Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-27
TALK IT OVER WITH ECKELS
Committee of Directors of the Chicago Bank
Go to Washington.
BANK DIRECTORS VISIT THE COMPTROLLER
Every Enort tn lie Made to bring
order out of the Chaos of the
National hank of I'LL
nois Wreck.

WASHINGTON, Dec ga committee oil
the directors Of the collapsed National Bank
OF Illinois, located in Chicago called upon
Comptroller Eckels today for personal con
ference regarding the banks affairs. The
directors thought better understanding of
their own positions and that of the comp
troller would be obtained by a personal in
terview than by correspondence. They also
desired to see the originals OF certain letters
which passed between the comptroller and
the directors, some question of authenticity
of signatures having arisen.
The committee of directors included Will
liam d. Kerfoot. George E. Adams, William
II. Page and Charles II. Corwith. They
reached the Treasury department shortly be-
fore IL o'clock and were ushered into the
comptroller's office, the doors being locked
and the conference held in secret.
The conference was an extended one. The
directors stated to Mr. Eckels that they de-
sired to make a statement as to their con-
nection with the affairs of the bank and TO
explain their relation to it's management
since the letter written the directors by the
comptroller in 1895 Mr.. Eckels said to
them that he felt confident that the manage
ment OF the bank had been very negligent.
The directors thereupon explained that the
banks directors since the receipt of Mr.,
Eckel's letter had repeatedly tried to close
negotiations for the sale of the Calumet
Electric railway stock with a view to
realizing upon it, but the business conditions
of the country, the long political campaign
and the trouble with the Diamond Match
company had caused a failure OF these
negotiations thus far, They expressed a
desire to do everything in their power to
aid the receiver in realizing the utmost
from the assets of the bank.
Mr.. Eckels impressed upon them that he
would expect them to make every possible
effort to realize from the Calumet road and
at the best figure possible. The delegation
informed the comptroller that they had no
one to recommend for receiver and no pro-
test to make against the appointment of any
one, and were perfectly willing to cooperate
with any one Mr.. Ecke!s might see fit to APP
point as receiver.
The delegation said that the directors were
very hopeful that the affairs of the bank
would be completely settled within the next
twelve months and that every obligation
would be met and that the assets probably
would be sufficient to leave the real estate
clear.
This afternoon Mr.. Adams for the com.
mittee, gave out the following:
I'VE had very pleasant interview with
the comptroller. Our purpose was to show
what we had tried to do to improve the
condition of the bank since the receipt of
the comptroller's letter year ago Our
talk was mainly about the Calumet electric
stock. We feel that the comptroller will
do all he can to realize all that can be posi-
bly, realized out of the assets. We feel
hopeful about the result. We made no
suggestions about the recevership, either
for any one or against any one"
Comptroller Eckels said this afternoon
that he had decided to appoint National
Bank Examiner McKeon, now in temporary
charge of the failed National Bank of Hi
nj ig Of 49,,
The appointment will be forwarded this
afternoon.