Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-11-19

NtlNtINN MA l. O.y %NO'Sh'DSN
limited States Bank Examiner tucker
to-day took possession of the German
National bank at Newport, KY, and
nosted a notice that the bank would
remain closed pending an examination
Examiner Tucker also announced unof-
fcially that Frank M. Brown, the lnol-
vidual book-keeper and assistant CASH
Ter. was missing and that a partial In
yestigation showed that Brown was
short about S201,0 Brown had been
with the bank eighteen years, and. was
one of the most trusted men ever con-
nected with this old bank, and it Is
stated by experts that his operations
extended back as far as ten years. The
capital stock of the bank is only SlOo,-
600. Browns alleged shortage is double
that amount, and more than the reserve
and all the assets, including their real
estate. While Alvord got away with
100000 in New York, he did In
large bank, but Brown did not have
SO much to go on and seems to have
gone the full limit for a small bank In
a CITY of less than 10000 inhabitants.
The First National bank of Newport
was wrecked two years ago by Cashier
Youtsey. and now with the German Ma
tional closeds Newport has only one
bank left. For two weeks there have
been rumors that Brown was short and
some depositors withdrew their &C
counts. Three weeks ago the bank ex-
aminers made a good statement for the
bank, and the officers and directors al
layed suspicion by referring to the re-
port of this examination and to their
last statement. Last Wednesday Brown
left and it was announced that he had
gone hunting on a vacation. He got
ticket for Odin, Ills, but it is learn
ed now that he did not go there, and
it is generally believed that he is out
of this country with plenty of money in
Ills pOGSCOSIOn IL 10 4SclA 1Oo theAe
Brown was suspended last Tuesday
pending an investigation and that ex-
perts have been at work all the past
week while the officers and directors
have been making announcements that
everything was all right. Last Friday
the officers and directors over their own
names published in the papers of this
city a statement that the bank had
been found to be all right and that the
rumors about Brown were false. They
continued making these statements to
the press as late as last midnight, but
the statements were not accepted by the
Commercial Tribune, which exposed the
alleged shortage and caused panic in
Newport to-day, so that the bank had
to be taken in charge by the examiner.
The widest scenes were witnessed in
Newport to-day and serious trouble is
feared Tomorrow
Brown, it is alleged, was living a fast
life with wine, women and gambling in
his repertoire His career was not cut
short iby any discovery at the bank till
a jealous woman gave him away
Brown is a widower with one son, aged
ten years, who lives with Browns faith
er, Paris @. Brown, ex-Mayor of New
port, and one of the leading business
men of Cincinnati
Last summer Brown visited Yellow
stone Park and certain Cincinnati
woman wanted to accompany him, but
this was denied her. When she ascer-
tanned some time afterward that an
other woman was with Brown on his
western trip the Cincinnati woman gave
the bank officials some information that
brought about crisis. The only fare
well letter that Brown is known to
have left was to this woman, whose
apartments are on Ninth street, in Gin
cinnati, and in this letter he admits
that he had secured about all that he
could get and that the time had come
to say farewell. Brown, it is said, was
a great poker player with the limit
never too high and he had been a
plunger on horse races for years His
bets on the races, it is reported, were
frequently too high for the pool rooms
in Coyington, KY. and he had brokers
in both Chicago and New York.
The officers of the German National
Bank are wealthy and responsible men
and they will be able to make the losses
good.
Among the directors is Paris c.
Brown, father of the missing
bookkeeper, who is known. from
Pittsburg to New Orleans al
every river wharf as the head of the
stores for boat supplies. The cashier
of this bank is also the paying teller
and Brown relieved him as paying tel
Ter when the cashier went to his dinner
It Is stated that Brown did most OF hi
work during the noon lunch OF thu