The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1906-11-05

PlttSburg, Pa, Nov 5.-(Speclal)
On the morning of October 18th,
1905, T. Lee Clark, cashier of the
Enterprise National Bank. of Alleg-
heny, committed suicide at mis- home
in Lincoln avenue, Bellevue, one of
Pittsburg's fashionable suburbs.
While waiting for the coachman to
bring his carriage to carry him to
the bank, he fired a bullet through
his head, dying a few minutes later.
In the mouse with him were his wife
and children. The 14-year daughter,
seeming to divine from her fathers
late mood that the deed was not
wholly unprecedented, drew from
Clark's coat pocket note while 9th
ers of the household were in a frenzy
of excitement Three days later, aft
er returning from the funeral of her
father, the child handed the note to
Attorney Thos. P. Trimble. The note
was brief, telling of business trans
actions Clark had engaged in tnro'
the beguilments of w. H. Bull An
drews.
Andrews got all the money" was
the way in which Clark epitomiZed
his downfall.
Several days prior to Clark's sui
eide President Fred Gwinner, ST., of
the Enterprise Bank received word
through a Pittsburg banker that
Clark was hypothecating Enterprise
Bank collateral and that the Enter
prise was not in good shape.
Bank Examiner John w. Cunning
ham was detailed by the Comptroller
of the Currency to examine the En-
terprise. He went to the bank on the
afternoon of October 16, and for sew
eral hours was closeted with Clark
The latter broke down, confessed he
had been traficking with the bank IS
collateral and asked that he be given
until the next day to secure sufficient
money to make good his speculations.
That night he tried and failed. 1t
was reported that Charles F. Kirsch-
Ter, now mayor of Allegheny, and
Francis J. Torrance, president of Sc
lect Council, accompanied Clark on
that night. Pittsburgh and Allegheny
hnanclers We're appealed to, but the
night was spent in vain. Clark was
to meet Examiner Cunningham at
the Enterprise Bank at 8 O'Clock of
the morning of the 18th, but few
minutes before this he took his life,
realizing the enormity of his crime
and the hopelesSneSs of recuperating
financially.
That day the bank was closed and EX-
aminer Cunningham was appointed
Receiver. The directors met that aft
ernoon in the board room in the bank
and for a short time talked with Ex-
aminer Cunningham. Coming from the
board room President Gwinner was
asked what caused the collapse of
the bank, and replied:
1T was that Bull Andrews.
He got four or five hundred thous-
and dollars from Clark
Attorney Thos. P. Trimble, who
was at the board meeting, told re-
porter the losses would exceed ST.
100000 and might perhaps reach
$2,000,Q00. w. B. Ridgley, Comptrol-
Ter of the Currency, was informed of
the condition of affairs. Special Ex-
aminer E. P. Moxey and a corps of
clerks and accountants were sent to
the bank and the employees of the
bank were relieved of their duties
Associated with Andrews in the
Santa Fe Central Railroad and the
Pennsylvania Development Comp
any were Francis J. Torrance, Arthur
two companies are New Mexican en-
terprises. Torrance denied all com
plicity and subsequent events showed
until very recently, he was debtor to
the bank in the amount of $4,000
His personal notes for this sum were
at the bank. A few days after the
bank was closed he gave Receiver
Cunningham his personal check for
$4S,000. Andrews came to Pittsburg
and for some time was in Crawford
county selling property to meet the
demands made upon him by the bank
The 5000 depositors of the Enter
prise met in the Manchester Presby
terian Church, the Rev Mr. Green's
church in Locust and Market Street
and organized for mutual protection
The church was a heavy depositor
For a time they contemplated engag
ing attorneys Marion and Mehard te
look after their interests. A reluct
ance upon the part of the majority
of them to subscribe to the fund to
retain these attorneys, however, ,caus
ed the failure of their object and
nothing was ever done by the depos
itors as a body to investigate into
the affair.
Through Clark's church Affiliations
the Enterprise band held the ac
counts of number of churches and
church societies. Several charitable
institutions banked there.
During the first weeks of the in
yestigation suits were entered
against Andrews. He was charged
with conspiring with T. Lee Clark te