The Washington times., 1916-05-10
RIGGS MEN TRIAL
,MARKED BY CLASH
District Attorney Objects to
Opening Address Of John B.
Stanchfleld.

Continued from First Psge)
officers of the bank not only desired
not TO conceal anything. but In the Lam
the table in n letter written to John
SHELTON Williams on July II, 1914, year
previous to the filing Of the equity suit.
This letter to the Comptroller con-
tanned an itemized iist OF stock deal
ings of the officers beginning In Janu-
airy. 1907, and ending December 81, 1913.
BY that means We put In the hands OF
the Comptroller every transaction In
stocks and bonds"
Leading up to an explanation OF the
famous civil suit instituted by the bank
against the Treasury officials, Mr.
Stanchfeld charged that Comptroller
Williams, upon assuming the Federal OF.
by letter with the banks officials, Il
In 1915. John Skelton Williams threat
ened to impose on the bank for alleged
delays In answering correspondence
fines amounting to something like s1jJ.-
co., Mr.. Stanchfeld said.
Reason For Injunction.
THE withholding OF 5000 due the
bank on Government bonds and the
Withdrawal Of Government deposits and
the funds OF the American Red Cross
also were alleged to be acts of the
Comptroller. that finally resulted In
the filing OF Injunction PROCEEDINGS by
the bank -
This feeling Of anita gonlsm expressed
by the Comptroller instead Of subsiding
grew with time" Mr.. Stanchneld de-
clared. "and the directors of the bank
thought II was the intention OF Mr..
Williams to ,injure the institution.
The equity proceedings were in
stituted fer relief from prevailings
conditions, and the court was asked
&c restrian the comptroller from
eliminating the bank as a reserve
riscstion of the $4,000 due the bank
and to restrain the Treasury official
from the imposition Of fines OF si5o..
goo for alleged delays In answering
tnterrogations."
Dazzling As Individuals.
Mr.. Stanchfield sought to impress on
the jury that the defense would attempt
to prove that Mr.. Glover and the
Messrs. Flather. when they made the
affidavit, on which the prelent case Ii
bescd, that they were not dea ing IN
stock transactions with l.svts, JOHNS III
& Co.. as officials Of the bank, but on
the contrary as individuals. lie point
ed out how the oank-is hal ie;i lie
entire records in the civil sui; in charge
OF Attorney Frank IIo:an. ana how NJ.
Hogan drafted the afti lavit and rher
caLed upon the defendants 10 sanction
Mr.. Stanchfeld declared that Comp
troller Williams had gone out of his
way to persecute the officers of the
bank. He explained that the bank does
q business OF $500, 100000 year, exclud-
ing holidays and Sundays, an average
business of 81, 900, 900 a day.
1t Is then not without reason to as
sumo that discrepancies should occur In
statements that were subsequently made
1T was the habit Of Mr.. Williams tc
send, without warning, a bank examiner
to interrogate Mn Glover. who is now
seventy years of age, concerning incl.
dents and transactions fften or twepty
years ago. J :
Instead OF letting these trivial mat
. ters pass as would have been ordinar-
tly done in dealings among gentlemen,
the Comptroller OF Currency made
mountains out Of molehills, and wrote
abusive communications to the bank.
In one instance, when Mr. Glover
voluntarily communicated with the
Treasury official. acknowledging a dis
crepancy OF statement. the latter wrote
back and frankly informed Mr.. Glover
that he had told a lie.
THE Comptroller used liar, perjurer
and other similar eplthets in his offi-
ctal correspondence with the bank offi-
cial. There are people In official places
face which they would not dare tt
make in public"
Mr.. stanchfield then read excerpt,
from letters to the bank from the
Comptroller complaining of the number
OF woman patrons OF the institution
who were on the banks books as 'hav-
ing borrowed large amounts.
Il see no reason why. in this age
women should not be permitted TO nego.
tiate loans as well as men," declared
counsel for the defense.
Mr.. stanchfeld then dwelt on the fact
that 149 women have loans from the
Riggs National Bank, aggregating 81,
oO0.00. He declared that these loans
were amply secured.
Stock As Assets.
The attorney for the defense then ex.
planned the acauition Of the American
Telephone and Telegraph stock by tn,
Riggs National Bank as one of the as
sets OF the old firm of Riggs & Co.
before the latter was merged into. tn,
shares Of the stock on hand was SOLD
TO Lewis. johnson q Co. In 1912. anc
said that no officer OF the hank coult
recall the circumstances surrounding tn,
sale of the stock. .r
"when the affidavit on which tRil
trial is based and Of which shall speal
later. was filed neither officers or tn,
attorneys for the bank remembers,
Stanchfeld.
''Mr. Glover wrote a letter to tn,
Comptroller Of the Currency shortl,
after this transaction was brought Il
light by the latter. which blythe way
was several years later, and, in ex
planning, told of the commissions ae
count kept at the Riggs Bank ant
of the subsequent change of that ac
count to the account of Glover anC