The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-17

! made an agreement with him to this eff
| feet. Cross won the suit. Another
/ was continued until the next term of
| court. McHardy is the man who
| bought the imported cattle in England
| for the sale. He claimed that he signed
! some notes for Cross, and that he could
never procure the cancelled notes from
Cross.
Personally, Cross was one of the most
| popular men in town. The general
sentiment of the people was with Cross
| IN both the suits that were brought.
| When he took the farm it was a. money
| losing proposition. At the trial Cross
! testified that he had made about $100 900
on the farm during the last few years.
He took more interest in the farm than
he did in the bank, and for the last few
months 1t has been rumOred around
! town by those who claimed to know
that he neglected his interests in the in
stitution.
D. NJ. Davis, the treasurer. is one OF
| the prominent Welshmen in town and
has largely had the management Of the
| bank in his hands. 1t was common
| talk that he was easy with his loans
and that a Welshman could usually get
| a loan whenever he wanted it. About
two months ago he sold his home, and
gave it out that he would move to his
farm when he got chance to leave the
bank.
Pending rumors of the unsound con-
ditiOn of the bank, a bank examiner
went over the books and threw out
some of the notes and oVerdrafts which
were accounted in the assets of the
bank statements. A number of notes,
made on stock, currently reported to
amount to about S25,000, were thrown
out. The examiner also, 1t is said, or
dered that William MartindaIe be not
allowed TO oVerdraw his accounts any
more. He was alleged to be land poor"
It is also claimed that he ordered the
bank not to honor the checks of the
Emporia Republican until a balance in
red ink be paid up. 1t was claimed that
this amounted to about 81, 900. This pa
per was started by friends of the bank,
and was currently reported to be back
ed by the bank. 1t was not a good
paying property. The bank had paid no
dividends for several years.
Governor Eslzridge. in the Emporia
Republican, says:
'iOur citizens were shocked as the
news spread that the First National
bank of this city had suspended and
that it's doors had been closed by Bank
Examiner G. S. .Iobes,, which was done
at 1890. But when the news reached
the city at 1:30 from Sunny Slope farm
that the president of the bank, G. S.
Cross, had killed himself, the shock was
fearful People turned pale and speech
less. In sorrow and sympathy they
passed with few words and slow steps.
The death of Mr.. Cross by his own hand
was certainly due to the alteration or
mind brought about by the unexpected
closing of the bank He was man of
fine appearance, splendid ability and
ing and remarkably energetic. He was
a grand man, and if he could have been
stayed from the act which he commit
ted for a few days, until he could have
recovered himself, he would have un-
doubtedly surmOunted all difficulties
and become himself again. His wife
and mother will not more sincerely
mourn his untimely death than all our
citizens
The bank has one-half million dollars
on deposit, but its assets are hard to
determined. For a week Charles JObes.
the bank examiner, has been wrestling
with the problem of the assets, and it is
authentically reported that he has found
them badly shrunken. The loans and
discounts are now about S4OO, 600, the
capitalization $1O0, 900 and the surplus
Charles Cross, president; William Mar
tindale, vice president: D. M. Davis,
cashier Cross and Martinda1e were
popularity supposed to be worth the
amount Of the deficit liabilities, but each
was heavy borrower at the bank
Charles Cross has lived here 35 years
or more. He was a son of H. G. Cross,
receiver of the Missouri, Kansas & Tex
as road, who died about 1892. Since
his fathers death the young man, who
is bout 40 years old, had been president
of the bank but he has spent most of
his time managing Sunny Slope stock
farm. The farm has been large bor-
rover at the bank, and, as Mr.. Cross
was preparing for a big sale at the KAN
sas City stock yards soon, it is believed
he was preparing to turn the farm into
cash to relieve the bank. He has been
through the ordeal of having for week
undergone the most rigid and severe
cross examination, and only his most
intimate friends saw how his nerves
were going to pieces. Tuesday he was
on the witness stand in a lawsuit, and D..
the lawyers were unable to shake his
answers.
Bank Examiner Jobes says that he
did not for a moment expect what was
going on in Cross mind, although he
has been sitting by his side in a chain
knee to knee for a week. Cross left
this city at about 2:35 o'clock, and ar
rived at Sunny Slope farm at exactly I
o'clock.
Mr. Cross passed on into the house.
He passed through the front room di-