Evening star., 1915-04-13

and known 10 and not criticised by pre-.
vious controllers of the currency. said
oral examinations covering 3oo type
written pages, resulting IN harassins
and annoying plaintiffs officers ana
preventing them from giving their at
tention to the conduct of its said busi-
ness, and being wholly unnecessary 70
full and complete knowledge OF
plaintiff banks condition: ana that
having demanded and procured a copy
Of the correspondence between plalnt,H
bank and said Williams, he did exhihit
said correspondence to one or more
persons not known to be In federal en-
ploy. although such correspondents
contained much matter OF conhden.
tial nature respecting the business OF
itself and the business of Its deposit
ors; and that defendant Williams dla
insultingly and unwarrantabiy and
falsely insinuate that officers Of plain
tiff bank had destroyed part OF its rec
ords and warn said officers not SO 10
do; and that said Williams did arro-
eantly and falsely characterize certain
transactions of said plaintiff bank as
dummy or Concealed loans. notWfth-
standing said loans were not concealed
and had been made known in every de-
tail to the bank examiner. and that the
application OF such terms was mali
cious and In pursuance OF the purpose
and intent of defendant Williams un-
warrantably and falsely and insulting
1y to reflect on the character of plain
TIN bank ana ltS OH1CeTS
Calls Letter Insulting.
Plaintiff AYERS that under date Of March
. the defendant Williams addressed to
plaintiff bank letter which was long,
rambling, insulting and argumentative,
concerning certain loans during the past
five years and demanding an alleged spe-
cial report in response thereto within one
week: that said letter covers ten printed
pages" The plaintiffs bill reads:
"It abounds in italics and capitals, with
exclamation points interpolated. Its IAN
guage is Incorporate, arrogant, insolent
and Iibelous in the extreme, and indicates
a mind utterly blind to the duties and dig
mites OF his office and rccklessiy impa-
tlent Of all legal restraints. arising either
from uncomfortable hatred or temper, or
from a graver cause.
Plaintiff further AYERS that said Will
liams. referring to certain practices of the
plaintiff and other national banks. which
practice the national bank act permits,
but said Williams forbids, and indulsing
In capital letters, as usual, in his un-
measured condemnation of perfectly per-
missible and lawful acts, said Williams
did solemnly include in his said letter.
in his signed capacity as controller OF the
currency Of the United States the follow
ing:
"Such practices are sometimes attended
with dire consequences to employees as
well as to the bank whose funds are
jeopardized, as the following press dis
patch relating to the tragic fate Of a re-
ceiving teller in a Cleveland. Ohio, bank
whose borrowings, $775, were insignif-
cant as compared with the loans to your
officers and employees, pathetically shows
Cleveland. March Is. Bertram o.
Hill. thirty-eight. receiving teller at the
Cleveland - Bank shot and instantly
killed himself today
Shortly before his suicide Hill re-
ceived letter from a Pittsburgh bank
reminding him payment was expected Fri
day Of his note for s775.
Said Bank Condition Dangerous.
Plaintiff AYERS that the defendant
Williams did assert that plaintiff bank
was in an unsatisfactory and danger
Gus condition, and that said assertion
cannot be answered in any terms Of
moderation. except to refer to the
statements Of Its condition herein set
forth. the absolute truth and correct
ness of which cannot be successfully
challenged or questioned in good
faith"
The bill concludes by charging that
the acts of the defendants McAdoo and
Williams. unless enjoined by the courts,
would result In deprving plaintfff
bank and its ofiicers Of their rights un-
der the Constitution OF the United
States.