Omaha daily bee., 1906-10-28

SENSATION IN MEXICO CITY
Ambassador Thompson, who %
Charged with shieIdinE Auesed
Embesrler. Denies charge.

MENICO CITY. Oct 2i-Somewhat Of a
sensation was caused In financial circles
tonight when Il was learned that warrants
had been issued for she arrest Of J. 4.
Starr Hunt and three OF his associates
charged with fraud IN their handling OF the
funds of the dcfunct International Bank
ana Trust Company Of America. The sem
sstiun was greatly maguihed in the United
States.
Ambassador Thompson was openly
charged witch endeavorng to shield Hunt
The police and secret service agents are
looking for Hunt. but have been unable as
yet 20 locate him. although they say they
are positive he is In the city.
Ambassador Thompson denies any connec-
ton with the case and says the charges
against him are absurd.
The international Bank and Trust COM
pany was organized in the fall of 1902 and
went into the hands OF a receiver on Octo-
Der H. 1903. 1t was the first bank failure
I'm tine republic for ffty-seven years and
created a sensation at the time. The bank
had seven branctes throughout the repub-
lie and was capitalized for Il,s5OOOO. When
It went to the wall its liabilities totaled
/ s.. $4,000.
Hunt was the attorney for the bank and
L I
and frsudulently and falsely dated numer-
GUS promissory notes in order to realize
/ upon them after the institution was in the
/ receivers hands. Associated with him in
/ the transactions were J. O. Rice. general
manager of the defunct banN W. O.
Staples, a member of the board of direc
tors, and Antonio Rincon Alas, confiden
tal adviser Of Hunt
Charges were brought against the mel
some time ago, but the matter was post
poned from time to time Finally II wat
rumored that influences were being orough
to bear to quash the proceedings.
Not until tonight was It definitely know
that the men would be prosecuted. Whei
lthis was made public, b. w. Wilson o
the firm of Warner, johnson & Wilson, at
torneys of the liquidating committee. mad
his charges against the United States am
bassador here.
He said to representative OF the Asso
ciated Press:
We have indisputable evidence tina
Ambassador Thompson has acted i'm
properly In this case. He went to Presi
dent Diaz I'm an effort to have the pro
ceedings against Hunt dismissed, and late
wrote a letter to Judge Ortega, befor
whom the case was pending, In an en-
deavor to influence that iurist. We hav
drawn up statement embracing thes
AAai ENs anu viii AoEWdIu llle same 10 III
State department at Washington. I be
ieve we have sufficient proof In the cas-
to warrant the recall of the ambassador.
Ambassador Thompson received the rep
resentative Of the Associated Press at hi
home here late tonight He contente
himself with a simple denial Of tn
charges. He said:
I never interceded with the president /
behalf of Hunt, nor did I ever improper
try to influence court in this case. Le
them file their charges. They will find
| is a serious matter when they cannO
prove them. The authorities at Washing
{ ton know of every move l make here an
know l would not do wrong
The president of the defunct Interns
= tional Bank and Trust company was {
IT. Hunt now serving a sentence in Jolie
ILL.,, for bank wrecking. He organized tn
! Panamerican bank after the failure
the International. He is no relative
r J. f. Starr Hunt. The latter was seer,
tary of the Third Panamerican congress
e held I'm this city some three years ago