Omaha daily bee., 1899-05-14

the bank said his signature was forged. j.
c. Fullerton said his own signature was Sc
cured Through fraud, deceit and duress.
Others either plead forgery or said they
signed on condition that William Fullerton
and G. NJ. Crawford should become sureties
The result was that the only sureties who
had property within reach were released and
the judgment secured by the state was
worthless. The whole thing looked like a
premedtated scheme and its success also
involved a considerable amount of money
belonging to Lancaster county, which was
in the bank when the doors closed
The trial of the case brought to light the
peculiar conduct of w. B. Ryons, notary
public. 1t was apparent at once that If the
notary had acted according to law in taking
the Acknowledgements of the bondsmen as to
! their property qualifications then the plea OF
forgery must fall fiat. But Notary Ryons
at first said he could not remember whether
or not the signers were present in person
when the acknowledgements were taken
Finally the fact was brought out that the
| notary had placed his official jurat and seal
on the paper without any regard to the
clause which said personally appeared be-
fore me-" etc. The failure of the notary tc
do his duty, whereby the state has lest over
$4,000, leaves another question to be con
| sidered by the attorney general, and that is
whether the notary is liable for damage.
An inspection of the records shows that
the bond of w. B. Ryons as notary is for
$4,000, signed by Joseph l.. Ryons and c.
NJ. Crawford. OF these J. l.. Ryons is father
OF w. B. Ryons, and is one of the sureties
just released from the bank bond. Craw-
ford was cashier of the institution which
so successfully worked the scheme and is
no longer in the state
! The whole affair Is open to suspicion, in
sofar as it relates to the signing of the
! bond, the acceptance of the same, the hasty
| deposit made by the state treasurer, the
looting of the cash box by the examiner
the tardy prosecution by the attorney gen.
eral and the pleas of forgery made by the
officers of the bank after they had abb
| sorbed the money belonging to the state
1t shows how the personal bond of a state
treasurer is secured, how the state money
is ladled out in return for favors received
and how it is in the end most success
| full way to milk the state treasury
Interest in Subject of Bonds.
The prosecution of the Merchants banl
bondsmen and the fact that similar pro-
ceedings will soon be commenced in the
| interest OF Lancaster county to recover
the money the county treasurer had on de-
posit in the bank at the time of its failure
| have caused renewed interest in the subjec
of bonds and may possibly result in an eX
animation of the bonds furnished by othel
state repositories.
| In this connection the consolidation o
the First National and American Exchange
National banks of this city has given ris'
to the question as to whether the old bono
of the American Exchange National banl
secures the state from loss of money on de
posit in the reorganzed First National bank
| The old First National ceased to be a statt
depository about a year ago and since tina
time ii has handled no state money. Th'
American Exchange filed bond for 100000
April 27, 1897. Since the consolidation o
the two banks no other bond has been filed
While the First National bank was pur
chased by the stockholders OF the Amer
lean Exchange the name of the latter wal
discarded and the question is whether Z
bond guaranteeing the state against loss II
that bank guarantees the state against los
OF money in the First National bank, which
though owned and controlled by the stock
holders and directors OF the old American
Exchange is different in name.
The bond given by the American Exchange
bank names A. J. Sawyer and 5. II. Burn
ham as principals and 5. II. Durham, Lewi
Gregory. L. Finney. d. G. Wing. A. ]. Saw
yer, S. W. Burnham and n. z. Smell as sure
ties. All OF these men except s. II. Burn
ham signed affidayits that they were wortl
above all liabilities ana exemptions the fol