First National Bank (New York, NY)

Episode Information

Episode UID
826801294
Episode Type
Suspension โ†’ Reopening
Bank Type
national
Bank ID
82680 national
Charter Number
8268
Start Date
October 25, 1907
Location
New York, New York (40.714, -74.006)

Metadata

Model
gemini-3-flash-preview (chosen from majority vote of a three-model LLM ensemble)
Short Digest
d2640e8def16984b

Response Measures

None

Description

The bank suspended during the Panic of 1907 and reopened in February 1908. While some later articles use the word 'failed' or mention a receiver, contemporary reports and retrospective accounts confirm it successfully resumed business.

Events (5)

1. June 16, 1906 Chartered
Source
historical_nic
2. October 25, 1907 Suspension
Cause
Macro News
Cause Details
The bank suspended during the financial panic of 1907, which saw widespread runs and distress among Brooklyn institutions.
Newspaper Excerpt
The following list of directors, as it was at the time of suspension, has never before been made public
Source
newspapers
3. December 11, 1907 Other
Newspaper Excerpt
Jenkins Brothers and Director of Their Trust Company Named. Four more indictments in the Brooklyn bank cases will be handed down
Source
newspapers
4. February 10, 1908 Reopening
Newspaper Excerpt
The comptroller of the currency today granted permission to the First National bank of Brooklyn, N. Y., to resume business on Monday, February 10.
Source
newspapers
5. June 23, 1926 Voluntary Liquidation
Source
historical_nic

Newspaper Articles (10)

