San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-08-23

The Kansas City financier, accord
ing TO DIR. G. Wilse Robinson, noted
alienist. made every effort to recover
his health after going to bed i'll after
discovery of his defalcations.
Yet within his own mind and
against his own wishes, an ll-power-
full force drove him slowly hut steal
lily and surely to the grave after eight
months of involuntary starvation.
And to the grave he carried the
secret of what he had done with
the money he had stolen from de-
positors and shareholders of Ills
bank.
GRADUALLY WORSE.
During those eight months of con
tlict within his own mind and body
the defaulter never lost hope he would
become able TO assimilate and digest
food, get back on his feet physically
and help untangle the mess into
which had been poured the hundreds
of thousands of dollars of the man
who admired and loved him.
Yet day by day the subconscious
force in his brain telegraphed through
his nervous system the thought that he
was ruined man, criminal prison
bound and failure in a career that
had appeared so bright.
And those messages, according to
scientists, took precedence over 9th
ers his mind framed TO the effect he
must get well and straighten out
things.
The subconscious messages to the
nerve centers said:
you have betrayed your family,
your trusting friends and your fellow
citizens-you must serve time in prs.
on and you must come down from a
pedestal from which you was about to
be elected mayor of your home city
and advanced society and politically"
And that was a death message,
psychologists and alicnists agree.
NO mans body can flourish when
his mind daily and hourly tells his
physical being that all is lost" said
DIR. Max Meyer, head of the de-
partmcnt of psychology of the UNI
vcrsity Of Missouri.
And as result, the Kansas City
banker killed himself against his
own wishes. For eight months his
organs refused to carry out their
part of life giving operations and
his weight shrunk from 800 pounds
TO bare 100 before death came.
EYES GREW DIM.
Eyes that had flashed with the
fire of business conquest and political
asccndancy. grew dim and hollow.
Hands that had scored high at
golf, guided spirited horses and
speedy motor cars and had swept
the pen across papers that involved
millions in business transactions,
grew palsied and withered.
In vain, the banker, in the prime
of life at the age of thirty-nine,
struggled to throw off the icy death
grip of his own conscience. Futile
were his often repeated words:
Il will live-I will live"
Joseph r. Cant had made the rapid
climb of brilliant poor youth in
Kansas City's financial circles. He
he'd built up a suburban bank to the
point where il maintained a down
town office. with business operations
that rivaled those Of the city's largest
institutions.
He could walk into any bank and
borrow 100000 on his note.
BIG FUTURE AHEAD.
he was a member of half dozen
Of the city's leading clubs, a mem
Der of the city's park board, one
of the city's United CounselOrs, a
director of the Chamber of Commerce,
a deputy police commissioner, and one
Of the 10 elective frechoIders who
wrote Kansas City's recently adopted
charter.
He often had been mentioned for
mayor with the governors chair and
possibly the United States Senate
looming ahead.
And then a state bank examiner
drifted into the Centropolis bank.
Giants institution, and began formal
ties Of making an examination.
Il know no one would question
the methods Of your bank. joe" said
W. T.. Todd, deputy state finance COM
missioner. Its a mere formality,
you know"
Joe Cant smiled acquiescence.
But I'm i'll and You'll have TO wait
day or two before / can help you
much" said the banker to the exam
liner.
That was November II, 1924.
The banker went to his recently
completed luxuriant home and went
to bed.
The finance commissioner waited
three days and then called at the home
TO ask a few questions.
who we're the signers of some of
the large notes in the Cant bank"
he asked.
But Mrs. Mildred Cant, wife Of the
banker, said her husband could not
be disturbed.
His condition had grown worse, she
said, and DIR. Wailse Robinson, lead.
ing Kansas City nerve specialist, said
peculiar features Of his illness made
It imperative that all business matters
be kept from him.
The finance commissioner went back
TO the Centropolis Bank, closed the
doors and posted a notice TO deposit
tors that the bank was in the hands
Of the state.
Rusiupsg mon ouA dcnositors in a