The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-02

The failure Of the Enterprise Ma
tnnal Bank, Of Allegheny City, and
ths suicide of It's cashier, 7. Lee Clarke,
ID climax in the trail of blood and
coodle," which has marked the control
a the fiscal affairs of the common
wealth by the Republican machine dur
ing q third of a century.
Favored BY the Gang.
The Enterprise National Bank, OF
Allegheny City, has been favored by
the machine to singular degree. AS
hr back as 1900 1t held one-tenth of
The treasury surplus and that ratio has
asver been diminished, though accord
ms to exigencies 1t has been increased
1t intervals. Its balance, moreover,
mas been regulated by its necessities.
For example, according to the state
nent of the state treasurer a $50, 900
,hsck was drawn against the balance
N the last day of September 1t didn't
mt the bank to give up that amount
- that time and the cashier notified
Sate Treasurer Mathues of the fact,
wNereupon he drew a check for the
mount in favor OF the Enterprise
Ank and mailed 1t at once.
The Enterprise National Bank. of
Nlsgheny City, has a capital of $780,
700 and no prudent custodian of trust
!uAds would put in its vaults on deposit
nore than the aggregate of its capital.
5Nt according to the records OF the
iote treasury there was in 1892 s417.-
- OF state money, general fund, on de-
1oeit In the institution. In 1903 this
Ses Increased to $712,OO0, and in 1904
q $767, 900. At the time Of the failure
4 the bank and suicide of the cashier
hs state deposit, including general and
mixing fund. amounted to the prodig-
~ total Of $1,0SO,OOO.
Business Men Curious About II.
naturally business men are curious
Know the Influences which secured
on that particular bank the favor of
- machine in such profigate propor-
Ions. They can't understand how
'ssiness men can be hypnotized in that
~. But scrutiny of the records of
Ne gang spectators and Industrial
iperations makes the matter entirely
iear. That is about the time that
bull Andrews and his associates in
no New Mexican railroad enterprise
'esan operations the first considerable
Increase in the state deposit of the En-
Rprise National Bank, of Allegheny
1V, occurred. The cashier of the
ank' now in a suicides grave. had
ndertaken to finance" that operation
nm the funds of the state deposited
his bank. AS the demands for
loney increased the state deposit was
augmented and finally when the bank
ad been ruined and exposure newt
ME the cashier settled his troubles
no cancelled his obligations by blow
IL MS brains out, just as other VIC
ms OF gang rapacity had done before
I'm.
Cashier Victim Of Gang Rapacity.
Ihat the Enterprise National Bank
Allegheny City, and it's unfortunate
asher are victims of the machine
dmits OF no doubt. When the crash
ame the unsuspecting president of the
1stitution, Mr.. Frederick Gwinner
as overwhelmed. Mr.. Gwinner is an
onest, industrious German, American
nose reputation for probity and intel
sence was the mainstay of the insti-
luon. He trusted the cashier i'm
ncltly and the information of the dis
sser came to him like a bolt of light
ing from a clear sky. After he had
severed from his astonishment he
;hade the following statement:
The bank has been robbed by
lot OF politicians. ! know moth.
ing OF the affairs Of the bank. I
nave never been paid a cent SAL
ary' For three years | have de-
manded of the directors that thew
accept my resignation, but they
held to using my name.
u was not under salary, nor will
be held responsible for the dolnos
OF Clarke or anyone else connected
with the bank. The only thino
VIII pay is about $4,000 which
my relatives put in there at NV
special request. They believed II
safe, and put it there at my soIicita.
tlon' and they must be protected.
Further than that | will not 10.
was euchred many years aqo in
the smash of the Bank of Man.
chester, which went down on the
site of the present EnternrIse
Bank, and that was enough for
me-"
President Gwinner Deceived.
Subsequently Mr.. Gwinner was in.
;erviewed and said:
Did you know that Clarke and ex-
3enator Andrews had been carving
1ecurities of about 100000 in the bank
md the controller refused to accent
lhis paper?" Mr., Gwinner was asked.
mo, did not know what this con-
"ern, the Pennsylvania Development
company, was. | tried to find out
md none of the directors could tell
ne anything about the company. But
he Pennsylvania Development Com
pany only had 100000 in securities in