The Sentinel=record., 1915-04-13
defendant Williams, for that pur.

W liIdiuH, dS lItdSuItI Ul tue iNSu Cross Society. lad the funds it kept on deposit with the Riggs bank re moved to other institutions.
 For almost a year, the bin ayers, the controller has hombarded the Riggs National with demands for spe- cial reports of many sorts. exc edng the inquisitorial and visitatorial pow CTS vested in him. The bank declares if has worked it's clerks early and late in an effort to comply but that re- quests for a little time have been met vita refusals and in some n- stances With a reminder that failure 10 make reports asked by controller involves a penalty of $100 for each day after a report is demanded and not rendered. Exact figures as to penalties the controller may hold the bank has incurred in this connection, the bill states, is not clear but it es- inmates that it must be al leas. $l50,- GOO.
 In making some of these demands, the bank alleges Mir. Williams has violated the fourth and fifth amend ments to the constitution. prohibiting unreasonable searches and seizures and forcing anyone to be a witness against himself
 In February last according 10 the bill, MT, Williams wrote to the bank asking if its officers had destroyei any of it's records. On March 30 It further sets forth, he demanded a complete history of loans of the Riggs bank to it's present officers and gave notice that for failure to comply with a like request made on January 22, it was assessed a penalty of 5000.
 The next day a formal demand for payment of this fine made by two bank examiners was refused. On April 1 a quarterly installment of the interest on the $l,00000 of two per cent held by the Riggs bank in the controllers custody to secure its cir culation came due The controller, the complaint sets forth, "wrongfully and unlawfully ordered the treasurer of the United States to withhold the payment of this interest"
 In this connection the bill alleges that MT. McAdoo had usurped the power of the treasurer" The bill asks that Mr. Williams be enioined from reyoking the Riggs bank desigs nation as dapositary of the reserves Of other nataiOnal banks or refusing to approve it as such depositary An injunction to restrain Mir. McAdoo from usnrping the powers" of the treasurer of the United States is also asked.
 The court is also asked to find the sections of the revised statutes deal, ing with the examination of banks, unconstitutional and void if they must be construed as they have been and are being construed and en- forced by the defendants.
 Controller Williams issued this statement tonight:
 "I have not seen the bill filed by the complainants, but have read the extracts furnished the press.
 "The recent investigations of the affairs of the Riggs Naational Bank disclosed irregularities and unlawful practices on the part of certain off cers of sufficient importance to merit their reference to the department of justice, and that department engaged the services of Louis D. Brandeis of Boston some weeks ago as special counsel in the case, and it is consist ent with the attitude of these officers to attempt by unwarranted and un. true statements to place themselves and the bank in position of martyr dom at the hands of the administia- ton.
 This office is prepared to show a condition of affairs in the manage meut of this institution which fully warranted the action taken by this office The bank is solvent. The in- terests of the depositors have been safeguarded by the actions of the con troller's office, but if the methods and practices complained of had been per- mitted to continue, the results would have been serious.
 The penalty imposed for failure to make reports, the collection of which penalty they seek to have enjoined, grows out of their unwillngness to disclose the true nature of the trans actions engaged in.
 -'The whole purpose of the depart ment has been to require the bank to give up the unlawful and dangerous practices and methods which had been in vogue for years past and which had threatened alike the wei fare and security of both shareholders and depositors.
 ''In efforts to ascertain the real truth requests for data in various cases were made and refused. and on March 70 the Riggs National Bank was notified of the imposition of a penalty of 5000 under section 5213 of the United States revised statutes for it's refusal to furnish information to the controllers office in regard to it's affairs.
 "On April the controller of the currency addressed letter to the