The Bowbells tribune. [volume] (Bowbells, Ward Co., N.D.) 1899-1969, 1919-10-17
LANCER MEN take
AWAY BANK FILES

L IL VI oudy IudL tAC C2OS1uk u tAV
S~andinavian-American bank was 4
pre-arranged plot to wreck this IA
stitution, when P E. Halldorsca.
former so-called receiver, admitted
in writing over his own signature
that files and records were extract
cd from the bank by Albert y.
Sheets, Jr., Langer's assistant, anA
were carried away without any a.
counting having been mado or any
receipts left with the pank.
TO the request of o. e. LofthuA.
temporarily in charge Of the hank,
for all letters, records, files and ssl-
lateral in the hands of Haudorsoa
and others connected with the olos-
ing, Halldorson sent the following
note:
Can't Give Accounting
Oct. .. 1919.
o. E. Lofthus, State Bank Examia-
er, Fargo, N. D.
Il am unable to identity or in
form you as to the nature or auaa-
tlty OF the files and recorda removed
from the Scandinavian-Ame
bank by Albert E. Sheets, Jr., az
slstant attorney, general, during Ne
time l assumed charge thereof.
"P. E. Halldorson,
deputy State Bank Examiner"
Following this disclosure. Mr.. L0f-
thus served notice and demand on
LANCER, Hall, Sheets. and Pollock
q Pollock, local law firm retained bv
LANCER to represent his "receivsr'',
to deliver Immediately to him al
records. files, security and all other
property belonging to the bank, AZ
lawfully removed and retained bV
them. Here is Mr. Lofthus' d.
mand:
Lofthus Serves Notice
ITO William LANCER. attornav
general; Thomas Hall, secretary Of
state; Albert E. Sheets, assistant st-
torney general, and Pollock & Pei
lock, attorneys at law:
you, and each of you are here
b. notified and required to immeA-
lately deliver to the eundersignsA.
all records, files, securities and aai
other property be1onging to the
Observation-Disclosures Bank, IA
lawfully removed and retained bI
you.
20. E. Lofthus,
estate Bank Examiner"
Dated this 9th dav of Octobse.
1919"
1t developed yesterday that dur
ing the time Halldorson was In
charge Of the bank, Sheets and his
assistants had removed large num-
Der OF letters, files and records OF
the bank without the knowledge Of
Halldorson. Halldorson, was In
charge Of the institution for the
creditors and the banking board and
responsible for the property, but u
transpircd yesterday that Sheets aaA
others had taken valuables from the
institution without informing hin
of the what, why or wherefore.
According to HalldOrson's sig1aA
statement, he was unable to identity
these documents. He holds no re-
ceipts for the removed files aaA
records according to his own e.
mission.
Langer Gets Scared
Sheriff Welch of Burleigh sountv
served notice on LANCER and HaA
Friday to return such letters. files
and records as they had in their
possession in accordance with the or
der of the supreme court. Nothing
was done that day to fulfill this or
der, but late Saturday, no doubt In
fear of contempt proceedings Laa-
ger sent a quantity of papers and
records to the officials in possessioa
o the bank in Fargo. These were
returned to LANCER with the state
ment that they would not bs a.
cepted until accompanied BY a
ltemlzed list and a signed ana sworn
statement by Langer"that these were
all the papers and records he. his
assistants and his attorneys had re-
ceived from the bank.
- Collateral Unchecked
A new sensation developed Satur-
day when P. E. Halldorson refused
to check out the banks collatsrsa
entrusted to his care.
Pressed for a reason for his re-
fusal by Bank Examiner o. r. Lof-
thus, Halldorson admitted that ho
did not want to check out because
ne did not know what collatorGl
there was on hand when he took
charge of the bank, did not know
what might have been taken out h
Assistant General Sheets or repre-
sentatives of the law firm OF POLLOCK
& Pollock. and consequently had aao
idea Of what collate-n1 there was In
the bank when his six-day period sk
responsibility was ended by action sf
the supreme court. +
Halldorson was asked by Mr.. Loft
thus to put his statement in WRIT
ing. He declined to do So Z:
Witnesses Are Enough
'tYou have witnesses to what Z.
have told. you," he said. "You Saa
call them before the court IL neso0-'
sary.'' .> Il
On account of the former reeefv-
er's refusal to check out on collatar-
al. Mr.. Lofthus called upon the a.
ectors Of the bank to name . re-.
iresentative from their number 70
check over with him all colrateril
that can now be found. The dir
ectors chose Spurgeon O>Dell. \ NJ
aminer Lofthus has engaged Nyroa;
w. Thatcher Of the Equitable Audft
bureau, Minneapolis, to act Wiz
him in checking the collateral, u