Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-01-08

allowed to pass given points with
however. The prisoners were all in
dicted for murder by the Grand Jury
and a special trial was ordered for
November IL. The town still re-
manned guarded by the troops The
trial dragged out eight days. In his
charge Judge Parker apparently left
no escape for the prisoners. one of
them, in fact, had confessed that
they had committed the murder.
The jury was out two days and to
the amazement of all returned a
verdict of not guilty for all the
prisoners. The whole cost of the
war to the state was $11 ,O2o.7S.
The population of the town at this
time was 1905 people.
Early Augusta Banks
Before the year 1904 the Wiscasset
banks took care of all this portion
of the Kennebec Valley but on
March of that year the Augusta
and Hallowell bank was Incorporate
ed. 1t was intended to benefit both
towns and also the surrounding
country. The charter located the
bank at Hallowell but at the first
meeting there was a sharp contest
for the organization and Augusta
prevailed. James Bridge was elect
ed president but served a very short
time. John o. Page was the second
president and served during the ex-
istence of the bank. During the
hard times preceding the war of
1872 the bank failed with a large
amount in circulation. An effort
was made to hold the stockholders
responsible and many suits We're
brought for the purpose but the
books of the bank disappeared and
it was impossible without them to
find out where the stock was held.
jeremiah Dummer was the first and
only cashier.
The Kennebec Bank was incor-
porated June %, 1872. Its incorpo-
rators were John Chandler, Benja-
min Dearborn, DR.. Ariel Mann, Ehen
r. Warren and Joshua Gage. Mr..
Warren was the first and only presf-
dent and John Chandler was the first
cashier, being followed by Jesse
Robinson. The banking room was
located in the basement of a brick
dwelling then standing in the south
west corner of the present court
house yard. Here the business was
transacted until 1916 when the bank
was moved to Hallowell, where it
failed May 1, 1896, 90 years ago.
The Augusta Bank was chartered
January u, 1914. the first directors
being James Bridge. Daniel Cony,
John Davis, Benjamin Brown, Jr.,
John Eveleth, Samuel Wood and
Thomas w. Smith. The capital
stock was 100000 James Bridge,
the first president was succeeded by
Daniel Williams in 1884, Thomas
Smith in 1S41 and Samuel Cony In
1850. The bank surrendered it's
charter in 1864. It's location was in
a building where the former Cony
House stood, now occupied by r. W..
Soule Emporium. In 1S4S it was
robbed of $40, 500 by Edward Win
gate, aged Is, and his brother Fred
erick, aged %, of Charlestown, Mass.
The robbers hid the money under
the floor directly beneath the Speak
er's desk in the Hall of Representa-
tives in the State House. The pub
lie and accessible place in which the
money was secreted made it all the
more secure. 1t was recovered only
when a confession was wrung from
the younger of the two Wingates.
After sentence, Edward Wingate was
let out of Jail and escaped punish
ment. His brother Frederick, was
arrested and brought to Augusta for
trial, convicted and sent to the State
prison, where he subsequently
knocked down a guard one day and
made his escape and was never
heard from afterward.
The Citizens Bank was chartered
January 20, 1888, with a capital stock
of 100000, John Dole being its first
president, followed by Reuel Will
liams, the cashier being Asa Reding-
ton. In 1871 the stock of the bank
was sold to parties who proposed to
operate it in the West, but the same
year the affairs of the bank were
wound up in the hands of the re-
ceivers.
The Freeman's Bank was chart
cred March 2. 1888. with a capital
stock of $500 and subsequently in
creased to 100000. Ber jamin Davis
was the first president and Harlow
Spaulding the first cashier. The
bank reorganized as the Freeman's