Graham guardian., 1905-05-05
ROBERT S. PATTERSON
Denies Dlsparaglng Reports Of His
Connection With The Yuma
Bank Failure
EDITOR GUARDIAN,
Stafford Arizona

EDITOR GUARDIAN,
Stafford, Arizona,
Dear Sir:-Many reports have
been circulated in the papers of
Arizona and El Paso about me and
my connection with the failure of
the Bank of Yuma. One is that |
killed myself at Yuma when | re-
turned there before the grand jury
met in April. This of course needs
no denial. Another report was
that / left Yuma last December for
parts unknown and was supposed
to be in Kansas. The truth is that
when | learned of the closing Of
the bank November 1st, / immedi-
ately returned to Yuma and en-
deavored to reopen the bank. My
whereabouts were known to every
person in Yuma, J would have
probably succeeded in re-
organizing and re-opening the
bank at that time bad / not been
blocked in my efforts by some Of
the depositors themselves. l re-
NAMED in Yuma at that time until
about the 18th of December and
when left there l did il openly,
having bid friendly goodby to
many Of the people Every one
knew that l was going to Kopperl,
Texas. From that time on | was
in constant correspondence with a
number of the most prominent
men there and at no time were my
whereabouts unknown. That was
a lie made out whole cloth, for the
party who published the article
could have easily found out from a
hundred people in Yuma where l
was had he desired to know. l
came back to Arizona without
requisiton papers, for had the
papers been presented to the gov.
ernor of Texas he would un-
doubtedly have turned them down.
l have also been accused by their
articles of having invested heavily
in Texas real estate. 10 reply to
this will just say that / never in
my life owned a foot of Texas real
estate, except section Of land at
or near Tulin, Texas, for which l
exchanged rolinqulshment of my
desert entry near Yuma and some
other property. l did not pay
any money on it. The only prop
erty that my wife ever even bad
an equity in was piece of land
worth probably $2500, which was
part of her inheritance. Her
equity in it amounted to about
$1,000. We never paid a cent on
real estate in Texas or anywhere
else except when we bought in
Arizona while living in Yuma and
all that has been turned over to
the receiver of the Bank of Yuma.
So that the assertion that | bought
from $4,000 to $4,000 of real
estate in Texas or anywhere else
is a pure fabrication. The other
assertions are equally as untrue.
They have all teen inspired by |
the parties who are prosecuting,
or rather prosecuting, me. The
principal witness against me is the |
only man who had an insecure
claim, and he has received every
cent due him. | gave my word to
pay him in full and in keeping my |
word with he has gotten me into
all this trouble. Had l cot tried
to do right by him he would not
today have cent of his money.
Were all the assertions of my
getting away with so much money
true, the Bank of Yuma was un-
the most wonderful in
stitution in the world; for the re-
ceiver's report shows the liabilities
to exceed the assets about S3800I
and in his report he puts the bank
property in as S2500, while it is
we'll worth $4,000 and was carried
At the latter figure on the bank
books. He also put mother prop
srty at $3.50, which should be
$500. When the expenses Of the
receivership are taken into con-
'ideration it can readily be seen
hat / could not have done a great
Zeal of looting at best.
hope you will give this letter
pace in your columns for / want
ny Graham county friends to
rnow the truth about these things.
As to the charges against me in the
Yuma county court, | think / am
90 we'll known for any of my