Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-03-03
MYSTERIES OF A BANK.

MYSTERIES OF A BANK.
PuzzIine Transactions That Come Up
In tho Course Of Business.
There is hardly banker Of any ex-
perience who has not fund Of inter-
esting stories he could tell Of his cli-
ents II 1t were possible to do so with
out breaking the secrecy which Is un-
derstood in all banking business.
Occasionally bankers are confronted
with mysteries too deep to fathom,
says a writer in the Chicago Tribune.
1 recall one such affair which happen
ed while was managing bank In
another city, which was acting as cor
respondent to this bank. The head OF
concern whose account showed a
balance In the thousands every month
called upon me and stated that i'm
portant business matters necessitated
his presence In Europe Immediately
and requested us to honor his broth
er's signature on all checks and other
paper.
He regretted that he was not able
| to present his brother to me PERSONAL
ly, but stated that he would equip him
with satisfactory credentials and
handed me copy Of the latter's sig
nature. 1t was a reasonable story and
did not arouse my suspicion, although
| 1 wondered at the time that I had
never before heard Of a brother.
Two or three days after his depart
ure the brother put In an appearance,
handed me his letter and cashed a
check to cover the weekly pay roll.
He resembled his absent brother close
ly. the only difference being that he
wore a mustache, while his brother
shaved smooth. There was no hitch
In the whole affair until learned that
the supposed European trip was
myth and that we alone were under
the impression that he had left the
city.
Some time later met him in cafe.
Our glances met but he glared blank
ly at me, offering no recognition what
ever. l was considerably perturbed
when later in the afternoon his under
study paid me visit and talked about
the great success his brother was hav-
ing abroad.
In brief, the new found brother came
in one day and advised me that his
brother had died abroad, and handed
me a newspaper clipping to confirm
the statement. 1t was not many min
utes later that the account with US
was withdrawn and redeposited in an
other institution while the erstwhile
dead man came back to life and his
brother vanished into oblivion. AS
his account was at all times correct
we had no right to interfere.
AS I supposed the fictitious brother
was our client disguised, yet when
broached the subject to him he posi-
lively refused to talk Of the matter.
Had others than myself been deceived
the result might have been different.
The reason for his strange behavior
I have never been able to learn, and 1t
has remained mystery.
We often receive peculiar requests
for overdrafts. A client whose stand
ing account had never exceeded $1,000
requested us to grant him an overdraft
Of $4,000, stating that he was not able
to offer any explanation at present, but
assuring us that at no time would the
bank be in any danger Of losing, as
the overdraft would not be real.
After some hesitancy we consented,
but stipulated certain conditions and
reserved the privilege Of refusing II
these conditions were not followed.
Shortly after his departure a well
dressed gentleman came In and hand
ed to our paying teller check for
$5, 900, bearing the signature OF our cli-
ent, and with 1t a letter requesting us
to honor his check with cash. This
letter was one Of the conditions we
imposed for our safety. Still feeling
that we were taking chance the teller
asked what denominations he desired.
He replied, and the money was passed
out to him. After holding the curren-
cy a moment in his hands he returned
it, with a request for the check, which
he destroyed before US.
On the following day our client
thanked US for our courtesy and Waiv-
ed the overdraft privilege, saying that
he had no further use for 1t. He had
with him a check for $1,000, which he
deposited. This he had won from his
friend on a bet. He had bet that ne
could negotiate an overdraft for that
amount without first explaining that
II was a bet and the nature Of 1t, and
his friend wagered that no bank would
trust him for that amount.
No bank Is without its crank clients,
who are entirely reliable but exceed
ingly .aggravating. One, I remember,
closed his account thirteen times In one
year, redepositing always on the fol-
lowing day. Upon being questioned,
he said that he did so because he was
afraid each time that the bank was
about to suspend payments. AS there
was absolutely no ground for any such
belief, he was requested to do his
business somewhere else.
There is another class Of people haV-
ing dealings with banks-the faddists.
With an income that was under $4,000
annually one man opened accounts
with as many as six different banks,
drawing on one for rent, another for
food, and so on.
Another kept an account in the name
of his race horse so that he could keep
checks on the animals earnings.
Some show a desire for freakish and
elaborate check books, one client ac-
tually going so far as to have the Ten
Commandments printed on his checks,
while that Of another bears the axiom,
Money is the root Of all evil.'
third has his checks elaborately decor
ated with horseshoes and four-leaf
clovers.
There are still others with queer
ideas of banking; but these cases
have cited are sufficient to prove that
business Is not without it's romance or