Evening journal., 1896-12-17
BIG FINANCIAL CRASH !
Heavy Judgments Against
Quigley & Mullen.
THE SHERIFF MAKES THE LEVY
THIS MORNING OVER $4,000
WORTH OF JUDGMENTS WE'RE
ENTERED AGAINST THEWHOLE-
SALE GROCERS-MANY BANKS
AFFECTED.


AFFECTED.
Cuigley & Mullen. Of Nos 1O7 and 1O9
Market street, one Of the Oldest and
most extensive wholesale grocery firms
n Wilmington, went nto the lands Of
Sheriff Finn to-day on confe. ed judg-
ments amounting to over soc o, which
amount does not by any means repre-
sent the Indebtedness of the firm, which
is composed Of Winfield S. Quigley. of
Newport, a prominent Republican of
this county, and William d. Mullen, Jr..
of Tenth and Harrison streets, presi-
dent of the Sound Money Democratic
League of Delaware. and leading
member of the Board of Trade
The credit Of the firm has been the
subject of gossip for the past year or
two, and especially so since the Golden
Sceptre Mining Company, OF Quigley
Montana in which the members of the
firm were largely interested. made an
assignment to escape its creditors.
Then the question was asked "win
it pull Quigley & Mullen under?" Some
who prOfessed to know something
about the firms affairs, said that it
would not, but others were sure that
it would 1t was said by some that the
firm had but $4,000 in the Western
mining enterprise and that it was fully
capable of standing the strain, but to-
days development demonstrated that
the firms credit, nearly always used to
its full capacity, is exhausted
The first thing Of a suspicious char
acter which happened at the Court
House to-day was shortly after Il
o'clock An Evening Journal reporter
noticed Harry Emmons. president Of
the Golden sceptre Mining Company,
and William Michael Byrne. Of the law
firm of Bradford. Vandegrift & Byrne;
James p, Winchester, Of the
First National Bank, in the
Levy Court room in close consul
tation. They were soon Joined by Pro-
thonotary Woolley. who was closeted
with them for a short time All three
men wore a business look, and the re-
porter's suspicious were aroused. Pretty
soon he noticed undue activity in the
prothontary's office and frequent visits
to the sheriff's office. There was hurry
and hustle all round Those in the
sheriff's office refused TO say anything,
and when asked If the action affected
/ Quigley g. Mullen, Deputy Sheriff ellis
said that il did not The reporter then
asked him If it affected a Market street
] firm. He again replied in the negative,
and finally refused to talk on the sub
ject. Finding that il was useless to de-
pend upon the Court House for infor-
nation the reporter started down Mar
ket street, and saw Joseph L. Carpen-
ter, Jr., and other bank men going in
and out of the office of Harry EN-
mons. A few minutes later the reporter
received the tip from a business man,
and FIVE minutes later it was poured
into his ears from every direction
Market street was full of it, and it was
no trouble to get the news.
THE JUDGMENTS CONFESSED.
It was learned that between II and Il
o'clock to-day confessed judgments
aggregating $71, 900, were entered and
that the creditors. prothonotary and
sheriff were working like beavers &c
get in ahead Of the constables and all
others who might have claims The
following list Of judgments at the Court
House, while not official, is near
enough to fairly represent the state OF
the docket at present; Charles Warner
Company. $500; Farmers Bank, S4.-
200; Edmund Mitchell, Jr., Sc, 500; New.
port National Bank, $4,000; Security
Trust and Safe Deposit Company, Sl0,-
500; Charles Warner Company, s4,15O;
National Bank OF Wilmington and
Brandywine, s1265O; Farmers Bank
SIS, 800; Frederick e. Stone, $4,000;
Farmers Bank, $500
Several of the judgments are against
individual members of the concern.
1t is likely that many more claims
will come 70 the surface within the mex
few hours. as the whole bar seems tC
be excited over the news. and many
lawyers are endeavoring TO save theii
clients by speedy action.
1t is regarded as the biggest piece o.
commercial trouble that has occurred
here for many years
: The sheriff is in possession, and an
inventory of the assets, which are be-
lieved to be away below the liabilities