Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-10-20
WOMEN IN A MOB.

Stockholders of the New York Build
ing Loan Banking Company, for which
Charles NJ. Preston is temporary re-
cciver, stampeded the meeting called at
the offices of the company yesterday to
vote stock assessment of 20 per cent.
Only 200 of the 400 or 500 present
could get into the room where the
meeting was held. Those who got in
made such an uproar that one of the
stockholders, a policeman, telephoned
the West Thirtieth street station for the
reserves.
When Lawyer James P. Eustace tried
to explain the purpose of the call the
Protective League of Brooklyn, repre-
senting 8, 900 stockholders, took charge
of the meeting and passed resolutions
declaring the call contempt of court, a
violation of the injunction of September
liz, charging gross mismanagement by
the officers and directors, demanding
their resignation, and denouncing the
State banking authorities for allowing
an insolyest banking concern to con-
tinue to do business for years.
Outside the building Fifth avenue was
almost blocked with the overflow, the
fact that some four thousand of the
stockholders are Italians being respon-
sible for the presence of hundreds OF
Italian women, many with bank books
in one hand and babies on the other
arm. The large crowd, mostly pool
people, clamored for admission to the
building, packed the stairways leading
to the third floor, and discussed with
opprobrium the conduct of the officers
and directors.
When as many as possible had en-.
tered the room J. p. Eustace, brother
of Mark Eustace, vice president of the
company, declared that the charge o.
insolvency made against the company
was false. The remark was followed by
threats and accusations against the Off
cials, shouted from all parts of the rooms.
The ensuing disorder resulted in the
call for the police.
Counsel for the Stockholders Protec-
tive League said the company was in
the hands of a receiver aud that the
officers had no legal right to call the
meeting. The announcement was
greeted with cries of "Turn the robbers
out :" "Make the officers pay the def.
cit - .'Send them to Sing Sing" "Talk
about Miller's syndicate" shouted one
man "why it was l, 2, 6 proposition
compared to this"
Such scenes as were witnessed around
the Constable building during the stormy
conflict between the officers of the COM
pany and the shareholders have beer
rare IN New York. The striking feature
was the apparent poverty of most of th'
people, large percentage of whom wert
women. They all seemed to be con
yinced that they were the victims of I
conspiracy, and every fresh outburst o
vituperation against the officers of thu
concern was banded about from tongue
to tongue. Packed against one another
on the stairways, in the entrance to th,
building, and up in the Offices, people
exchanged stories of their losses by The
investment of money in the company
Many of the tales were pitiful in thei
expression of destitution caused by tn,
insolvency of the banking business
Expressions of disgust were divided
about equally between the management
of the company and the State banking
authorities, who have permitted it t.
run so long.
During lull in the excitement col
lection of several dollars was taken vi
for an Irish woman who said she ha'
lost her savings in the corporation ant
had recently been dispossessed.
Assistant District Attorney Miner an
nounced last night that he had receives
a letter from the referee, James j. Far
rem, of Albany, who reported that hi
had found the reports of the company t
the banking company not fully true
and that the charges could be substan
tiated by documetary evidence in tn
county clerks Offices in Kings, Queens
New York, and Westchester counties
Mr.. Miner said that rigid investigatio