The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-12-17
While II Grow Cold Kicker
Cranked His Car.
YATES Center BANK CASE
Kicker Missing Since
Saturday Night.
Federal Attorney Returns
Home Peeved.

For So hours the department of JUS
tice delayed the contemplated arrest
of c. G. Kicker, president Of the de-
funct Yates Center National bank.
Kicker took advantage of 35 and a
half hours Of that time and 1t is claim
ed that In 80 minutes after he closed
the door Of the bank building he was
fugitive from Justice. A warrant
charging him with falsifying entries
and making false statements to the
comptroller Of the currency has been
issued and government officials in all
parts Of the United states are on the
lookout for the bank president. Three
specific counts are charged in the for
NAL complaint against Kicker.
When L s. Harvey, an assistant
United States district attorney, re-
turned to Topeka this morning from
his futile trip to Yates Center to Sc
cure Rfcker's arrest, he was a bit
peevish and in NO frame of mind to
see the humorous side of Ricker's
escape. The things which Harvey
knows about the case, he declined to
discuss. Neither would he confirm nor
deny numerous ,rum0rs about the
Yates Center national bank situation.
He protested that he did not have a
copy of the Kicker complaint in his
possession. that there was no copy in
the office files and that he could not
recfte from memory the details of the
complaint. Neither would Harvey dis
cuss even in general way the inves-
tfgation by the department of justice
into the affairs of the bank or the
evidence on which the government
will base it's hopes of a conviction in
event Kicker u found.
Harvey In Charge of Case.
Harvey has been in charge Of the
Yates Center bank case since the de-
partment of justice. through the
and decided that a full investigation
was wise. However. the case Is ap-
parently being handled through sew
eral sources and several departments
and Harvey protested today that he
was not in possession Of the faces
were. Tst :
C0mp1alnt Against Kicker.
The complaint against Kicker. how
ever, charges him with falsifying the
records Of the bank and with making
false sworn statements to the comp
troller Of the currency regarding the
defunct institution's financial condi-
ton. There is no formal charge of
forgery in the present complaint
against Kicker, Harvey declares. Yet
Harvey would not discuss the govern
ment's possible possession of such evil
dence or it's future action in the matter.
At least one alleged forgery has come
and it is rumored that the government
is in possession of even further facts,
although no official in Topeka will ver-
ify such statements. A note for $3.50
with the name of John HolimQuist. a
Woodson county farmer, is said to be
quist has denied that he signed such a
note or is in any manner indebted to
the bank.
Methods pursued by Kicker in kit
ing' paper to avoid detection. will prob
ably not be known until Kicker is ar
rected and brought to trial. Just how
Kicker succeeded in keeping this pa
per under cover for a period of several
months. is still a mystery so far as the
public is concerned.
Kicker Handled Banks Business.
1t has been rumored that Kicker
himself looked after much of the detail
work of the bank and that Cashier
Naylor performed only the formal serv-
ice Of waiting on the customers and
signing such statements as the bank
was required to make. 1t has been re-
ported that on several occasions Pres
ident Kicker handed the bank cashier
slips Of paper on which were lists of
figures. From these memorandums, it
is claimed. the cashier was instructed
to make up his reports. Thus the cash.
Ter and directors are said to have been
kept in the dark regarding the true
financial conditions Of the bank and
that there was no suspicion among
bank officials until a few days before
the banks doors closed.
After the failure Of the bank two
weeks ago. the comptroller Of the
currency placed a receiver In control
and expert accountants began an audit
of the banks books. Plans for re-
organisation of the national bank az
| q state bank were discussed and an
application for q state bank charter
made to the state bank commissioner.
Kicker, it is claimed. had promised
to turn over his property to the bank
creditors in order to aid in lifting the
| banks debt There was nearly q
quarter Of a million dollars on deposit
! in the bank at the time of the failure.
although the cash fund was not large.
But with the assurance that Kicker
would turn over his property. there
was hope that the liabilities of the
bank could be met and that the in
stitution could be reorganized as q
state hank. All Of these things were