The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-10-25
THE OLD TOWN BANK.
Testimony TO show That Officials
Knew of OyerdrHft~.

Knew of ONerdruft~-
BALTIMORE. Nd. OCT. z5-Issac Rob
. inSou was on the stand practically an day
yesterday as witness for eN-'tshirr
Theodore r. Wilcox. OF the ola Town
Bank. whom the bank is suing 20 recover
SliNrH IlIfE ed 1VgrdTa IT'S Mr. Robinson
wds called Co show that the directors OF
Tho bank were c0g1izaut IF The large
amount Of notes and drafts which the
bank was handling for him and that they
practically sanctioned the actions of Mr..
Wilcox in allowing his account 10 GROW SO
large. Iu the direct examination AIR VIII
liam Shepard Bryan. Of counsel FOR the
bank made so many objections that Judge
Phelps told him he would have 70 stop
Mr. Robinson went into his relations
with the bank and explained how his
finances stood when De failed. tie said
that during the last there DAYS when he
was in business y. r. fJs Gill financed his
affairs and told him what steps to take
In each emergency. finally c0uuseliuS the
request for receivers
Mr. Robinson said that ne had talked
with several Of the directors about Mss
affairs and all We're polite to him. tie
said that the late ex-PreSIdelt HiuSIcy
OF the bank talked % him a number Of
times and asked him To secure place
for his son The witness said Mr. Hook
spoke 70 him about the size Of the aC-
count ne was carrying with che bank.
He said Mr. Halter was always friendly
ana that Mr. HatterS son had told has
father what q Dig business Nj Robinson
was doing at the bank.
MI Robinson was asked why he made
a check TO cash tOr money which he in
tended To pay Mr. wilcox instead Of pay
ing him in currency. and said he did not
know Mr. Bryan urged the witness 10
admit that he wished TO conceal some
thing Of that transaction, but the witness
wound not admit IT,
AR Robinson said that after his fail
Ure he had met Mr. Hook, who told him
that for year he had been opposing IA
the board of directors the loans that
were being made 20 Mr.. Robinson This
prtCipItated a discussion. in which Mr..
Bryan argued that even if the directors
were aware Of and sanctioned the Illegal
action. Mr. Wilcox was not eNcuSable.
because he owed his duty 10 the stock
holders or the bank, and several Mary
land cases were quoted on this point.
Judge Phelps said that he would admit
evidence in the case that would other
wise not be admissible in order to llf-
teTentiate 10 from "a plain case Of steal
ing
Alr. Robinson then went into his fnan-
Cial standing with the bank. and said
Ee borrowed money on his personal notes
and owed IL $3.50 IL thst way when il
failed.
On cross-examination. Mr.. Bryan began
by asking the witness IL De paid the
Chs-1prIE" and Potomac Company for a
telephone in Mr. WilCOX's house. He de-
nicu that ne did. but was uncertain in
his memory about reimbuTSiug Mr VII
cox for the expense Nr Robinson posi-
lively denied that he told Percy Williams
that he was paving Mr. Wilcox a salary
or that he familiarity spoke OF him as
The colonel
Mr. Robinson admitted that he kept a
Nest-pocket memorandum book. IN which
were noted the amCuGts he paid Alr. VIII
cox. but said Il had been lost He de-
MED emDhstlCalIy that he told Mr.. VIII
Hams wiki a grin that ne was going 20
lose the book to protect himself
Mr.. Robinson would not say how many
notes Ar. Wilcox endorsed for him. but
Mr. Bryan said he thought they would
amount 10 EnD on. The old notes were
shown and IN many Of them the name Of
the endOrser was cut out Mr.. Robinson
would not admit that Mr. Wilcox was the
only incorser whose name was 80 treated
He said he had the names cut out because
he did not want 20 run the risk Of having
people while he vas in business find ont
who was assisting him financially He
said his idea was not to protect Mr.. VIII
cox but 20 protect himself In reply to
question he said he would have preferred
not % have any Of the transactions be-
come public Witness said his brother
and a business friend also endorsed his
paper, and denied that he paid GIF VIII
cox 20 endorse Il
When asked why Mr.. Wilcox should
have endorsed 50 much paper. NIr- Robin
eN-cashicr thought it vas good. and that
by doing so he would keep a good Gus
TONER for the bank
Mr.. Robinson explained his failure 70
ma k 5000 which he owed the bank a fea-
ture 81 his annual settlement By saying
that ie considered IL a personal debt
witness said that Mr- Wilcox once tod
him that he would have to let I'D on his
was going 10 be examined, and he had too
mICu paper there