The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1909-10-21
BANKER KILLS
SELF At HIS
MOTHERS GRAVE
MINERAL POINT CASHIER SHOOTS
HIMSELF AND HIS MOTHER-IN-
LAW DROPS DEAD.
WORRIED OVER BANK FAILURE,
Innocent of Wrongdoing, He Brooded
Over Loss of Funds to His
Lifelong Friends.
CLIMAX 70 CRASH.
MINERAL POINT. Wis, Oct. 49,

MINERAL POINT. Wis, Oct. 1S.--
Especial. l--Kneeling at his mothers
grave while the church bells were sum
moning worshipers TO vesper services
Frank Il. Ilanscome, cashier of the
wrecked First National bank turned the
muzzle of Il siX-shooter toward his head
and fired. Fearful friends, half suspect
ing the cause OF the bankers overlong
/ absence from home, found his body at 10
o'clock Sunday night, his arms in death
agony clasped about the marble slab at
the head of the grassy mound under
| which slept his mother. Rigor morris
had set in when the searchers carried
the body TO the home Of his wife'S moth
or, Mrs John Gray aged 50 years.
uorror-stricken AT the sudden sight of
her sOn-iu-law's corpse, the white-haircd
woman gave one wild piercing shrek,
and then dropped dead besides the self
slain bankers cold form.
Thus death has emerged from the ruins
Of the detunct bank and claimed the first
victims Of the blow from whi>h this
community has barely recovered. News
Of IIanscOme's suicide came as an appal-
ling climax to the staggering intelligence
Of Vice President Phil Aliens pecula-
tous which resulted in the crash Of
supposedly Gibraltaresque institution.
And it is freely predicted that the trag-
edy of the failure is not yet complete.
Gloom and dependency superseded the
optimism and good heartedness which
characterized the cashier in the first fren-
~ of the maelstrom which had swept
away the savings and hopes OF hundreds
of his fellow tOwnsmen and even the
pittance Of widows and orphans, ana
lIanscome's manifest depression all day
Sunday caused no little anxiety among
his intimates and family
Innocent of Wrongdoing.
Although himself innocent of any part
Of the financial chicanery which resulted
in the closing of the First National bank,
Cashier Hanscome felt keenly the humll-
iatign Of the situation. He appreciated
fun well the faith in his integrity which
had induced scores Of his lifelong friends
10 ontrust their all to the institution in
which he was director. His own losses
and feelings were dwarfed beside his
great sorrow for his friends. Night ana
day Uauscome worked to save what he
could from the debris, but the closing of
the institution and Aliens subsequent
arrest broke his spirit
Shortly after suppe, llanscomc dis
appeared from home, Night came on
aud he did not reappeur His wife's
intuition told her the truth which she
dared not frame into words ald she
herself set ont in the hope Of finding
her distraught husband before it might
be too late Kindly fate directed her |
steps in a direction other Than that taken
by several of the bankers closest asso-
ciatcs. The latter were prepared for
the sight which met their eyes III the
dim circle Of light cast by their lanterns
among the graves of Graceland Gene |
terry.
BrCfheT-in-Law of Allen
That IIanscomes aged mother-in law |
should surcumb to the shock is not sur
prisiug. llauscume and Allen are both |
her sons -in-aw Therefore the crash of |
The bank was Of double import to the |
mother of the wives of the man who |
wrecked the institution ana of his limo |
rcut hrotber-in-law, The shock of Al |
lens disclosures and of his being revealed |
a furccr and thief had nearly prostratcl !
tho lettering woman. One look ut the |
awful spot on llausCOmc's temple, AMI !
her slender hold on life was broken.
Allen himself seems little affected by !
his brother-in-law's suicide. Far from |
being the dying man he was pictured in |
the earlier days Of the failure, il now |
appears that the vice president will bc |
we'll enough within few days To be |
taken rs II prisoner to Madison to an
swcr for his crimes.
IIanScomc'S suicide has been terrible |
oIoN ~ III VIZ nt'' ~ ~ uluEu'ItlS' ~! !
sn' ",ig I'm .',, ~ 81" wa" ".IH, ,I
i,L LAM "n I'' uorSorino1 tha J,It;o. -
,nIIor and hnnl,taancr also
While no official statement has been |
given out, it is stated that within ten |
days the condition OF the bank VIII nave |
been determined to the extent that Re |
ceivcr Schoteld will be able TO announce |
the probable percentage winch the de- |
poSitors may nope 20 procure Wheh SET