St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-05-01
The Vergennes Bank Steal.
More CausIic Comments of eur Esteem
ed Contemporaries.

ed Contemporaries.
No event OF the year has excited more
comment in Vermont than Cashier
Lewis footing of the Vergennes
bank. The affair in Vermont has beer
fully discussed by the state press and the
national bank examiner, who lives in
Vergennes, the directors and the cashier
have been severely handled. While we
do not endorse all the comments given
below we want our readers to see them
and perhaps the continued agitation oil
the matter will discourage other cashiers
from doing likewise. The footing of the
Vergennes bank is the third case within
a year and the most baretaced and de-
liberate of the three.
One of the press dispatches with refer
ence to the Lewis bank wreck at Vergen-
mes says:
1T is lntimated that he spent SIS 900
IN the canvass (for the state treasuryship
nomination in '99) and it is said was
only forced out by the threat that dis
closures would be made that would be
the cause of an investigation into the
affairs of the bank"
We knew that blackmail in connection
with the prohibitory law had long been
an established feature OF the Republican
politics OF the state; but it was not easy
to suppose that it had extended to bank
wrecklng.- Brattlebor0 Reformer.
There is nothing commendatory in the
course taken by the Vergennes Enter
prise regarding the footing of the Farm.
ers National Bank. D. H. Lewis, its
cashier, may be "the king OF hosts, the
prince OF good fellows" as the Enterprise
says, but his manipulation of other PEG.
pies money has brought wreck and ruin
upon the institution as we'll as to many
of those who put their trust in him. He
deserves not only censure but full punish
ment for his crime Morrisville News
and Citizen.
The story which comes from Vergen-
mes is that OF living beyond ones means,
and stealing to keep up appearances. If
the published statements are true the
correct designation for Lewis is simply
thief And in addition he has lived a lie
for Is years, and he S. emes to have per
sisted in his ly ing even after evidences OF
his wrong doing were brought o light.
The law is made to treat all men alike,
and it is to be hoped that justice will not
go astray because the offender has infu-
entail friends, and is personally suave
and attractive Brattleboro Phoenix.
Cashier Lewis of the Farmers Nation
al Bank Of Vergennes comes up 100000
short and the bank is in the receivers
hands. Looking into the future one can
almost see the "embezzler" doing 80 DAYS
at Rutland without labor" The won
der OF it all is that he could make away
with sum amounting to rs per cent of
the banks entire capital, and go so long
undetected.-[ Hardwick Gazette.
There is plenty of preaching against
the crime OF bank wrecking and denun.
citation of the wrecker. This is easy.
The man is down, he is safe and pro.
per object to kick. But he is not the
only culprit in the case. There is gross
official derelIcton elsewhere. There is
official 1ntdeIi'y to important trust.
While men went alb nut their daily du les,
conhding in their checks and restraints
with which the government had hedged
their money about, and the Waterman
it had placed on guard to enforce
obedience to wholesome safeguards, the
Waterman slept, or what is worse, &C
cording to common report, knowing
that conhding citizens were being rob
bed OF their money, gave not the alarm.
winked at the robbery, became the RIB.
6er's accompice, his accessory, an Incl.
dent or subordinate in a situation where.
in he should have been Chief in the work
of prevention and rescue. The derelic,t
othclals, whether bank examiner, presi
dent or directors, ought to go to prison