The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-12-06
. AGED BANKER CONFESSES
Beckw1th Tells Of Mrs. Chadwick 3
g.. :ru Schemes and Loans. +.

the office Of the United States district
attorney in this city, President G. T.
Beckwith Of the failed Citizens Ma
tional Bank Of Oberlin, made confess
sGH Fega as 6gss the han6s
Beckwith said: / s~s .:. :
"I am either an awful dupe or a
terrible fool. I guess there is no doubt
about my being a fool. know I have
done wrong, and, altho crushed to earth
mygs DO not Pos t. be e maze f5rs
Further concealment of the truth can
| not help any one. If thought it could,
| my lips would remain sealed as tho I
had been stricken dumb. The truth is
that others also must be called to the
bar to answer for their part in this
| terrible affair, and one of those whose
answers must be had is Mrs. Cassie L..
Chadwick" ~.
Signed ''Andrew Carnegie"
The banker spoke in broken sentences
and tears were streaming from his
eyes. His acquaintance with Mrs.
Chadwick began three years ago. The
attorneys for Herbert. D. Newton, the
that their Client loaned ' Mrs. Ac CHADWICK sS
drew Carnegie had been Endorsed by
the president and cashier of the Ma
tional bank. The men who Endorsed
the note were President Beckwith and
Cashier Spear Of the Citizens National
bank, Oberlin.
Relating this matter, Banker Beck
with continued his story Of the bank q
transactions with Mrs. Chadwick as fol-
lows:
eyes, we Endorsed the note, in addi-
ton to one other note for $500,O0O, but,
Oh. God, never for the purpose for
which they were used.,'
Notes for s1,25o,ooo. Ell Z. :
EDO you mean to say that there are
two 100000 notes: in addition to the
note for $250,0009" was asked Mr.
Beckwith.
Eyes, notes aggregating 81, $50, ooo.'
cit has not been generally under
stood that there were two notes tor
$So?oRG9 1ov TaS sRFg SSw it but the notes
exist Just the same,' said Mr.. Beck.
with. "One of them is in the hands
Of the receiver and the other ought tc
be in the hands of Mrs. Chadwick. II
she has disposed Of it she has done
something which she swore she would
not do, SO please make it plain that a a
} which bear our Endorsement were never
: to- be used by Mrs.o Cha dwick for the
RRnsT Of raising I'm: money and t.s sh*
: NMr., Beckwith, to correct any
. wrong impression, would it not be wise
for you to- state how Mrs. ChadWlcl
induced you TO- place your signature
upon the notes9'
Cannot Tell Whole Story.
"My God, I would like to If :
thought it would make it clear. T
tell the story would be to tell the tai
Of torture covering period OF over
year. To tell it would take goo
half day, and in my terrible condition
3 cannot attempt the task. I canno
3 tell the story, before 1 go on the wit
ness stand. must seek advice.''
At this point of the explanation o
:, the old banker 8 affairs he leape
from the couch where he had been ly
ing down and paced around the room
q When he had controlled himself he re
a sumed his story, saying:
"What will they think Of me at m
5. home townq Would to God I had bee
weight Of condemnation from hundred
= Of depositors whose earnings have bee
g swept away.
"Did we have the slightest suspicio
. that the notes. carrying the name Q
. y Andrew Carnegie were not genuine7
9 swore to Signature.
"In heavens name, how could "
have suspicionq Mrs. Chadwick swor
g. to both of us and one or more wi
nesses that she personally saw M
=. Carnegie sign his name to the note
y she placed before us. But we sal
=. =. that we must be sure. How are we
: know7 The answer came in less tina
Z. n two days, when a New York attorne
- appeared in 'Oberlin who said he VIZ
9 the attorney of MI. Carnegie's speci
q agent. He vouched for the, correctne
. Of the claims made by Mrs. Cha
I; wick. We had at least six conference
q with this lawyer, two in Oberlin an
four in Cleveland. Perhaps am sa
ing too much, but I must tell som
thing more. In every way we a
tempted to make certain that we we
I'd engaged in legitimate business ira
saction, the kind Of a transaction
business man would enter upon wit
u credit to himself'' -. r..
IN elbow about the attest held by I
te Reynolds Did you see him9'' M
lg Beckwith was asked. FL I: +
re eyes, many times, and what did '
30 understands We understood by eve1
e. word that everything was all right al
is that genuine securities were locked /
s- in the vaults of the Wade Park ban
10. The Beginning of It.. .
H. 1T don't know now. Why don
Why don't. somebody find outs Ju
T hoo L,