The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1917-01-24
COOK TELLS STORY
Of THIRD NATIONAL

>
Cook, OH trial in United States
court here under thirteen inGl,t-
ments charging him with violat-
ing the national banking laws,
was placed on the stand in his
own defense this morning. Cook
recounted the entire history of
his connection with the bird
National Bank, OF Fitzgerald,
and the promotions he received
and troubles he had as an officer
of the bank.
Cook said he went to Fitzger-
aid i'll 1902 and organized the
Third National Bank in. 1907, the
bank opening i'll January, 1908.
He took the position OF vice-pres-
ident, this being his first expert
ence in the banking business. The
cashier quit in 1910 and he took
charge of the bank at the request
of the president. The bank was
carrying between $4,000 and
$4,000 in past due papers at that
time.
Cook said that the president
became unreasonable during 1911
when he refused to take any more
of the presidents relatives into
the bank as employees, and be-
cause he loaned money to com
petition of the presidents hard
ware business. The president
| told him that he was dissatisfied
with the condition of the bank,
and an auditor was engaged. The
| president was still dissatisfied.
| When the bank examiner came
Ground, he told the president THAI
| re would close the business un-
less Cook got out. This was II
! December, 1911.
At the stockholders meeting in
January, 1912, it was put up to
| the directors to retire Cook or the
president, and Cook was retain
| I'd. The president is said to have
advised all shareholders to sell
their stock. Cook told the share
holders if they would leave their
stock at the bank it would be tax
en- care of. In this way be bought
and sold between $50 and 200
shares of stock for the bank. He
says he did this to save the bank.
Cook said that when the exam
| iner, who had threatened to close
the bank unless he got out, re-
turned and found him in the bank
the threat to close the institution
was renewed, but was not carried
out The bank was not closed I'm
til three years later.
Grand Jurors on Stand
S. r. de Jarnette, foreman, and
T. w. Ventulett, a member of the
grand jury February, 1916, which
returned a mo bill' in the Cook
matter, were placed on the stand
this morning before Cook went on
the stand. They were put up for
the purpose of inpeaching the
; testimony made during the trial
by the bank directors.
Mr.. Ventulett recalled that the
directors testified that they had
knowledge of the stock transact
ions. Both witnesses stated that
the directors were reluctant about
testifying, seeming to have fear
that they might be involved. The
stock transactions under question
were the purchases of stock
which Cook claims to have made
for the bank.
!. w. Yates, formerly assistant
cashier and bookkeeper in the
bank, was the first witness placed
: on the stand today. He testified
as to mortgage which Cook had
given to secure his personal liabi-
Ilities to the ban|.
Tuesdays Evidence
The cross examination of An
sci B. Cook, on trial in United
States court charged with violat-
ing the national banking laws
while he was connected with the
Third National Bank of Fitzger-
aid, was resumed when court
convened this CTuesday) morn
=" ling.
Assistant District Attorney
}, Wallace Miller went over alnost
o the same ground as in the cross
: examination yesterday, seeking
1 to make Cook show each and ev
cry transaction in stock and t
what purpose the money was de
:, voted. The original fifty shares
! purchased by Cook seemed to b.
{ the bone of contention with tn
! prosecution and this was re
; peatedly referred to.