Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-05
HUM0R IN BANK RUNS
Funny Incidents of the Recent
New York Furry.
PEOPLE LOST THEIR WITS
Man Waited, Before Institution
Where He Had No Money.
VALUE OF PLACES IN THE LINE
Ten Dollars Would Have Saved $1O,-
OOo-Depositors Frightened
Without Cause.
VALUE OF PLACES IN THE LINZ
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Snecia1 CORRESPONDENCE OF The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
NEW YORK, December g. 1907.
A good many humorous stories are told
of people who lost their wits in the panic
A certain gentleman of national reputa-
ton was attending committee meeting
when the suspension of the Knickerbock-
er Trust Company was announced. n
turned very pale. arose from his chair
as if to leave the room, staggered and
was caught as he collapsed on the moor. A
dash of water in his face and a draught
of brandy soon brought him to, when n
apologized for making a scene and ex-
planned that the savings of his lifetime
were locked up in the knlckerbocker
Tust Company. After he had recovered
himself his friends began to ask ques-
lions, and developed the |act that he had
no account in the bank. but rented a box
in the safe deposit department., where he
had stocks and bonds amounting to near
ly 100000. He couldn't explain why 1t
was that the announcement OF the failure
OF the bank should have been such
shock to him. because he ought to hav
known that it would not affect the pa
irons of the safe deposit vaults.
They tell of a man who stood in line
for several hours during run on one OF
the uptown banks before he realized that
all his money was in another bank. He
happened to be passing; saw the long lin
of depositors forming on the sidewalk;
inquired the reason; became affected with
the excitement and apprehension OF tn
crowd, and. forgetting everything else,
took his place in the column and waited
patiently until he reached the window of
the paying teller, to discover that he had
no account there at all.
Wanted a Balcony Ticket.
The Manhattan TIL alter adjoins the
Manhattan Bank in the Bronx-which
used to be called Harlem-in the northern
part of the city, and during the run upon
the latter institution a young man about
nineteen years old took his place in line
Three o. four hours later, when he
reached the paying teller's window, he
asked for two seats at the end of row
n the second balcony. Although he was
an intelligent human being, and the peo-
pie in line before him and after him were
discussing the financial situation only, he
assumed that they were all waiting. to
buy tickets for the play. and remained in
his place nearly the whole day.
The paying teller Of the knickerbocker
Trust Company tells of a woman who
stood fourteen hours in line during the
run on that bank. and when she finally
got to his window found that she had
overdrawn her account $685. and owed the
bank that amount of money.
The wife of a citizen of great promi-
hence, one of the most conspicuous men
in New York, was still at their home in
the country when she read in the news
papers that the Knickerbocker Trust
Company had closed its doors. She
called up her husband on the telephone
and asked whether he thought she bet
ter come into town at once. or whether
she could postpone it until the next day.
as she very much preferred to do. B ing
somewhat puzzled at this strange mes
come to town at all.
when I read about the failure of the
knickerbocker Trust Company this morn
ing. I got out my bank book and found
1924. and thought 1 ought to come right
in and pay them the money. 1t might
help some poor person who has all his
money locked up there"
The husband, who is himself a banker.
answered: my dear. you are the best
hearted woman in the world. but 1 am
afraid your plan wouldn't work"
A little girl was saying her prayers at
bedtime one night during the excitement
After repeating Now l lay me down to
mother, sister, two brothers. her pony and
kitty, she added: "Oh Lord. be awful
careful of Yourself because we have onIy
You and the President to depend upon
and papa doesn't like the way he is act
ing
Selling Places in Line.
colored man who stood in line during
the run on one of the uptown banks was
approached by a very-much-excited gen.
tleman and asked if he would sell his
place for $40. He refused and began to
negotiate. Finally, when the bidder got
up to 500. he took the money and gave up
his place in the line. When the buyer
reached the cashiers window he dis
covered that his balance was S11 80
There are two banks in New York
owned by the same people. One of
them is downtown and the other is
uptown. Early in the furry an elderly
woman, who had $4,000 on deposit in
the downtown bank. drew it out and
made very disagreeable demonstra-
ton. She abused the president the
vice president and several of the di-
rectors by name. calling them thieves
and scoundrelS and accusing them of
all kinds of crimes and misdeneanors,
and would not be silent until she had
relieved her mind. Then she got into
drove to the uptown branch of the
same institution, where she lerosited
the cash. The cashier Of the uptown
branch called up the downtown man
woman The latter described the pain
full scene that had just taken place,
and the uptown manager replied:
From what she said up here l in
ferred that she gave you fellows a
roasting. but she seems to think we're
all right"
1t is probable that she has found
out by this time that the two banks
belong to the same people, but evil
IDENTIFY didn't suspect that such was
the case at the time.
"A man who had $4,000 on deposit in
the Trust Company of America stood
in line for six hours to get Il chance
to draw it out. When he finally reach
ed the paying teller with his check in
his hand he suddenly changed mis- mind
for some unaccountable reason and
asked to have the check certified
A man who had $4,000 in the Knick-
erbocker Trust Company paid a gro
ceryman $1,000 for his place in the
line, but payments were suspended and
the cashiers window was closed before
he reached the goal He not only lost
his $4,000. but his $4,000 is tied up in
definitely.
At one. of the banks a man who had
a few dollars on deposit offered to sell
his place for $40 to an excited indi-
Uidna1 yifI i,, =