The copper era and Morenci leader., 1914-12-04
LOOTER OF BANK IN
THE LAWS Tolls :
r. (. Wilkins, Formerly Assistant
Cashier of Defunet Bisbee First
National, Arrested by Jas. McDon-
aid.
SEVEN YEAR OLD CASE
BROUGHT TO LIGHT
Wilkins Alleged to Have Been Indict.
ed by Federal Grand Jury and to
Have Left Without Answering the
Case.

cinct, county and the state may go
to sleep, but Uncle Sam is always on
the job After seven years of rest a
case which attracted widespread atten-
ton in the state of Arizona and par
.ticularly in the Warren district, at
that time, is again brought to the at
tention of the public by reason of the
arrest here, yesterday, by James f.
Mcdonald, United States Marshal, of
r. E. Wilkins, formerly assistant
cashier of the First National Bank of
Bisbee.
Through the wide-awakeness pri-
marily of the local deputy, the arrest
was made. R. E. wilkins has been
wanted by the United States depart
ment of justice since the bank went
under the hammer in April, 1908. No
one here seemed to know of Wilkins
whereabouts since he surreptitiously
disappeared with a federal indict-
ment hanging over his head.
He arrived in Bisbee yesterday
morning. He registered at the Cop
per Queen Hotel land the scrawl of
his signature foiled the eye of the
experienced clerk who is used to hi
eroglyphics. Not so, however, the
Deputy United State Marshal. VIII
kins registered from Dallas, Texas
Mcdonald, remembering the y case,
Immediately wired to Joe Dillon,
United States Marshal in Phoenix
The Marshal, in turn, took the mat
ter up with Thomas ]. Flynn, United
States attorney for the State of /Ari-
IONA. At four o'clock yesterday af-
ternoon Deputy Mcdonald received
information to arrest Wilkins and
this was accom- plished a short time.
later. Wilkins is now under a spec
ial guard, in custody of Mcdonald
who awaits instructions from Phoenix
as to his final disposition.
History of Case.
Those who lived in Bisbee during
the high-strung stock days of 1906
and 1907, Immediately before the
Bankers panic of the last named
year, will remember, some to their
loss and sorrow of the failure of the
First National Bank 49,
The bank was Differed by w. j.
Eddleman, as president, j. H Nolan,
as cashier, and r. E. Wilkins, as as
sistant. cashier. The offices of the
bank were where the Bisbee Smoke
House is now located
Bisbee was stock mad Everything
from the best stock on the market to
every wild cat scheme could be used
as security, in some of the banks in
the state. Some of the bankers
Themselves, INDUCED freely in buck
ing the market. The First National
Bank, it afterward developed. and its
Officers were prime offenders.
DEM stock was then occupying the
on the local exchange. It's
course was followed upward and up
ward. Many hung their stars to its
colors and some sold while it was
high. Others hung on and brought
more on a margin, thinking that it
couldn't go any lower. When the
panic hit the country in October, 1907
however, the tale took on a differer.
aspect and all stocks, regardless OF
their intrinsic value, took a tumb bic.
Eenn, one of the best, followed suit.
1t was then that Hugh D. Marshall,
United States bank examiner for this
seetion, dropped into town. Marshall
is now cashier of the Phoenix Ma
tional Bank at Phoenix, one of the
s longest banking institutions in the
state. The examiner was alive and
after being in the Dank but few
hours knew that it was inso1vent.
In fact it had been looted.
The institution was closed. Eddie
man, Nolan and Wilkins were indict-
ed in the United States federal court.
The first two were indicted on sew
eral counts but were tried for the
fa1sification of reports to the bank
comptroller of the United States.
Joe Alexander, the United States
attorney for the state of Arizona.
conducted the prosecution. George
Neal and Eugene s. Ives defended
Eddleman and Nolan, while Judge
O'Connel and Judge A. G. Baker of
Phoenix, we're looking after the inter
ests of the bank and it's creditors.
Eddleman and Nolan did not de-
sire to face a trial and pleaded guilty
to the above Indictment. They we're
sentenced to five years in the federal
penitentiary each. Both served about
half of their sentences in Florence
and were paroled
Wilkins part in the matter is not
quite so clear, the cs.5e never having
come up for trial. { is understood
EnWever. that he also bad ne stock