The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-17
President of the Three Defunct Cravv-
ford County Banks Believed to
BE Innocent.
WILLETT WAS THE SWINDLEg
THE MISSING CASHIER NOW THOUGHT
TO BE SAFE IN CANADA.
Liabilities Not to Exceed $1OO,OOO-s
Serious Turn to the Miners Strike
at Washington.
pecial to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
ENGLISH, Ind. Nov. 16. - John II.
Weathers, president of the defunct Bank OF
Crawford County. met the committees APP
pointed from among the depositors of the
banks at English. Leavenworth and Maren-
go at Corydon this afternoon. Many vino
had gone to Corydon thought he would not
make his appearance, basing their opinion
on the sensational dispatches sent from
this place to Louisville and one Indianap-
oils paper. Among the depositors at this
| meeting were E. p. Brown, treasurer OK
Crawford county; J. v. Mccoy, Nv. t.
Beasley, j. r. Pro, Charles Fitzgerald, Jo-
seph Finch. of English; Captain Arnold.
William Allen, c. F. Crecilus, ST Shaw, ST.
mon Grimes, A. @. Adams and Ben
jamin Holcraft, of I.eavenworth, and DR..
j. Z. Fetzger, w. s. Ross, C. d. Summers
and Edward Hancock, of Marengo.
Weathers arrived at Corydon at ! o'clock,
and came to the office of Judge Kirkham,
where the committee was waiting for him
After a short talk, in which Weathers ex-
onerated himself to the depositors, he made
| an assignment, by the consent of all de-
| positors present to Captain r. A. Arnold.
This includes all the assets, real and per-
sonal of the firm of Weathers & Willett
which not only includes property of the
banks, but other property, consisting OF
water works, electric light and spoke fac
tory at Leavenworth, besides valuable real
estate at English, Leavenworth and EEaren-
go. He also made the statement that IL
the partnership property should not be suf-N
ficient 10 pay the depositors in full he stood
ready 70 make an individual assignment.
The depositors, as your correspondent has
a..
Weathers innocent, and the heavy deposits
ors at the meeting offered him all the fnan-
cial assistance he needed. but Mr.. Wealth
ers desired the matter adjusted, and, thank
ing his friends for their assistance, insisted
on them naming an assignee.
The great excitement reported in a Louis
vile newspaper yesterday afternoon was
all fake and will be corrected by a
staff correspondent, who is now here. The
writer Of the sensational dispatch has been
relieved. The story that hundreds of men
were on guard headed by the. marshal is
a fake" as has been much of the news
sent from this place. -
AS your correspondent has stated, the lia-
bilities were about $4,000 and there is said
to be enough good paper and other securi-
ties to pay dollar for dollar The amount
of cash in the three banks Is about $4,000.
President Weathers said he did mot know
of Wilett's whereabouts, and that If he
were here they could soon settle the matter.
There is no feeling against Weathers. Those
who have made the most noise were those
who were least hurt. For instance, the
county recorder grew frantic and demanded
that the doors be opened, but it developed
later that he had but 25 cents coming to him.
There has scarcely been any one in town to-
everybody satisfied
WeatherS is innocent and will pay every doll
lar he owes. Mrs Willett, wife of the abb
sconding cashier, is in critical condition
at her home in Leavenworth.
DR.. j. h. tetzer, one of the friends or
Mr. Weathers and a member Of the COM
mittees of depositors tonight gave out the
statement of Mr.. Weathers, which is to
this effect While at Corydon recently at
tending his law practice, MIR. Weathers says
he received a telephone message from Leav-
enWorth TO come there at once, as there
was something wrong with the bank. He
Immediately left Corydon and went to
LeaVenWOrth, where he and Nolan Barrett
examined the institutions books and found
that the funds of the same were at low
ebb. 1t was decided by them 10 close the
three banks at once President Weathers
was advised by friends to leave the town
until the sensation abated, which he did,
going to Louisville. He, however thought
he might yet bridge over matters and took
some collateral with him. but after delib-
GRAFTON he decided 1t would be better to
return the same and have an assignee ap-
pointed. lie tnereupOn mas maze ms general
assignment mentioned above with r. c.
Arnold, of LeaVenworth, assignee.
Mr.. Weathers said further that all he
wanted was a reasonable support for his
wife and child while the settlement was In
progress, and that he would spend one year
without compensation to facilitate matters
to the end that dollar for dollar be paid.
Mr.. Weathers stands very high in his own
and adjoining counties, and has a large law
practice. Not single man of the different
committees had word of censure for him
after he made his statement. Mr.. WeatherS
stated to the committees that his wife
would make an assignment OF all her per-
sonal property, which is considerable, and
that even his splendid home at English
would be included If necessary. The COM
nlittee accepted the presidents statement
as true and elected Mr.. Arnold as his as
signee without dissenting vote.
Mrs. Willett, wife of the missing cashier,
is almost prostrated with grief, but is not
dying as has been reported. The people Of
the various committees in which the banks
are situated are tonight very much relieved
and express confidence In Mr.. WeatherS's
ability to settle up matters iii satisfactory
manner. The consensus OF opinion is that
Mr.. Weathers was the victim OF his brother
in-law, Cashier Willett and Is himself In
nocent of any wrong doing. Nothing has
been heard from Willett since last Wednes-
day morning.
Willetts relatives are willing to unite
with his grandmother to donate sufficient
funds TO cover his shortage provided he
proves himself not guilty Of any intentional
wrong doing and will return His grand
mother will donate $4,000 and other rel
atives have pledged themselves for $4,000
additional It is said. Cashier Rothrock, OF
the Huntingburg Bank. it is said, has
pledged himself to stand by both Weathers
and Willett.