First National Bank (Hartford, CT)

View Charter #121 on SPMC View balance sheet

Episode Information

Episode UID
12101498
Episode Type
Suspension → Closure
Bank Type
national
Bank ID
1210 national
Charter Number
121
Start Date
October 1, 1924*
Location
Hartford, Connecticut (41.764, -72.685)

Metadata

Model
gpt-5-mini (chosen from majority vote of a three-model LLM ensemble)
Short Digest
b7152553f1df438b

Response Measures

None

Description

Failure tied to cashier/treasurer embezzlement and defalcations; receiver active by Oct 1925.

Events (4)
1. January 28, 1864 Chartered
Source
historical_nic
2. October 1, 1924* Suspension
Cause
Bank Specific Adverse Info
Cause Details
Embezzlement/defalcations by cashier Harold Gilpatric/Baker and missing trust funds (~$125,000+).
Newspaper Excerpt
Baker resigned cashier the First Bank of October 1924...the wrecking of the bank.
Source
newspapers
3. October 23, 1925 Receivership
Newspaper Excerpt
BANK RECEIVER DEMANDS DIRECTORS MAKE GOOD...demand has been made upon directors of the First National Bank...to $125,000 to the receiver, George Coffin, to cover four bad [loans] and defalcations.
Source
newspapers
4. January 2, 1926 Other
Newspaper Excerpt
former assistant of the First National Bank...confessed the theft $16,000...explained his confession was for the purpose assuming his share the responsibility wrecking of the bank.
Source
newspapers

Newspaper Articles (2)
1. October 23, 1925 Evening Courier Camden, NJ
Article from Evening Courier, October 23, 1925

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Article Text

BANK RECEIVER DEMANDS DIRECTORS MAKE GOOD Hartford, Oct. m has been made upon directors of the First National Bank of to $125,000 to the receiver, George Coffin, to cover four bad made Harold Gilpatric as cashier of the bank his defalcations. who also was State Treasurer, is in Atlanta PeniFollowing of the wrecked bank that rac which Gilpatric had misapto the doors the State John Trumbull has the present State Treasurer permit the auditors to examine the Treasury records.

2. January 3, 1926 The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, PA
Article from The Philadelphia Inquirer, January 3, 1926

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Article Text

CONSCIENCE FORCES BANKER TO CONFESS Ex-Aide to Gilpatric, Ex-Connecticut Treasurer, Admits $16,000 Theft His Former Chief Now in Prison; Says He's "Been Through Hell" HARTFORD, Conn., Jan. 2 (A. P.). former assistant of the First National Bank which former State Treasurer Harold walked of United States District Attorney Bucktoday confessed the theft $16,000 the fund the bank. submitted explained his confession was for the purpose assuming his share the responsibility wrecking of the bank. whose of funds of the closed the and out trust funds. is sentence Atlanta. He was Christmas Baker outlined to Assistant United States George H. Cohen, the he an sistant Harold the Baker has been in Florida. Baker resigned cashier the First Bank of October 1924. after he assisted National Bank the to check Funds could not be found attempted suicide at his Putnam home year ago last August, more than quarter of million dollars still missing. Baker said he had confessed because had stricken. and that several times he has suicide. declared that he had "been through