Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-17

HIS END A HIGHLY-TRAGIC ONE.
He Went TO His Death with Smile
on His Face and with a Pleasant

I%4hI OINi4, NAM NONtlHDcI lO-- HIS
afternoon the First National Bank of En-
poria was closed by order Of the Comp
troller of the Treasury. An hour later
Charles S. Cross, the banks president and
one Of the best-known breeders of Here
fords in the West, shot and killed him
self at sunny SLOPE" his famous stock
farm, near town.
Speculation is said to have led to
Cross's downfall. His fortune has doubt
less gone down with the bank. Among
the heavy losers by the failure are Lyon
county and the city Of Emporia. All the
city and county funds were deposited in
the institution. Cross was custodian Of
his fathers estate, which Is also said to
be i'm a wrecked condition.
Cross's ending was tragic. TO the ma
jority Of the people of the town the
Comptrolers card on the doors of the
bank came as a surprise, but in hpancial
circles, both here and in the State at
large, the result had been anticipated
FOR six months. Examiner Charles Jobz,
who closed the bank on orders from the
Comptroller, has been going over the
books, with the aid of President Cross,
for the past week.
NO SIGN OF AGITATION.
No signs of mental agitation on the
part of the bank president has been dis
played and when Cross left the bank to-
day, ten minutes before il closed, he
waved his hand pleasantly to his asso-
ciates, and seemed not at all different
from his usual self. There was a smile
on his face as he passed his friends on
the street He went Immediately to
Sunny slope farm, and speaking plea
sanity to the employees, passed into The
bedroom of Manager Evans's house. Soon
afterward Evans entered the room. He
found Cross lying in pool of blood, with
a pistol in his hand. one shot had been
fired, and IT went through the back of
the head. Death must have been instan-
taneOus.
The banks statement had been grow
ing bad, and Caused comment last May.
The statement issued September 10Th last
did not materially improve. Small with
drawals of deposits resulted, but most OF
the businessmen kept faith in the bank,
and up to 10 O'Clock to-day heavy deposits
were made
The last statement showed; Capital,
100000; surplus and profits, SiOl, 2S953; cue
TO depositors, banks, and bankers, S5l3,-
599.42; circulation, s22,5OO Total liabi
ties, S737 1856.
ASSETS BADLY SHRUNKEN.
Examiner Jobz has been wrestling with
the problem of the assets for a week, ana
IT is automatically reported that he has
found them badly shrunken. TO a report
er he said: while | do not know exact
ly what the outcome of this matter may
be. still / think / am justified in saying
that the depostors will not suffer serious
ly Yet, when a thing like this occars it
lOps off 25 per cent. of the assets Of the
bank at one blow"
William Martin Dale, v:ce-president OF
the bank, has been regarded by common
consent for many years as one Of the
most solid men in Kansas. He served a
number of terms in the Kansas Legisla-
ture and has frequently been mentions "a
as candidate for Governor.
Cross was the son Of the late Colonel
Harrison G. Cross, who died suddenly of
heart-disease at Mackinac a few years
ago. and who was believed 20 have been
worth several hundred thousand dollars.
CROSS'S FARM.
Young Cross was 80 years of age. and
had worked in the bank. which his father
helped to organize. since bOyhood. Thir-
teen years ago he became interested
in stock-raising. and i'm 1882 began the i'm
portation Of fine Hereford cattle, for
which his farm is known all over the
country. sunny Slope" farm was one
of the best-stocked farms anywhere, and
it was Cross's ambition to make it the
leading farm Of its kind In the United
States He had recently advertised d sac
of fine stock. the money from which. it
is said. he intended to turn into the bank
Cross Was personally very popular and
had innumerabe friends. He ,eaves
widow and a daughter. He had married
twice. His first wife was Miss KATE
Smeed, daughter Of former president
OF the Union Pacific railroad. They were
divorced in the seventies.