The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-18
FORMER BANK
TELLER TAXES
HIS OWN LIFE
Baron William Won Meyerinck
Seeks Death to Escape
Exposure
Suicide Brings TO Light Strange
Condition of Affairs in
Bank

the baroness, VINO was not aware OF
what had occurred until she removed
The pillow which covered her husbands
face.
Won Msyerinck untiI three weeks ago
was teller for the Union state bank
when the institution started on policy
OF retrenchment he was one OF the men
10 be discharged His worth as a book
keeper was wen known. however. and
he was soon offered position in the
Merchants national bank In the col
lecting department
While At work there Friday ne re-
osived a telephone message from Bank
Examiner Young, who was going over
the books OF the Union state bank ask
ing him TO explain discrepancy OF
abo0 connected with a certificate. OF de-
posit issued 10 himself. The baron re-
piled that he would do SO
This WAS at noon. Instead OF seeing
Young be told the cashier OF the Mer-
chants national bank that he wished to
leave the once early 10 attend some
personal business. and on receiving per-
mission left for his bungalow ut Lark
spur. lie arrived there early I'm the
afternoon and without a word TO the
occupant OF the house at the time. re-
tired 10 his room.
Half an hour later the boy thought
he heard a pistol shot but paid no
attention Go a. shortly after o'clock
Baroness Won Meyerinck reached home
from her conservatory OF music AT
SIS Grove street on beinE told that
her husband was resting she did not
visit his room until dinner was ready.
Finds Husband Dead
She then ordered the Japanese boy TO
awake him. The latter. finding that
HE repeated knoekings on the door
brought no response told his mistress
that he feared the baron was H. She
Immediately went 20 the room and saw
her husband lying on the bed. his head
and face covered with a pillow. Call
ing him by name she removed sthe
pillow only 90 fall back. shrieking in
terror There was n brief note 20 her
which proved that the death was sui
cidal. IL read:
Take care OF the boy"
This and nothing more There was
NO explanation. no reason. As soon
A. she regained her composure the
baroness telephoned for DR.. J. NJ Mills
81 barkspur. Or. r. r. Sawyer. coro-
ner. was notified OF the death.
His inquiries added no light TO the
subject. The baroness was absolutely
ignorant OF the financial troubles OF
her husband. The son. Herbert Won
Afeyerinck. a youth OF IS years. was
not made aware Of his fathers death
until yesterday. The boy had gone 20
Santa Cruz the night before 10 take
part IN a concert there, and came di-
rectiy 20 the city this morning. BY
this time the news was All over the
city. Late Friday night the baroness
sclephoned some OF the baronS friends
telling them he had died suddenly His
employers at the Merchants national
bank learned OF IL early yesterday
morning
Al about O'Clock in the morning
young Won Meyerinok telephoned TO the
main ONCE OF the bank about some
business matters and was told TO go
home. as his father had died OF heart
disease the night before. IL was not
until the boy reached home and saw
The note left 90 his mother that he
learned the truth az the affair.
one OF the most peculiar condolences
regarding the suicide was the fact that
since the FIRE OF 1905 every instsitution
ga which Won Meyerinck had been en-
ployed has encountered trouble.
Followed by III Luck
Following the disaster Won Meyer
euck was employed by the California
safe deposit and trust company i'm the
mailing department Shortly after he
went there the bank tumbled to pieces.
From that position he secured another
with the State savings and commercial
bank An emhexzlemcnt OF $4,000 by
Cashier Hopkins followed soon after
and ultimately. in order 10 save the
hank, the directors had 10 merge IL
with the Union state bank The baron
WAS given q position with the latter
bank and, as IN the others IN luck
began 10 strike at the bank
So tangled were the finances OF the
Union state bank that the superintend-
ent OF banks kept close watch on Il
and ordered a statement OF its condi-
tion 20 be made and delivered by July
=. The statement was not forthcom-
ing and the bank was granted until
July I6. AS no statement was ready
then Bank Examiner 5. =. Young was
ordered TO make an examination.
Before they had been at work half
n day they ran across n discrepancy
Of $500 In connection with q certificate
OF deposit made out by Won Meyerincl<
10 himself A telephone message. ask
tnE Tor an explanation. brought 10
the ground the whole house OF cards.
The son. who was unaware OF his
fathers financial Affairs. thought that
suicide was brought about by the lat
ter having 10 give up his position
with the Union state bank and accept
chants national bank.
While he did not complain" said
the son. 7 believe this ract worried
him a good deal We We're exceed
ingly happy in our nome life. and
apart from this little AFFAIR. had noth-
ine 10 worry as"
Banks Affairs Tangled
s r. Young. hank examiner. found
aaairs in a chaotic condition at the
Union state hank and State savings
and commercial bank when he began
lis Investigations last Thursday after
noon. He found the accounts OF both
Institutions so interviewer that II
looked impossible 10 untangle the mess
Tie required legal reserve was shown
70 be not on hand and discrepancies
and Irregularities We're innumerahle
IL was plainly evident that frenxied
financial methods had heen employed
il was after YoUngS report TO An
derson Friday afternoon that the super
inten6ent 81 banks decided 10 close the
institution. While. al that time. Il was
not shown that the bank was insolvent
il was plain that the capital WAS im-
paired 10 4 large extent and il Was
deemed best for the interests OF all
concerned that the bank be closed Be-