Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-24
INCIDENTS OF A RUN


display many OF the characteristics Of
sheep was demonstrated last Saturday
morning In the instance Of the premature
and uujustified run on . local banking In
stitution." remarked philosophical Wash
ington citizen the other day. Upon the
fimsiest Of rumors several hundred de-
positors became amazingly alarmed and
precipitated themselves upon the bank to
withdraw their funds, not because in their
best judgment they were afraid the insti-
tuition was not solvent. but just because
somebody had started it. and they had to
obey their instincts and follow q leader.
There were some Incidents In connec-
ton with the little run. too. that were not
without their amusing aspects. Along
about 10 or II o'clock, when the line to- the
paying teIler's window was probably the
longest, great big, husky colored man,
hatless and coatless. and his eyes dilated
with excitement, came rushing up to the
line OF depositors and jumped into place
at the end.
"T wunda If Ise In time to git nah
money? the greatly perturbed colored man
exclaimed between pants. I heerd bout
dis heah bank Dustin way out on Fo'teenth
street, an I dropped NAH wux an come
a-runnfn all de way
Il think you're in time, all right re-
piled sympathetic person next to him in
the line. There haven't been many before
u.s.
"T suttinly hope Use in time continued
the colored man. fob I doan wanter have
EN- git away with NAH savfn's. Dat's
what I gifts To- putin NAH money in a
bank, anyway. Here I is. a hard wuking
man an tryin' to save fob rainy day. and
now Use about to lose 1t all. I nevah will
trust no bank no mo- 'f't
All your savings in here?' inquired the
sympathetic nefghbor.
Yaas sab, all nah savin's. Everything
Il. III l. 49,
on my back. An heah's whar loses it.
right heahs whar NAH trust is betrayed.
An know All won't be in time. deyll shut
down de windah befo' dey gifts to me, an
I'll lose nah money
1.-The colored man continued a perfect
stream OF wailing about his prospective
losses, and probably did more than any
other person in the crowd to alarm the de-
positors In line. He also worked up a vast
amount of sympathy for himself. Many
thought that here was a poor. hard-work-
Ing person, who had earned only small
wages. and yet, perhaps, for years had
laid away each week or month a share of
his earnings, all that he could save by care
full economy. The crowd felt real sorry for
him.
Slowly the line moved along to the
teller's window. The persons who Joined
the line in the rear of the colored man be-
came more excited than ever after hearing
his pessimistic walls. Step by step, as each
depositor in front presented his book and
was promptly paid the balance due ham or
her the colored man approached the pay
ing tefler's window. Finally the excited
man was next and he eagerly thrust his
book through the little barred opening.
Those about him expected to see the teller
hand out at least few hundred dollars.
Imagine the feelings Of those whose
sympathies had been worked upon. how
ever. when the teller rapidly scanned the
colored mans bank book, and after noting
the balance, announced in clear tone:
80 'Eghty-six cents
"'Yaas sab, OATS it. eighty-six cents ex-
claimed the colored man. and he grabbed
the small change with the greed OF
mtser.
But the coiored man got of better than
another alarmed deposttor who withdrew
all his funds from the bank. according to
the story told on him. This particular in
dividuai was one Of the early persons in
line Saturday morning. He could hardly
wait to get inside the doors OF the bank.
SO eager was he to get possession Of his
savings. When the paying teller had fin
ished figuring up his balances. he handed
this deposition several hundred dollars In
good money. The citizen stuffed the bills
in his pocket and started out through the
crowd. He stopped few minutes on the
sidewalk to observe the scene. and haR an
hour later when he felt for his roll of bills.
which had 50 shortly before been safely
stored away in the bank vaults. he found
that his pocket had been picked and all his
savings had been taken.
"Sheepish? Yes. he felt sheepish all
right, and he spent the rest of the day try
ing to kick himself all around his Office.