Article from New-York Tribune, December 11, 1907

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NO REST FOR BANKERS. FOUR MORE INDICTMENTS. Jenkins Brothers and Director of Their Trust Company Named. Four more indictments in the Brooklyn bank cases will be handed down by the Kings County grand jury this morning Three of them are against John G. Jenkins, jr. Frank Jenkins and Frederiek Jenkins, who are already under indictment for forgery in the third degree The fourth is against a director of the Jenkins Trust Company who has admitted responsibility for certain loans. Stephen Baldwin, counsel for the entire Jenkins family, made arrangements last night to have the three brothers in court this morning, to be arraigned before the county judge and released on bail. It is also understood that John G. Jenkins. sr., expects to be in court. No attempt will be made to arrest any of the Jenkinses or to take their pictures at police headquarters. Indictments in the Brooklyn Bank and perhaps another in the Borough Bank case will not be handed down until next week. Although not a word has been made public regarding the affairs of the First National Bank, of Brooklyn, of which John G. Jenkins, sr., is prestdent, it was learned last night that the directorate, which was depleted by the resignation of almost the entire board last May, was filled up by members of that family, so that since then it has been practically a Jenkins institution throughout. has Under its charter the First National Bank nine directors. On May 17 of this year, when the row occurred in the board, the directors were John G. Jenkins, sr., president; Frank Jenkins, John J. Cooney, Marshall S. Driggs, Joseph Huber Moses May, Mortimer L Reynolds, John W. Weber and Theodore F. Jackson. Six of the directors retired as a result of the trouble and members of the Jenkins family were chosen to take their places in all except one case. The following list of directors, as it was at the time of suspension, has never before been made public and will be a surprise to many: John G. Jenkins, sr., father; John T. G. Jenkins, jr., son; Frank Jenkins, son: Edward Jenkins, son; Frederick Jenkins, son: Wilson W Jenkins, son; Fenwick B. Small, son-in-law; S. H. Coombs, personal counsel, and Theodore F. Jackson. The elder Mr. Jenkins, who is said to be the oldest banker in the state, was restive under the old board. As the present board is composed of bers of his family almost entirely, he doubtless memhad little trouble in handling things sired from June as he deIt until the day the bank suspended. seems that prior to the famous meeting of May the 17 several of the directors had objected bonds character of some of the stocks and to owned by the institution, and had voted to have special committee examine and report on the sets. This committee, consisting of Moses May and asJohn J. Cooney, made the examination in cashier. morning with the aid of Isaac Hamburger, the the The latter's activity in the affair evidently sembled gered Mr. Jenkins. When the directors were anin the afternoon and the committee asabout to make its report Mr. Jenkins said, brusque- was ly: "Wait a minute now. gentlemen!" Then he ordered a clerk to get him some figures upstairs. When the clerk returned Mr. Jenkins turned to the cashier and said: "I want you to take a month's vacation. The cashier was dumfounded So were many of the directors, who were his friends. They protested they had a right to know, as they were directors "No, you are not!" Mr. Jenkins is alleged to have replied. "You are only a lot of chair warmers." This, of course, greatly angered the directors, and when Mr. Jenkins offered to buy out their stock if they would resign from the board they consented. At a meeting held within a week, Mr Cooney, Mr. Driggs, Mr. Huber, Mr. May and Mr. Reynolds resigned one after the other, and the Jenkins directors were elected. Both Mr. Jackson and Mr. Weber were in Europe at the time, but Mr. Weber resigned as soon as he returned, early in August. Mr. Jenkins paid $390 a share for 150 shares belonging to Mr. May, ten shares of Mr. Cooney's and twelve shares belonging to Mr. Reynolds. He refused to buy 220 shares held by the Williamsburg Fire Insurance Company. of which Mr. Driggs IS president, and also refused to buy twenty shares held by Mr. Reynolds. It is said that Mr. Jenkins now owns or controls 1,700 of the 3,000 shares of the bank. At that time the First National Bank had deposits amounting to $5,700,000. When the directors retired they took out deposits aggregating some $2,000,000. At the time of suspension the deposits were only $3,500,000 in round figures. On that showing the bank was clearing for the Williamsburg Trust Company, with deposits of nearly $8,000,000. and the Jenkins Trust Company. with deposits of about $4,000,000. At a meeting of the depositors of the Brooklyn Bank in Historical Hall last night. C. M. Stafford, counsel for the depositors' committee. admitted that resumption was practically impossible. A resoluasking the Supreme Court to appoint C. M. Hig. gins, one of the large depositors, permanent receiver. was passed. Mr. Higgins consented to serve, if appointed, without compensation. "We demand of the officers and stockholders of the International Trust Company restitution. said Mr. Stafford. "We demand that this company, which played with our securities and our assets for two weeks under a void and illegal merger. return to the receiver of the Brooklyn Bank the $244,000 in securities and over $72,000 in cash. We want to cut loose absolutely and forever from the International Trust Company, its officers and directors." David Bandler, associated with Mr. Stafford, said that from what he could learn the $1,000,000 capital stock and surplus of the International Trust Com. pany was tied up as follows: Real estate. $257,000; Brooklyn Bank stock, $182,000, and claim against the Borough Bank, $562,932. Justice Kelly in the Brooklyn Supreme Court yesterday handed down a decision in favor of the Brooklyn Bank against Frank A. Barnaby a real estate dealer, for $13,665 and accrued interest, being the unpaid balance on a note for $68,000 discounted in February. 1894. George W. Adams, cashier of the Oriental Bank, wrote to the receivers of the Borough Bank terday, refusing to return the $250,000 note that yesbeen repudiated by the Borough's directors. also has the $30,000 balance of the Borough Bank held by the Oriental. Mr. Adams said the cash would be held as additional collateral on the the receivers are made permanent they note. will sue If the Oriental both for the money and the note The South Brooklyn Co-operative Building Loan Association put in a preferred and $52,172.57 claim for a deposit in the Borough yesterday National Surety Company also claims preference The for $125,000, on the ground that it is an assigned claim for state money. According to the receivers, Howard C. Pyle, who has been an active figure in the depositors' mittee, has an unsecured note for $12,000 in com- the Borough Bank. His personal deposit is $1,588.40 and the deposit of the firm is $4,159.97 Bank At a metting of the depositors of the Borough yesterday it was unanimously voted to ask Justice Betts at Kingston to-morrow for an tension of a month in the temporary receivership. exIf he does not show a disposition to grant this change of venue may be applied for. Ballots were


Article from Los Angeles Herald, February 5, 1908

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Brooklyn Bank Resumes WASHINGTON, Feb. 4.-The comptroller of the currency today granted permission to the First National bank of Brooklyn, N. Y., to resume business on Monday, February 10. The bank suspended six months ago,


Article from Tonopah Daily Bonanza, February 7, 1908

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SUSPENDED BANK TO REOPEN. WASHINGTON, Feb. 6.- The Controller of the Currency today granted permission to the First National Bank of Brooklyn, N. Y., to resume business on Monday, February 10th. The bank suspended six months ago.


