained these trasac-
tions to some extent. Mr.. Harris noticed
before him and asked the bank examiner
II mat book contained memoranda made
Mr. Young replied that it did He could
remember all the facts except the figures
he said. Mr.: Young said the immediate
cause of Coffin being called to the bank
was an interview published in an Indian
apoiis paper, in which Coffin had said that
his companies were entirety solvent and
Coffin that if that Interview were true ne
wanted him (Coftin) to pay about $4,000
due the bank at that time on matured
paper held by Ii. Coffin said the inter-
view had been exaggerated, that the COM
panies were solvent. but that he could
not get the money with which to take up
the $4,000 in paper because he could not
make arrangements with any bank to get
the money TO carry on his large business
he asked Coffin when he expected to pay
the obligations but received no definite
answer Coffin SAID he would pay soon.
MIR. COFFIN WAS INDIGNANT.
Continuing his testimony. Mr.. Young
said Mr. Coffin told me his companies
had assets amounting to 100000 or 500 600.
He mentioned the $250,OO0 in bonds" 1
found all of these bonds in the bank with
the exception of about three, 1 think,
though l may be mistaken as TO the num-
Der out. He said the three that We're out
were in London. They had been sent there
as samples, to try to sell them in
London. These bonds were in the
bank as collateral to secure loans. 1 ad-
vised to market the bonds at once. as
money was easy in London at that time
He said it was not; that he received tele-
grams from London daily. l had learned
the purpose of these bonds from Mr..
charges on the loan account against his
different companies and intimated to him,
gently as L could, that it appeared. to
me that he and Mr.. Haughey had been
making a systematic attempt to evade the
law by starting new companies whenever
the limit allowed TO be loaned to one COM
pany had been exhausted. He became angry
and said that if he had known he was 10
be called a liar and thief he would not
have come to the bank. He denied that any
attempt had been made TO evade the law
and said that all of his companies were
bona fide. | found on the loan account of
the bank charged to the cabinet company
1857 1872 / was only in possession of the
bank about ten days. Since that time Mr..
Hayes has made a thorough examination
and can tell of any other amounts.
The witness was then passed to cross
examination. He said he counted the
10 1lr..st it,.
that three of them were out. There might
have been only one out of the bank. Mr..
Colt took the bonds from the safe. He
the original mortgage which the bonds
were given to secure. He compared ii
with the record. Mr.. Young said in max
ing his computations upon paper of the
of the paper and paid no attention to the
interest He was a then hen excused and az as
would have no further use for him, he
was discharged.
Tufts. He said he resided in New Jersey.
near New York city. He was last in bust
ness at So Nassau street. New York. For
sale of office furniture at different locations
in New York city. He knew the defend
fd1T YEARS haq He rst met him i'm his ew Gr
ness's) store in New York while purchas-
ing goods from the Indianapolis Cabinet
during the fore part of 1893. He visited
the store of the indianapolis Office Furni-
ture Company ana examined the books at
hat time. The witness said he had sold
his store TO the Indianapolis Office Furni-
ture Company on Oct; l, 1892 The amount
of the stock on hand at the time of the
sale was about $1,000 The company as
sumed the liabilities, which were about
equal to the assets. The witness said he
received about $3.50 in cash for the store.
He was shown the books of the company
since it has been known as the indianapolis
ONCE Furniture Company and identified
them He was shown entry of S675. 81
and asked if that was not all the money
he received for the store He said he did
not know what the entry of that amount
money for the good will OF the store He
was general manager OF the company but
did not know who the officers of the com
pany were. He was not sure It had any
officers.
By Judge Baker-Who were the directors
of the company?
BY the Witness-You're asking me things
that / don't know much about.
The witness was then asked who en-
ployed him and who fixed his salary and
answered that he presumed the concern at
Indianapolis did. He said he made his con-
tract with +. a. Coffin, but did not know
whether Coffin assumed to be connected
with the Indianapolis Office Furniture Com
pany or not.
AN UNWILLING WITNESS.
At this point District Attorney Burke
arose and said he wished TO ask the in
diligence of the court. 1t was within the
power of the court to permit the govern
nent to ask leading question of its own
witness. and he wished to ask permission
10 do this.
BY the Court-You may do so. / see YOU