The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-04-12
TO FLEE THE COUNTRY.
Z. S. Attorney Lambert Given
Tip on the Passing of the
Cross Bank Cashier.

Affairs growing out of the failure of
the First National bank of Emporia,
the Cross bank, took a sensational turn
last evening when the authorities of st.
Louis were asked by wire to apprehend
j. M. Davis, cashier of the defunct
bank, and hold him until the arrival of
the United States marshal from Kan
sas.
United States District Attorney Lam
bert received the following message
from St Louis yesterday:
ID. NJ. Davis, cashier of the defunct
Emporia bank, is about to leave the
country. Do you want him? Wire in
care of st. Louis chief of police.
A few minutes later the following
message was received from United
States Marshal Bohle of St. Louis:
DO you want D. NJ. Davis. cashier of
the desunct Emporia bank? Answer
Immediately. BOHLE,
United States Marshal"
District Attorney Lambert Immediate
ly wired to the chief of police and to
Marshal BOhle:
.sApprehend d. NJ. Davis of Emporia
and hold him until the arrival of United
States marshal from Kansas
But the message may have been too
late. as Mr.. Lambert has been informed
by wire that Davis was in st. Louis, but
has disappeared. The message added:
1--WE will watch for him.
Mr.. Lambert is at a loss to know who
the man is who sent the telegram
signed Dick" He believes, however
that II Is some 11lenQ OF MS VINO knows
Davis well and does not care to get
mixed up in the case, but who gave him
the tip as a friendly act. He doesn't
believe that it was the work of Davis
straw man. done for the purpose
of throwing him off the track.
That the man Dick also called on
the United States marshal at ST Louis
and gave him the tip is plainly evident
by reason of the telegram the marshal
sent to Lambert.
Davis learned Sunday that the federal
grand jury was going to investigate the
Cross. bank failure and that he, as cash
der, and William MartindaIe, as vice
president, would be dragged into it,
He came here Monday morning on the
O'Clock train with friend and they
Immediately hunted up District Attor-
ney Lambert. Davis called him out of
bed and pleaded with him not to submit
the matter to the grand jury. Mr..
Lambert told him that it was his duty
10 do it, regardless of his feelings in
the matter. Davis made a. pitiful plea
but the district attorney declared that
his official duty compelled him to pre-
sent the matter. Davis remained here
until o'clock in the afternoon when
he took a train at that hour for Kansas
City. Mrs. Davis was on the train, hav-
ing boarded 1t at Emporia- Davis and
his wife were seen together in Kansas
City early Monday evening.
The federal grand jury yesterday
afternoon began an investigation of the
Cross bank failure Charges were pre-
scented against Davis, the cashier and
Martindale, the vice president. One of
the main witnesses for the government
Is Morton Albaugh, receiver of the de-
funct bank. The officials of the Madi-
son State bank have been subDOenaed
to come and bring their bank books.
William Martindale was the president
of that bank, and the First National
bank officials of Emporia are accused
of using the name of the Madison bank
TO help them cover up some unlawful
transactions in the Cross bank
The grand jury will finish its work
about Thursday. On account of the re-
port that Davis was about to leave the
country, the United States attorney de-
cided TO have him apprehended at once.
and. If it was necessary in order to hold
him until the grand jury reports to
swear out a complaint before a United
States commissioner.
Davis is not charged with profiting
by the many alleged crooked trans
actions of the bank during its legal ex-
fstence, but it is charged that he was
the managing officer of the bank and
knew of the crookedness going on in the
interests of others; in fact, that he fall
0ifed the books in order to help out the