The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-06-16
DEPOSITORS SEE
 4 RAY OF HOPE
Prospects Bright for Recover
 ing Most of the Money
RECEIVER HARD AT WORK
Box Which cornwe, Left Ills Wife Is Opened and Found to Contain Nothing of Value-causes
 Much Talk.

Bessemer, June 5.-(SpeciaL)- )-George H. Stevenson, receiver for the Bessemer Savings bank, stated tonight that pros poets looked brighter for the depositors now than at any time since the bank failure. MT. Stevenson refused to say at this time what per cent in his opinion would be paid, but there is excellent foundation for the belief that the deposi- tors will receive large per cent of what should be coming to them. This Is so much better than was at first thought possible, that there is a general feeling of thankfulness.
 There no longer is any doubt that the real estate, valued at S40,0O0 and recently transferred to the Bank of Commerce, will be included in the assets of the Bes- semer Savings bank.
 The bank has forwarded check to the Chase National bank, which showed re- lease notes held as collateral and under stood to be good for some thousands of dollars over and obve the Bessemer banks indebtedness to that bank. This sum goes to swell the assets. There are other sources from which 1t Is hoped to realize considerable money.
 Box Contained No Money.
 The box to which Captain Cornwell re-
  him. saying that 1t contained 5000 for his wife, was opened today in the pres ence of several witnesses, but was found to contain no money, fact which has elicited considerable comment The ques- ton is asked, why should Captain Corn well have said there was a thousand dol- lars in the box if there was not? The box contained insurance policies on his life to the amount of $25,000 and some l...,, al. lon iya uar rior county owned by the bank. The con- tents of the box are not considered im- portant, but will be retained by the bank for the present.
 On the Friday before his departure, Captain Cornwell leaving Saturday even- Ing. as will be remembered, he wrote letter to MT. Musgrove of Jasper, stat ing that he would be in that city within few days to see him in regard to the sale of the coal lands in Warrior county. MT. Musgrove was not in the city and Captain Cornwells letter did not reach him until after the latter's disappearance. It has been suggested that he may have gone to Jasper, that being his avowed in- tention when he left here, and failing to find MT. Musgrove and to raise the money which he hoped to secure by the sale of the lands, his last hope was gone, and he went on east, or sought his pres ent hiding place,
 MT. Carpenter Arrives.
 J. A. Carpenter of Natchez, formerly the chief owner of the bank at the time when Captain Cornwell was first cashier and later vice president Is in the city It Is understood that he is here in the interest of the Natchez and New Orleans com panies. both of which he was president and the largest stockholder. Captain Cornwell was also a stockholder in these companies, and as secretary and treas urer of them had. considerable money in his charge belonging to them. The com panies have recently lquidated.
 So bright are considered the prospects tonight that a man on the inside of the banks affairs made the statement that it was by no means beyond the bounds of possibility for the bank to pay off dollar for dollar
 The United States Cast Iron Pipe and Foundry company lost $SOO0 by the banks failure, and but for a happy accident would have lost s25,000 more A check for $25,000 was received by the company on Wednesday, the day of the failure. It was the intention of the cashier to deposit the check at noon, but he accidentally forgot to do so. It was a happy escape, as the bank failed that afternoon. It Is interesting to speculate what would have been the result had the check been de- posited. Had the bank failed anyway the company might have protected them- selves by telegram stopping the pay ment of the check, but on the other hand $25,OO0 might have enabled the bank to continue running for several days. though 1t would have been bound to fall eventu- ally, when the company would have lost their S25 900.