Farmers & Merchants State Bank (Lakota, ND)

Episode Information

Episode UID
77010771554
Episode Type
Suspension → Closure
Bank Type
state
Bank ID
7701077 routing
Routing Number
77-0107
Start Date
June 5, 1929
Location
Lakota, North Dakota (48.043, -98.336)

Metadata

Model
gpt-5-mini (chosen from majority vote of a three-model LLM ensemble)
Short Digest
728b5044c24073e5

Response Measures

None

Description

Articles describe the bank as already closed (June 5, 1929) and prosecutors allege fraudulent bookkeeping.

Events (2)
1. June 5, 1929 Receivership
Newspaper Excerpt
Ed representative state bank receiver's office testified regarding the bank's ... (state bank receiver's office involved)
Source
newspapers
2. June 5, 1929 Suspension
Cause
Bank Specific Adverse Info
Cause Details
State alleged bank carried much worthless paper, dummy notes, false entries and improper withdrawals to run bank-owned farms.
Newspaper Excerpt
the Farmers and Merchants State bank previous to its closing June 5, 1929
Source
newspapers

Newspaper Articles (4)
1. April 12, 1931 Grand Forks Herald Grand Forks, ND

Article Text

STATE SAYS BANK PAPER WORTHLESS Hearing for Three Former Lakota Men to Be Resumed Monday. Lakota. April Testimony was introduced today in the hearing of James D. Grenna of Carl W. Lewis of Fargo and Ralph Chisholm of Willmar Minn., which the state claims show ed much worthless paper was car ried by the Farmers and Merchants State bank previous to its closing June 5, 1929 This afternoon W. C. Hagler of Lakota testified as to real estate dealings with the bank and Ed Lowen, representative of the state bank office. told of condition of the bank's loans and discounts department. Through testimony given by C. F. Ferris, former assistant cashier of the bank. the state endeavored to show that the bank's reserve for four months previous to closing was from $12,000 to $18,000 less than the amount set by law. Testimony also was offered in an ef fort to show that much of the real estate paper in the bank was held longer than the five year limit allowed by law.

2. April 12, 1931 The Forum Fargo, ND

Article Text

Worthless Paper Held By Bank, State Claims Lakota, N. D., April Witnesses on the stand today in the hearing of James D. Gronna, Carl W. Lewis and Ralph Chisholm gave testimony the state cated Farmers and chants State bank carried able paper. The three men are former officers of the charges of improper handling of the bank's W. Hagler, was tioned by counsel for regard dealings with the bank, Ed representative state bank receiver's office, testified regarding the bank's and The continued until testimony would continue throughout the

3. January 6, 1932 The Bismarck Tribune Bismarck, Mandan, ND
Article from The Bismarck Tribune, January 6, 1932

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Article Text

# SELECT JURY TO # TRY LAKOTA MEN Three Women on Cass Panel in Case of Chisholm, Lewis and Gronna Fargo, N. D., Jan. 6.-(AP)-Three Fargo women are on the jury which will try R. C. Chisholm, C. W. Lewis and James D. Gronna, officers of the closed Farmers and Merchants State bank of Lakota, on charges of making false entries in a report submitted the state banking department. The jury was completed Tuesday after a full day had been devoted to examination of prospective jurors. Both sides used the entire 10 preemptory challenges allowed by law bringing the total number drawn for jury duty on the case to 32. Members of the jury are E. G. Linke, Leonard: Joe Eischelberger, Arthur; N. E. Skunes, Grandin; Dewey Grieve, Buffalo; S. P. Harmon, Amenia; Arthur Zaeske, Leonard; Mrs. Frank Peterson, Mrs. Albert Gerloch, Mrs. Clara D. Knight, W. J. Sheehan, John Seime and Earl Urick, all of Fargo. Taking of testimony will begin today. Judge Fred Jansonius of Bismarck is presiding. George Bangs, Grand Forks, is assisting E. C. Boostrom, Nelson county state's attorney, in the prosecution. Clyde Duffy, Devils Lake, and William Langer, Bismarck, represent Chisholm and Gronna. Francis Murphy, Fargo, represents Lewis. In his opening statement to the jury, Bangs declared the state will show several thousand dollars worth of "dummy" notes and $5,800 worth of notes which the bank owed itself were included in the loans and discounts reported by the bank officials to the state banking department. He said, the state will show, that, on many occasions, officials drew from the bank funds with which to run farms owned by the bank and placed "dummy" notes for the amount in the bank in the place of the cash which was withdrawn. The state also will show, Bangs said, a false statement was made in regard to $5,800 worth of real estate listed as an asset in the report to the state department.

4. January 7, 1932 The Daily Plainsman Huron, SD

Article Text

Claim Irregularities In Accounts Of Bank FARGO, N. D., Jan. 7.-(P)-Testimony intended to show that money was taken from the Farmers and Merchants State Bank at Lakota to run the bank's farms and that "dummy" notes were crried on the records as assets instead of liabilities was introduced in district court here yesterday in the trial of R. C. Chisholm, C. W. Lewis and James D. Gronna, officials of the closed bank. C. F. Ferrix, assistant cashier in 1928. was on the witness stand most of the day.