The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1913-06-12
Want to Be Tried
Outside of Meade
County.
FEELING IS BITTER
Threatening Letters Received
by all Defendants Since
Bank Failure.

Deadwoon, S. D.-On the ground
that triad of the officers and principa.
stockholders in the defunct Meade
County bank, ON criminal indict-
mcnts, set for next week at Stursis
means absolute conviction on account
of the extreme bite, feeling in Meade
county over the bank failure. attor-
neys Tor Henry C.. Perkir S of Stursis.
II. O. Anderson OF Sturgis. Frank
stewart of Buffalo Gap. Harold Coop
or OF Sioux Falls, ChaHlcs Francis OF
Sturgis and ID. a. MCPHERSON of Dead
wood are awaiting the decision of
circuit Judge w. G. Rice as to wheth-
Ell they will be permitted to try the
cases in another county.
The defendants are all we'll known
men, Anderson. Stewart and McPher-
son being old time Black Hills resi-
dents but so keen was the suffering
when the Meade county bank, after
two years of crop failures around
Stnrgis and the removal OF the troops
from Ft. Meade to the Mexican bord-
er. closed its doors on Jan. /, 1912
with $66S,o00 of deposits tied up,
that resentment against anyone con
nected with the institution has not
softened with time and the attorneys
for the defendants declare that
twelve impartial men cannot be Sc
cured in Meade county.
The bank failure resulted in not
only the suffering of the depositors
but the murder OF W. e. Ladd, the
young cashier. by Richard Stall, a
crazcd depositor who when arrested
slashed his threat iii Jail and expired
shortly afterward. Since this time,
most of the defendants have received
letters threatening their lives and
families. men were elected 10 office
in Meade county last November ON
the strength of their p%rotestations tc
versed the circuit courts ruling
%quashing the indictments and order
er the defendants to trial.
Claim Bank will Pay Ont.
The original indictments were two
against each MAJ charging them
With permitting shareholders to be-
come indebted to the bank in excess
of so per cen of the capital stock OF
100000 and four against each charg-
ing them with Receiving and permit
ting to be received deposits While
the bank a insolYent. The defense
contends that the bank is not now in
solvent and never was but hat its
loan assets are simply tied up with
farmers who could not pay on ac.
count OF the crop failures. Since the
bank closed. the bank examiner in
charge has paid two dividends of ter
per CEN each and the defense con
tends THAI with good crops this yeal
and mex year. the bank Will pay olt
sepositors in Gull.
The prosecution contends tina
many OF the loans made wore worth
less, that they viii prove that the OF
Ulcers deliberately took deposits Ions
after they knew the crash was newt
able and in some Instances made
loans to personal friends on Securit,
worth less than a third the value o
the loan.
\ year ago. when the indictment.
we're returned. the defendants de
INJURED and Judge Rice sustained
them. The state then took the cas-
TO the supreme court OF South Dakot;
and secured a reversal in a length.
opinion in which that tribunal hel'
soc and could not he dismissed a,
ocbnic,liti Nov :, enecial Gran,
nv ;s In sossion ~ stnrais and If /
,enortra mat an effort is bcinr mad.
NV Tho ~nroeecution 70 secure furito
a. ma,ts a~ains, no dofen 4ants
I~ntena.nts !, u,,,,;nn,t
n a Mnpherson ono Of .he de
renfants Who was -, ono tine ,rosi
dont If tbo dnrnnnt b,nk nnnar
his ~,eSien,tion seyeral monthe hefor,
IN b,nI nfosed -rbn ~rasinnaiinn wa
net aecented and the ~nrosecutio,
holds ma. Nc rcs,,,nsibilitv eonti..