The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-08
They Opened a Bank in a Cow
boy District.
1T CLOSED TOO QUICK.
Patrons We're Accustomed To
Having Their Chips Cashed
And Didn't Take Kindly to the
New Method.

Denver. Feb. S-There may be a
1ynching in Brush tomorrow morning
The sheriff of Morgan and all his dep
uties will be on hand to prevent it, If
they can. but the sentiment of the cow
boys is in favor of hanging.
Arthur NJ. Edwards and w. D. Mof-
fat, the proprietors of the First Bank of
Brush, Col, were arrested in Denver
yesterday by City Detective J. B. Cor
don and Sheriff George A. Gordon of
Morgan county on warrants from Nor
gan county, charging them with having
received deposits when they knew the
bank to be insolvent.
The warrant in Moffat's case also
charges him with forgery. They will
be given a hearing before H. c. Allen,
justice of the peace at Brush.
The First Bank of Brush started with
a cash capital of 81, 500, which, in the
course of a few weeks, was converted
into that sort of security known to
fnanciers as cats and dogs. The peo-
pie who inhabit the country round
about Brush are mostly cowboys. This
was the first bank they ever had, and it
was a new experience with them to lose
their cash in that kind of a way. There
are other varieties of banks where cow
boys lose money, but they don't expect
the bank examiner to look after these
institutions When the First Bank of
ceiver on Feb. 1, there was blood on the
face of the moon.
The cowboys, as before stated, were
not used to banks of deposit, and it
''riled 'em some when they heard that
the game had been finished, leaving
them with uncashed chips. A vigilance
committee was organized at once. Chas.
A Macmillan, a Denver attorney who
had been appointed receiver, went to
Brush in company with Edwards on
Monday, Feb. 1. The receiver took pos
session of the assets of the bank, which,
he says, consisted of few stray chat
tel mortgages and notes, all other Sc
curities and cash being missing. We'd
nesday morning Edwards and MacMil-
Ian started for the train and were met
by the vigilance committee.
From the moment of the meeting with
the vigilance committee, Receiver Mac
MILAN tells his own story well enough.
Here it is:
Did they have guns? Yes, indeed.
Every man had a brace of guns in plain
sight and they talked fuently of hang
ing. We promised the committee to
stay over another night, as 1 for one,
had no fancy for running against such
a game as that. I suppose there was
40 or so cowboys in the party, and not
more than five or six depositors. We
got a tip that the boys had decided to
have some fun with us as they called
1t;that is, they talked of having a lynch
ing bee, so we pulled out early the next
morning, hired team and drove over
to Snyder, where we caught the Union
Pacific train at a. m.
will &C back there to settle up the
business? Not if 1 can settle it by
mail I always thought it was a snap
to be receiver of bank, but from any
thing like this excuse me-
I'VE got the two men yesterday" said
Sheriff Gordon, although they had been
lodging US I sent Moffat on to Brush
at once in the charge of my deputy,
James Miller. 1 expect to take Ed
wards there today.
Il should have taken him tonight if
it had not been for the condition of
his wife's health Sheriff Webb, who
has known the family for years, gave
me his personal assurance that Ed
wards will be available for me in the
morning. 1t is only stating the facts to
say that the feeling around Brush is
very strong. The people wanted them
to stay there, settle up the accounts
and pay what they could. Instead of
doing 50, they skipped to Denver. Then
they broke their subsequent agree
ments to meet w. w McCollister, the
attorney for the depositors, at various
places here in Denver. This was the
reason he telegraphed for me. In spite
of this I hope there will be no trouble
when the trial comes off in Brush