The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-01-13

he ever had an account in that bank.
Ali that he recalled was that once he
had a savings bank account, but just
where he did not remember. At any
rate, he was sure that he had drawn
out all his money years and years ago.
That man would not be convinced that
the money on deposit was his. The
bank people had to get his relatives 10
reason with him. 1t was a long time
before he would come to the bank and
give a duplicate of his signature. There
was no doubt of his identity after he
came, and then he recalled the former
deposit
One of the most peculiar cases was
when a discovery was made that an
account for several thousands of dol
lars belonged to a very rich man in
New York who for nearly forty years
had gone under an assumed name. For
a reason involving family matters he
had changed his name. He had be-
come rich. He knew that he had a
bank account under his old name, but
had decided never to claim it because
it would reveal his secret. He didn't
reed the money.
The matter was traced out and he
was confronted with his real name and
the facts in the case He stoutly de-
MED that he was the man. He said
he had never heard of the old name.
Absolute proof was presented to him.
Still he would not acknowledge that
he was the man. Finally a suit was
threatened by the bank TO compel him
to take the money. That brought him
down. Publicity was imminent and he
compromised, promising to take the
money if the bank officials would not
disclose the facts i'm the case. Under
such a promise he went to the bank
signed his old name. took the money
and continued to live under his as
sumed name.
There was another case in which a
woman had deposited money in three
banks under different names. She was
saving the money for children about
whose parentage there was some ques-
ton. In one of the banks she used her
right name. She died and the banks
tried hard to clear up the accounts.
Finally it was established, by hand
writing experts that one woman had
deposited the money in all the banks,
and after q long hunt her heirs were
found and the accounts wiped off the
books.
Oppose Reversion to State.
The fact that it is possible to find a
large number of the heirs to these de-
pcsits has made savings bank people
oppose very bitterly the effort of leg
islators to pass bills providing that the
ncney in dormant savings bank ac-
counts shall revert to the state.
The bank officials say that this
money really belongs to someone. Only
! in few cases, If any, are there no
heirs involved. With the improved
system of record keeping that now OBJ
Itains in municipal and business affairs
! il is possible to get a pretty good trace
of almost anyone who has died. even
after twenty or thirty years. As the
years pass il will be more and more
easy to- trace these heirs. The money
belongs to them, and it is held that it
is akin to robbery to step in and take
away money from persons whose right
full ownership can be proved.
The accounts are now we'll divided
up among the old-esta blished banks.
Wren the reports of 1889 were made to
the state banking commission, show
| ing that there was about $1,000 600 of
unclaimed deposits, the peculiar fea-
ture was disclosed that about one-half
of 1t was in the Bank for Savings in
this city. No such percentage as that
now exists. The other banks have
come to the front with their accounts
One Of the banks however, has made
such an effort to hunt out the owners
of these deposits that the sum still
hung up is decidedly less than a dozen
years ago.