The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1924-11-19
F. w. SomerfeIdt Found
Working Near Window
Continued from first page,

lis stunned by the revelations In the
bank, Sommerfeld's long record as a
highly regarded citizen and friendly
counsellor, as treasurer of the village
and of the school board, hasn't been
forgotten by the townspeople. Many
of them are inclined to accept as SUI
ficient his explanation that he took
some of the funds intrusted to him
years ago ito avoid criticism for had
Judgment" in making loans. He
might never have been in Jail, in
vestigators said, had he not continu-
ally worked for better schools in the
village which trusted him.
The measure of Sommerfeld's es
TEEN in Echo is reflected in the fact
that last night some of the citizens
who knew him for years were circu-
lating petition asking clen1ency for
him.
! Meanwhile, Sommerfeld is in the
Jail at Granite Falls, refusing to talk
| beyond his first conference with C.
D. Griffith, 4400 Dupont avenue S.,
| Minneapolis, president of the bank.
No one from Echo has been to see
him, although 800 citizens of the place
have signed the petition in his behalf.
The list of signers includes depositors
and stockholders of the bank.
"He loaned money on bad notes, to
friends at first" George H. Sivwright,
deputy state bank superintendent,
said last night. ''Then, to avoid
criticism of his bad judgment, he took
money from the school fund to make
up the bad notes, and put in bad notes
IN place of them. That started him."
Examiners reported long series
of Irregularities occurring all through
the years when Sommerfeld was the
most respected citizen of the village.
Misuse OF school and village funds
was the first step, they said; then
followed forging of mortgages, with
names of Sommerfeld's best friends,
to cover the shortages.
At the last, examiners said they
would testify, when Sommerfeld's
work for new school bore fruit and
the village negab to draw on it's school
funds three years ago, Sommerfeld
took funds of the bank to cover his
speculations from the school fund.
A bank examiner finally discovered
the $4,000 shortage month ago.
The Sommerfeld home, in Echo, is
his no longer. He has turned it over
to the bank, together with 81 shares
of the banks stock which he owned.
His sons, Hugo and Walter Sommer-
field, still are working in the bank;
his wife and his three other children
still live in the SommerfeId home,
but none Of his property is in their
names any longer
He's just poor, broken old man."
said Sheriff Ole Peterson of Window,
who, with Sheriff M. F. Fritzner of
Granite Falls, arrested Mr.. Sommer-
feid. And when we found him shiv-
erlng,. up on the wagon he was driv-
ing, he. said, I'm glad you came.
I'm sick of being down and out
Four weeks of investigation, started
by state bank examiners, and carried
on by an auditor employed by MIR.
Griffith, shows a tangle of accounts
extending over Is years, Mr. Griffith
said.
"F1fteen years ago, the first money
was TAKEN" Mr. Griffith said. "More
was taken. That was from funds of
the school board and the village, kept
in our bank.
mo money was taken from the
bank, then, so far as we can learn.
But three years ago the school board
began to draw heavily on it's funds
Mr.. Sommerfeld, as treasurer of
the school board, was a leader in work
for Echo's new school. That work
led to his ruin. A month ago the bank
examiner found shortages, which he
attributed to the withdrawal of mon
ey to cover the amount previously
taken from the school and village
funds. The total, Mr.. Griffith said,
may run well in exness of $4,000.
I'VE always thought ne was tight
er than a drum" Mr.. Griffith said.
And he got $2,250 a year-which
is mighty good pay for country
banker
give known him for Is years." J.
H. Homme, miller at Echo, said last
night. "Folks used to go to him and
ask him to help them with legal pa
pers. He was always glad to help.
So now we've got out a petition. !
signed it, and so did lot of the bank
stockholders. He's an old man-and
we pity him."
eve found him driving this team,
out with the road gang; he was half
sick, cold and ragged" Sheriff Peter
son said. "He got the job few days
before. Just told the foreman, Give
me anything you think is right. I've
got to have a job"