Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-19
of
.BankCrash
Investigated
State Starts Sweeping Probe
Following Finding Letters
In Octavia Bank-Others
May Be Arrested.
Forgery Warrant Issued

Lincoln, aug. lo.-t tSPclidI'J ~
warrant issued today at David City
for the arrest of E. A Rusher, miss
ing cashier OF the Octavia State
bank, does not end the activities or
Attorney General Clarence A Davis
in the investigation OF the manipula-
ton in that bank which has caused
loss OF from 100000 TO 100000.
Around the disappearance OF Rush
or. and in a fgarewell letter written
by him to his wife, is mystery
which will result in an investigation
extending perhaps for weeks. The
paragraph in the letter which has
started the probe reads:
"Will Hahn has ruined us all.
am leaving as | can't stand the pres
sure"
Will Hahn is a brother-in-law OF
Rusher and probably was the banks
biggest customer. Records IN the
bank showed that as cattle dealer
Hahn checked out thousands and
thousands OF dollars
Hahn Is Questioned.
Davis and Gus Hyers. state sheriff,
spent two hours last Sunday inter-
rogating Hahn. The latter continu-
ally maintained that he knew abso-
lutely nothing about certain transac-
tions on the part of Rusher and the
placing of thousands of dollars to
! his credit on the banks books by
Rusher.
But that sentence written by Rush
er in Omaha just before he disap-
peared from his invalid wife and
family and the further charge made
shortly after the banks failure and
Rusher's disappearance by J. r.
Hart, secretary OF the department
OF trade and commerce, that part OF
the difficulty in the bank was the
attempt Of Rusher to keep Will Hahn
on his feet" has caused Davis to
send: Assistant Attorney General ].
B. Chase to Octavia and David City
with instructions to get at the bot
tom" of the whole business.
When Chase left for David City
today he was armed with warrant
calling for the arrest of Rushcr
charging him with seven differen:
forgeries, amounting to S,473.2o.
/ Sympathy for Father.
The pitiful condition OF George
Hahn, founder of the bank, father
OF Will Hahn and father-in-law OF
Rusher, is exciting ndch synipa-
thy at Octavia, according to state
officers. Hahn was in Florida last
winter and, according to informa-
ton in the hands of state officers
hurried back to Octavia upon receipt
OF urgent kilograms from his rela-
tives and upon his arrival was oblig
ed to put up $4,000 to keep Hahr
and Rusher out OF trouble. Ac,
cording to officers Will Hahn al
the present time is in debt more
than $4,000 to his father.
At the same time Chase released
new and interesting facts discov-
cred by Bank Examiner Brock in his
probe of Rusher's affairs.
Brock discovered note in the
vault written by Rusher which
read:
"Forgeries have a cross mark in
the lower left-hand corner of the
notes
! And, sure enough, in the lower
left-hand corner OF the seven notes
was this cross mark.
There was another note of a per.
sonal nature written by Rusher to
his wife which was found IN the
vault
Feared Next Life.
From the contents OF this note i
was apparent that Rusher was in {
morbid mood as he sat in the bans
that night before he left for Omaha
about to sneak out of the town il
which he had virtually been king
for years TO become an outlaw at the
age of 81.
In the note he limited at suicide.
admitted his failure to make good in
this life and forecasted much diff
Guilty in getting by" in the next lie
because OF his conduct here.
The forged notes do not represent
the total shortages in the bank. The
books, now in the hands Of state OF
ficers, show where accounts OF Gus
TONERS have been juggled to the tune
of thousands of dollars. The notes
and the amounts, which the state
claims are forgeries, follow:
c. E. and A. J. Knepper, $4,000;
| J. H. Rutt, $l,0l594; A. +. Pospichal.
$30o.61; c. T. Abishire, $500; Edward
Dostal. $3.50; Peter Hockstra,
$4,000; James Volorie, $5S5.