Article from The State Herald, February 14, 1908

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trials the names of ex-Gov. Pennypacker and former Attorney General Carson were brought into the case in sensational some testimony assistant given e by Stanford B. Lewis, to Architect Huston. A young man who formerly worked in the Kansas City street department and in other occupations throughout I the west has fallen heir to an English title and valuable estates by the death of his father, Sir Genile CaveBrowne-Cave. Warrensburg, Mo., voted "dry" recently by a majority of 143 votes. Ten men are dead as the result of e an explosion in a coal mine at Port Hood, Nova Scotia. 3, Charles W. Morse, the multi-mile lionaire who disappeared from New n York recently, has arrived at Liverpool on the liner Campania. n Gov. Hoch has refused to accept the e bond of State Dairy Commissioner Wilson, given by the United States Fidelity and Guaranty company, which is fighting a suit by the state h relating to the First National bank e bond of $250,000. S The act of congress of June 1, 1898, prohibiting railroad companies from t discriminating against members of a labor organizations in the matter of employment has been declared unconstitutional by the United States suI preme court. The Northern Pacific Railroad company has been fined $100 at Helena, Mont., for violating the 16-hour law by compelling a crew to work 23 consecutive hours. The case will be appealed to test the law. I The Santa Fe has annulled ten of its principal local passenger trains in / in earnKansas. Decrease the road's ings is given as the cause. John Mitchell, president of the United Mine Works, declares there is little possibility of labor organizations entering the political field in the coming campaign. The British foreign office officially denies that a squadron of war vessels is to be sent to the Pacific. A receiver has been asked for the National Hollow Brake Beam company of Chicago. The president has nominated George L. Grigsby to be United States attorney for the district of Alaska. The "Hobo" congress at St. Louis has that the adopted government resolutions provide demanding national insurance for citizens against enforced idleness or "involuntary unemployment." Kansas prison twine will be sold this year for 7 1/2 cents a pound in orders for 5,000 pounds or over. has developed in Pennto a statue in sylvania Senator Opposition M. placing S. Quay the rotunda of the late of the new state capitol at Harrisburg. The coldest weather in five years was recently experienced in eastern Pennsylvania and New York. The national convention of the socialist party will be held in Chicago on May 10. A dispatch from the Spanish frontier that a Portugese republic has at and been says proclaimed Oporto has that a provisional government been established in that city. The Indiana republicans have selected their district delegates to the national convention. The delegation will be a unit for Vice President FairI banks. The First National bank of Brook8 , lyn, which suspended several months , ago, has resumed business. Tulsa, Ok., has adopted the comr mission form of municipal government. I e The cruiser South Dakota built at the Union Iron works in California has been placed in commission. e Coal operators in the Oklahoma field e have so far refused to grant an in, crease in wages to miners and unless e such action is taken before April 1 a strike of 10,000 will result. 8 Harry K. Thaw has instructed his 8 counsel that they must take some aca tion at once looking to his release from Matteawan asylum.


Article from The Marion Daily Mirror, November 24, 1908

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Charged with Taking Change. New York, Nov. 24.-John G. Jen. kins, jr., formerly president of the Jenkins Trust Co. of Brooklyn, which failed during the financial panic of 1907, was put on trial in Brooklyn Monday charged with the larceny of $50,000. It is alleged that while president of the trust company he misappropriated $50,000 of its funds by transferring it to the firm of Frank & J. G. Jenkins, jr., of which he was a member. Jenkins is a member of a family of bankers widely known before the financial crash of last year. His father was president of the First National bank of Brooklyn, which went into the hands of a receiver during the panic.


Article from The Bemidji Daily Pioneer, November 24, 1908

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Jenkins is a member of a family of bankers who were well and widely known before the financial crash of last year. His father, who was president of the First National bank of Brooklyn, which went into the hands of a receiver during the panic, died subsequent to that event.


Article from The Evening World, July 6, 1912

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EXTENT OF SUPERVISION OF THE BANKS. Some facts first as to the extent of the supervision of our banking institutions: There are 21,274 State and 7,277 national banks under constant fire of the State and national financial sharpshooters. Seven States, Arizona, Mississippi, New Mexico, Tennessee, Kentucky, Utah and Arkansas, with 4,159 State banks, are as yet outside the breastworks of proper supervision, but the financial institutions of the other forty-one States as well as the national banks in the forty-eight States, are under the constant eye of the 600 bank examiners. If the public imagines that there is going to be a suspension of supervision of banks next Monday and Tuesday it will be disappointed. Less than 20 per cent. of the bank examiners of the country will be able to attend the convention and participate in the discussion of the plan and the working out of the details of the new organization. The other 80 per cent. will be busy all over the country checking up officials of banks and weeding out the dishonest ones. Just who will be able to come and who cannot absent themselves from work will not be definitely known until National Bank Examiner Frank L. Norris of Philadelphia calls the roll next week. Mr. Norris has the hearty COoperation of Supt. George C. Van Tuyl Jr. of the New York State Banking Department, who, assisted by National 1 Bank Examiner Edward F. Roreback of this city, arranged for the meeting. One of the most interesting of the National Bank examiners is J. W. Schofield of Washington, who closed and then reopened the First National Bank of Brooklyn. following Its difficulties in the panic of 1907. Schofield is about sixty years old, and an expert banking authority. When a boy he was an Indian trader on the Santa Fe, and once when he and his partner were taking a wagon of bacon through the Arizona desert. a riffe bullet pierced his hat. He rode on without flinching. his coolness quite disconcerting his hidden assallant. and it goes without saying the foodstuffs in his charge were delivered at their destination. This will illustrate the kind of metal Schofield is made from.


