The Saint Paul globe., 1899-03-31
SEEK ABANK WRECKER
BUT THE GOVERNOR OF WISCONSIN
HESITATES ABOUT GIVING
HIM UP

BUT THE GOVERNOR OF WISCONSIN
HEsITATEs ABOUT GIVING
BADLY WANTED AT PRESTON
Story of Joseph n. Clements, AN
Itinerant Dentist-Wooed and
Won Rich st. Paul Girl-Start-
ed II Bank, Lived In Luxury, and
Then Came the Craxh-Noyv He
Is Fighting Against ExtraditiOn.
Strang efforts are being made to bring
Joseph r. Clements to Minnesota for
trial for grand larceny in wrecking the
Fillmore County bank at Preston. Gle
ments lives In La Crosse Wis
Requisitton papers were sent to Gov
Scofieid of Wisconsin. March "a. Since
they reached Madison. however Gle
ments friends and attorney have be-
sought the governor not to grant the
requisition. They argued that feeling
was high against Clements in Fillmore
county. where the trial would be held,
and that there was likelihood of the
back there. Gov. Lind heard of this
yesterday and sent the following tele-
gram to Gov. Scof1eld:
Il am advised that 1t is urged against
I Clements extradition that his life would
not be safe If requisition Is honored.
This claim Is absurd and an unjust re-
Election on the law-abidlng character Of
the people of Fillmore county. The at
torney general also informs me that the
state will cheerfully acquiesce in any
proper action to insure prisoner a fair
trial.
HISTORY OF THE BANK.
The Fillmore County bank, private
banking institution, was started thirteen
years ago, by M. III. Todd and Joseph
X. Clements. The capital $25, ,0OO was
furnished by Mrs. Todd and about that
comes a romance.
Iodd and Clements were both itinerant
dentists. They travelled all over the
country making a living as best they
could by extracting and filing teeth
When they were in st. Paul at one time
they met Miss Greenleaf. the daughter
or the Third street jeweler, since dead
Todd was handsome fellow, tall erect
and with manners which would inspire
confidence. He made inquiries and
found that the Greenleafs were rich and
at once began to lay siege to the daugh-
ters heart
Mrs. Greenleaf's health at that time
was bad and the doctors ordered her to
the seaside. Narragansett Pier was the
place selected for recuperation and she
was accompanied by her daughter. The
two dentists had made little money
In st. Paul and We're enabled to.
FOLLOW THE GREENLEAFs
TO the seashore. There they did dental
work and Todd pursued his wooing
When the family returned to st. Paul the
oehusts accompanied them Next Mrs
Greenleaf was ordered South To Todd's
mind the South was the place for dem
tistry, and he and Clements ioined This
Greenleafs there. This time the wooine
was successful and marriage was tba
result .o
Mr. Greenleaf by this time was dead
and had left his daughter s25. 900 invested
In an anuity. In some manner or other
however, Todd withdrew this money from
the annuity and used IT to start the
bank. NV
During the time of the courtsbin Todd
seemed to hold the ascendancy over Glenn
ents, but after the marriage the latter
LOOK the reins of government in his hands
Accorofhg to the facts brought out by
the investigation of Bank Examiner
" Hearn, Clements was completely. the
power behind the throne, though Todd
">S AOAiiAhidliy llic klTlE. Clements
not popular In Preston, while Todd was
liked by every one. He was twice elected
mayor of the place, and the citizens saw
ne was the best mayor who ever seryed
in the position
Clements did not remain long In Pres
ton, but moved to La Crosse, where he
BUILT A FINE HOUSE.
Every summer he would go to the sea-
Snore' Where ne had a fine cottage near
Long Branch. His expenses were heavy.
as he lived eXtrayagantly. But that made
no dlfference as long as the people Of Fill
more county were making deposits in the
bank. Whenever he wanted a few thou.
sand dollars the bank would supply 1t,
and 1t would not be charged to him on
the books.
Then there was Mrs. Greenleaf, his
partners mother-in-law She had property
worth about $4,000. together with valua-
Ole paintings and jewelry. 1t was sug-
gested to Todd that he should obtain pos
session of this. Clements seems to have
been the brains of the company, while
Todd carried out the plans
The money of Mrs. Greenleaf came to
the bankers, $4,000 at a time until the
property was exhausted. Then the paint
1ngs and jewelry passed to them and were
soid. Mrs Greenleaf died in poverty. But
this money did no good to Todd. for
O'Hearn's Investigation shows that II was
all
TURNED OVER TO CLEMENTS,
for what reason no one knows
All this while deposits were coming into
the bank regularly, though mostly in
small amounts. Todd knew everybody in
the neighborhood. If farmer came into
town with a couple of loads of grain
Todd would approach him and offer him
per cent interest if he would deposit his
money in the bank. One day a scrub
woman came to clean out his office. She
had saved up $500. and that went into the
banks capacious nav. These sums were
small, but Clements expense at the sea-
| shore and In La Crosse were large. and
every little helped
| When the crash came, Todd was at once
arrested. He Is now in Jail. It was
| thought then that he was entirely re-
| sponsible for the disaster, and that Glenn
| ents was only flgure-head. It Is only
recent investigation that has brought out
the true state of affairs. Todd saved no
money himself. and his wife and children
are now living In Preston.
When 1t was decided to proceed against
Clements It was deemed best not to Sc
! cure an Indictment, for fear the fact
would leak out and the man escape. So
an information was laid against him.
| But he even heard of this, for when the
| officers reached Madison they found he
had filed a protest against the extradi-
ton proceedings, on the ground that he
was only wanted in Minnesota to be
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