The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-17
And Shot Himself at His Stock Farm
Soon After the Controller of the
Currency Closed His Bank.
ASSETS FOUND TO BE SHRUNK
BUT THE EXAMINER THINKS DEPOS-
ITORS MAY NOT SUFFER MUCH.
County and City Funds Tied Up in the
Failed Institutional Big Fortune
Probably Dissipated.

EMPORIA. Kan, Nov. 16-This afternoon
the First National Bank of Emporia was
closed by order of the controller of the cur
rency. An hour later Charles S. Cross, the
banks president and one of the best-known
breeders of Herefords in the West, shot
and killed himself at Sunny Slope, his
famous stock farm near town. Speculation
is said to have led to Cross's downfall His
fortune has doubtless gone 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
in a wrecked condition.
Cross's ending was tragic To the major
ity of the people of the town the con-
troller's card on the doors of the bank came
as a surprise, but in financial circles both
here and in the State the result had been
anticipated for six months. Examiner
Charles Jones, who closed the bank on an
order from the controller, has been going
over it's books with the aid of President
OTOSS IOf lnS past week. NO Signs Oh mental
agitation on the part of the bank president
had been displayed, and when Cross left
the bank to-day, ten minutes before it
closed, he waved his hand pleasantly to all
his associates and seemed no different than
usual. There was smile on his face as
he passed his friends on the street He went
Immediately to Sunny Slope farm and
speaking pleasantly to the employees, passed
into the bedroom of Manager Evans's house
When he did not come out Evans entered
the room. He found Banker Cross lying in
pool of blood with pistol in his hand
One shot had been fired and it went through
the back of the head. Death must have been
instantaneous. The news of the suicide was
on the streets of Emporia a few minutes
after the white card appeared on the bank
door and created a sensation.
The banks statements had been growing
bad, first causing comment last May The
statement issued OIL Sept. 20 last did not
materially improve. Small Withdrawals of
deposits resulted, but most of the business
men kept faith in the bank and up to 10
o'clock to-day heavy deposits were made.
The last statement issued showed: Liabil-
tiles: Capital, 100000; surplus and profits,
$1O1, ,2S9.53; due to depositors. banks and
bankers, $513. 3.599.42; circulation, $22,5OO Total
resources, $7S7, 1885.
Examiner Jones has been wrestling with
the problems of the assets for a week, and
1t is unauthentically reported he had found
them badly shrunken. To a reporter he said:
while do not know exactly what the out
come of the matter may be, still l think l
am justified in saying that the depositors
will not suffer seriously. Yet when a thing
like this occurs it lops off 25 per cent. of
ha of ba han a hlOW.'
William Martindale, vice president of the
bank, has been regarded by common consent
for many years as one of the solidest men
in Kansas He has served a number of terms
in the KANSAS Legislature and has frequent
ly been mentioned as a candidate for Gov
ernor.
Cross was the son of the late Col Harris
Cross, who died suddenly of heart disease
at Mackinac few years ago and who was
believed to have been worth several hundred
thousand dollars at the time of his death.
Young Cross was thirty-nine years of age
and had worked in the bank which his
father helped organize since boyhood. Thir-
teen years ago he became interested in stock
raising and in 1882 began the Importation
of fine Heresford cattle, for which his farm
is known all over the country. Sunny Slope
farm was one of the best stocked anywhere
and it was Cross's ambition to make it the
leading farm of its kind in the United States.
He had but recently advertised sale of fine
stock, the money from which, it is said, he
intended to turn into the bank.
Cross was personally very popular and
had innumerable friends. He leaves a widow,
formerly a Miss Wilder, of Lawrence, and
daughter. He had married twice. His first
wife was Miss Kate Smeed, daughter of a
former president of the Union Pacific Rail-
MaY They Were divorced in the seventies