The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1897-01-03

iA-"'iOND IIiROWS Ot'F ALL
WORLDLY CARES BY JUMPING
INTO LAKE MICHIGAN-THEE EN-.
PERTINENT WAS A SUCCESS.
Chicago, Jan. 2.-Willinm A. Ham.
mond, vice president of the collapsed
National Bank of Illinois, committed
suicide early this morning by throwing
himself into Lake Michigan He left
ms home on Greenwood boulevard,
Evanston, shortly after , O'Clock. having
previously kissed his 2.year-old boy GOOD
bye, and he was not seen again alive.
ms body was discovered in the lake at
the foot of Church street Evanston, this
afternoon by two boys who were PLAYING
on the beach. Mr.. Hammond spenr the
last evening of his life. at the home of an
old associate, Percy Palmer. From to
o'clock he talked with his friend about
the black prospects before him, and gave
frequent Indications that his mind was
Incoming shattered under the strain of
trouble.
When he left he refused the Offer of the
company, but went to his home, spend.
ing few moments with his wife before
he retired. vt o'clock in the morning.
1t is believed, he crcpt from the house
with the fixed intention of taking his life.
y few scattered scraps OF paper clinging
to the Dcmpster street pier told the first
story OF hissdeath when the news of his
disappearance became known in the
morning. At the request of his wife
friends went in search of him, aged they
were satisfied as to his fate long before
the body was washed upon the shore.
Ii WAS discovered by two lads who were
playing on the beach.
Mr.. Hammond was the vice-prcsit,cnt
OF the bank and active in the manage
ment: in fact, he is said TO have been the
responsible head since President Schnei-
der was too feeble to do much york.
The large loans to the Calumet Electric
Company particularly, and to others
which resulted III the closing OF the bank,
are understood to have been made 10y
Mr.. Hammond
In addition to his official duties in the
Illinois National Bank, Mr. Hammond
was n director in the Oakland National
bank, the Phoenix Insurance Company,
| oil brooklyn, street cable car line. the
Chicago Opera House Company and the
Chicago Railway Company
The first open charges against the
business integrity of Mr.. Hammond
were made only about ten days ago.
Then he was accused of enactng the
SHOiuClcI VI II klItf. lie WAS aeon SpI
of dcceiving the directors of the bank
the depositors, and deliberately violating
the national bank law. His alleged ir-
Irregularities were said to have begun
many years ago when the vice president,
1t is alleged, began TO use the money
and credit of the bank in outside specu.
lationS.
This was done in such Il manner. it
was generally reported, that not only
were the directors deceived, hut the bank
examiner rs we'll Even old employees
of the bank, thoroughly familiar with
the inside workings of it, were said to
have been unaware of what was going
on under their eyes. When il was openly
! charged that the second vice president
had falsifed the bank accounts, AN invcsti-
! CATION suggested that the irregularities
must have begun four years ago.
At this time Mr. Hammond is said To
have Interested himself i'll the now famous
Calumet Electric Railway. 1t is now
believed that the first overdrafis To this
railway, amounting to $40 600 were
made ut this time, when the comptroller
OF the currency Immediately called for a
statrmenu from the bank, and Hammond
disguised The irreglllarty 10y designating
the overdrafts foreign exchangen
But this irrcgularity only came after
many years of dilgcnt service in the in
stitution. the wreck of which proved dis.
astrous to so many. In these years he
had saved money, worked early and late,
and the prominent position he came to
occupy was the result of his years of
frugality and merit. With the first de.
sire 20 augment his proper salary his
speculative eyes turned far from the
bank. Some OF his savings invested lie.
Ultimately i'll mining schemes brought
him a good profit, which he immediately
put into the stock of the bank.
After he had served as cashier and
came to he the second vice president of
the bank. it is said he began to personally
| interest himself III many corporations
which were applicants for loans, and that
| III this way. in course of time, his iudg-
ment became biased. From Il careful
banker, those who are now engaged in
clearing away the wreckage of the tinan-
cial house of which he was practically
the head say, he soon drifted into unwar
ranted specuations. Where these turn
ed out badly the vice president is accused
of sending good money after bad. ~
and Disgusting his overloans in various
and illegal ways
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