The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1922-05-10
OFFICERS LEARN
MAN RESEMBLING
DENNIS WATCHED
Arrest Of Former Bank Commissioner
Not Unexpected; Detectives Have
Man In New Orleans
Shadowed.
FURTHER INFORMATION
ASKED REGARDING MAN
State officers Learn Suspect Tried
to Ship on Steamer for un.
named Port; Leaves State
Under Fire.

Oklahoma City. May iO.-Arrest OF
Fred Dennis. missing former okla
homa bank commissioner. for whom
altlonwlde search has been under
way since February. Is expected. ac-
cording to reports received In this
city today.
Dennis, who Is under indictment
with Governor ]. II. A. Robertson
on n charge OF accepting bribe In
connection with the failure OF the
Bank of Commerce at Okmulgee.
was reported TO have been located
in a southern city and that his ar
rest is expected before night. 30
II was learned here today from a
leading banker that word had been
received from New Orleans that
man answering every description of
Dennis was located in that city.
. Reports Are Conflicting.
Later reports indicated that the
man had left that city for another
southern point. Information from
New Orleans indicated that the man
under surveillance, believed to be
Dennis, was seeking passage on an
outgoing ship for port unnamed.
Upon request of detectives in New
Orleans further information was
sent relative to Dennis today.
Dennis left Oklahoma City Feb. 0,
the day he resigned. lie turned his
resignation over to Governor Robert.
son on the eve of the governors
departure for Mexico on tour to
study economic conditions In the
southern country.
On the day Dennis resigned, Judge |
II. II. Christopher, Okmulgee, dis.
missed the first Okmulgee grand
jury called to probe the failure of
the Okmulgee Bank of Commerce
and created an unprecedented court |
scene. Dennis was under fire of |
this first grand jury, according to
report of the foreman and County
Attorney James Hepburn, following
the jury's dismissal.
Disposed of Property.
When Dennis resigned, he did not
return to his office at the state
house. He remained in seclusion,
disposed of all his property in Okla
homa and left the state.
Dennis had been bank commits
sioner since the beginning of the
Robertson administration and despite
many attacks on his handling of the
department he received endorse
ment of the State Bankers Associ-
alton for two and one-half years.
The first serious attack on Den
mis- came following the failure of
Citizens State Bank at Coalgate in
1920. County Attorney Holland of
Coal county brought criminal charges
against Dennis in connection with
the failure. The case was quashed
by demurrer in the court of Judge
ID. A. Linebaugh at Atoka and now
is in the criminal court of appeals
for final disposition.
Recommendation Fail.
The probe committee of the house
of representatives In 1921 brought
charges against Dennis in connec-
ton with the Coalgate case and
also the Okmulgee case which has
lately resulted in the bribe case.
The house recommended Dennis
discharge and also the impeachment
of Governor Robertson but both
recommendations fell before vote
of the house in the opening session.
Since Dennis departure he has
been variously reported in Battle
Creek, Mich, in Georgetown, KY,
Bermuda Islands, and Hot Springs,
Ark All tips, however, proved
groundless.
Dennis left here reported to be
suffering from cancer of the
stomach and was at one time re-
ported to be near death. 4.