New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-06
BECKWITH TELLS STORY.
TNDORSED BIG NOTES.
Banker Says There Were T7oo for
s500.000 zrith CQrnegie's Name.


c1eveland Dec 5-President c. T. Beckwith,
,,be -itizeas National Bank of Oberlin, made
,onfessfon regarding the banks transactions
nth Mrs Cassie /. Chadwick The banker
s,oke in broken sentences, and tears We're
Streaming from his eyes. His acquaintance
vr;,h Mrs. Chadwick began three years ago, ne
said The attorneys for Herbert d. Newton
have stated that their client lent Mrs Chad-
wick money only after a note signed Andrew
Carnegie" had been indorsed by the president
and cashier Of national bank The men VINO
,ndors.d the note were Beckwith and Spear
Yes" said BeckWith, we indorsed the nole
,n addition 10 one other note for S50oOoO. but
~. c.oa never Tor tie purpose for which they
we're used"
M Won mean 10 say that there are two $500
noo rotes in addition 70 the note for S250000?"
wss asked
yes: notes aggregating S1.25Oooo-"
.r, has not been generally understood that
there were two notes for $4,000" was sug-
gested.
~ know II, know il, but the notes exist Just
-hs same" said Mr.. Beckwith. "One Of them is
,n the hands Of the receiver and the other ought
70 be IN the hands of Mrs. Chadwick. If she
has disposed Of il she has done something which
sh. swore she would not do SO, please make 1t
notes which bear our Endorsement we're never TO
be used by Mrs Chadwick for the purpose of
raising money and she knew it,
"Mr Beckwith, to correct any wrong impress
siou, would It not be wise for you TO state how
Mrs. Chadwick induced you to place your sigma
ture upon the notes?
MY God, I would like to, If I thought it would
make It clear. To tell the story would be to tell
the tale Of torture and transactions and trans
actions and torture covering a period of over a
year. To tell it would take good half day, and
In my terrible condition I cannot attempt the
task cannot tell the story before go on the
witness stand I mus seek advice"
Al this point Of tha explanation OF the old
bankers affaiss he leaped from the couch where
be had been lying down and paced around the
room for composUre. When he had controlled
himself he resumed his story. saying:
What Will they think of me at my home
town. Would to God had been the only dupe
instead Of feeling the weight OF condemnation
from hundreds Of deposirors, whose earnings
have been swept away"
DIG we have the slightest suspicion that the
hotss carrying the name OF Andrew Carnegie
Tes not genuine? In Heavens name how could
we have had suspicion? Mrs. Chadwick swore
10 both Of US and one or more witnesses that
she personally saw Mr Carnegie sign his name
10 the notes she placed before US But we said
that We must be sure. how are we TO know
The answer came IN less than two days. when
Z New-York attorney appeared in OberIin who
saio ne was the attorney of Mr.. Carnegie-his
special agent. He vouched for the correctness
Of the claims made by Mrs Chadwick We had
Al least six conferences with this LAWYER two
in Oberlin and four in Cleveland. Perbaps am
saying too much, but I must tell something
%fe IN every way we attempted to make GER
mat we were engaged in a legitimate busi-
s transaction. the kind Of a transaction a
business man would enter upon with credit to
himself" -
now ABOUT the attest held by Irl Reynolds?
"lo you see him." Mr.. Beckwith was asked
les many times, and what did we under
NAdoE We understood by every word that
"eiyihing was ali right aud that genuine se
lifts We're locked up in the vaults of the
"aee FaIk Bank don't know now Why
somebody find out? That is the question
Wy doht somebody dnd out?"
Just now ] can see hack 70 ,ba e~+ .,,,o
SHo" Mrs Chadwick in a business
a'' fol know have never in all This tim,
Oeeh called a sooi It was sop,etbt,, ,,,,or .
ego mat learned that W s. Fay and
-! !" 0fst CT Elyria, had had some dealings
~ 41is chadwick They were known az
BUSINESS men. ] began TO inquire for
,r BUSINESS man, / wanted TO exert effort to
Ell honest dollar / guess my INQUIRIES
n. 80 'ne ears Of Mrs Chadwick In the light
nIH o. the last TWO weeks guess Mrs
s.. "Hk was greatly interested the moment
earned that Inquiries for business had been
0y ne At any rate. she came to Oberlin.
was There the thing began.
pesah looking for legitimate business Mrs
"'cK-"eA you must judge for yourself
= S'o'no Interview and l made a small loan
promptly met. In addition. we secured
'Hsoefan.e Splendid business all transacted in
to1slhess way. From there on the story leads
o maze. the end OF which wish to God 7
10 now zee. 1t leads On down 10 a time when
et down TO New-York. In my pocket |
ieo one Of the notes signed with the name
tC@negie When started 1 had IN mind an
,hpt TO raise money on the paper to Dut
nhcs in the bank.
g. "Heh got to H'ew-York my heart failed me
'oHethlng tod me that all was not right
oack hon without making any attenpt
money On :he note. And now everv-
sarn hear the whisper: why did you