Article from The Washington Times, December 9, 1913

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Currency Bill Speeches Soon To Be Concluded Early conclusion of the set speeches on the currency bill is expected in the Senate and the bill will then be considered paragraph by paragraph. Much informal discussion will arise in that connection, but nothing has developed to indicate the bill will not be passed before Christmas. The feature of the debate yesterday was the attack by Senator Swanson on the banks of New York for their suspension of payments of the money they held belonging to other banks in the 1907 panic. This was resented by Senator O'Gorman in strong language. Senators Root and Weeks also defended the New York banks. Senators Nelson and Weeks, in addition to Senator Swanson, were the chief speakers in the course of the session yesterday afternoon and last night.


Article from The Waterbury Democrat, August 14, 1931

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Worked Twenty Four Years To Save The Honor Of Family Banks of Jenkins Firm MAYOR WALKER in 1907Collapsed Died -Father Son RETURNS MEDAL Started in to Pay Cred= OF DEAD FLYER itors-Last One Satisfied Yesterday - He Von Hunefeld Had Given It Paid Back $1,300,000 to Balchen and Latter and He Didn't Have to Gave It to Mayor-Lat= Do It ter Gives It to Baroness Mineola, L. I., Aug 14-(UP)New York, Aug -,-(UP)-A The prosaic record of a satisfied bronze medal worn by Baron judgment revealed to-day that John G. Jenkins, Jr. member of Ehrenfried Gunther Von Hunefeld a banking family whose banks on his flight across the Atlantic in failed in the panic of 1907, had 1928 has been reutrned to the late assumed $1,300,000 in obligations flyer's mother in Germany by he might have evaded in the bank. ruptcy court, and paid off the last Mayor James J. Walker of New creditor. York. Mayor Walker told of meeting the baroness and of returnring Admiration was expressed by the heirloom to her when he broad. bankers and former depositors in cast a talk to the United States the Jenkins banks at the 24-year by short wave radio last night. fight Jenkins waged to preserve his "You remember the story when family's integrity. In all the time Bernt Balchen and Floyd Bennett Jenkins was earning and saving flew to Greenley Island to bring money for the creditors hel ived relief to Hunefeld, Koehl and Fitzsimply In his home at Sea Cliff. maurice," Walker recalled. "Out using only a small portion of his of appreciation Hunefeld gave incomes for his family's needs. Balchen a medal, an heirloom that When the Jenkins banks-the had been in his family for many First National Bank of Brooklyn. generations. In turn to-day 1 had Williamsburg Trust company, Hillthe great satisfaction of going with side bank of Richmond Hill. Balchen and Koehl to the home of Queens, Jenkins Trust company the haroness. There I experienced Terminal bank and Sea Cliff bank the great delight of presenting to -closed in 1907. depositors first her the medal which her son had refused to believe it. given to Balchen, and which in The senior Jenkins, who with turn Balchen had given me." his sons controlled the institutions, Mayor Walker spoke highly of was regarded as one of the sound. 'the courage, the hope, the deterest bankers in Brooklyn. The crash mination as well as the optimism' created as great a sensation as the with which Germany was facing recent closing of the Bank of the economic crisis. "There may United States. be a depression in Germany but Public resentment flared. The it does not extend to hospitality, officials were indicted. Within a he added. few months the elder Jenkins died of grief over the failure. BIRTH OF A SON. To-day the son. recalling the 24 years following the crash, said: Montreal, Aug 14-(UP)-Lady (Continued on Page 8) Bessborough, wife of the Governor


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A GOOD WAY TO HANDLE THE PROPOSITION When the First National Bank of Brooklyn failed in 1907, owing its depositors $1,200,000, Robert Jenkins, son of the president and 26 years of age, said he would pay off every depositor if they would give him time. Nobody took him seriously, but they gave him plenty of time as there was nothing else to do. Report has come to us today on good authority that the has paid off the last depositor. The family name has been son vindicated. The boy's cherished ambition realized and we find another man who believes that a banker is not only the dian of the people's money, but in accepting the deposit custo- assumes a sacred trust.