Click image to open full size in new tab
Article Text
Banker Stays Run
President Checks Milling Crowd, Battling for Funds, by Personal Plea.
By Central Press ASHEVILLE. N. C., Dec. 11.Milling hundreds of hysterical men and surged about the lobby of the American National bank here during a financial crisis which caused 14 institutions to close their doors within 48 hours Tellers were counting out money as rapidly as possible, hoping against hope that something would occur to check what every banker dreads- run on the bank. The crowd outside the bank grew larger every minute as frightened depositors heard of the panic and joined the lines scrambling to get to the tellers' windows. Certain disaster for the big banking Institution loomed. Suddenly a short, thick-set man with piercing blue eyes and the square jaw of fighter climbed upon chair and raised a muscular arm dramatically above the throng. A thousand eyes saw the gesture. Excited shouting died to murmur of curiosity, then the murmur ceased. The crowd had recognized the with fighter's jaw. He L. L Jenkins, president of the bank, threatened with disaster because rumors concerning his institution's solvency had been spread following the closing of Asheville's largest bank. across the street.
A Dramatic Moment.
A friendly. boyish smile illuminated the and haggard face of the banker as the crowd turned to obtain a better view of him. He nodded at friends in the hysterical crowd. Then his jaws clicked. his eyes flashed with the fire that had brought him from farmhouse to the presidency of one of western North Carolina's most powerful and influential banking houses. "My friends,' President Jenkins said slowly, his voice filling the lobby of the see many of my personal friends have me for many years, and you know that am a man who keeps give you my word of honor that there is sufficient money en route to this bank to pay every man and woman in this throng cent that has been entrusted to this "I would rather lose cent of the fortune have built by a lifetime of labor and self-denial than to have one of you lose a dime. 1. ask you, as one friend to anotherdo not bring ruin. upon yourself. your community and the bank you have trusted years. Go outside. think things over calmly: then, If you wish, come back again and ask for your money. You will get Itevery cent of A tall man in the center of the crowd interrupted: "Fight 'em. Mr. Jenkins!" he shouted. "Stay in there and fight em!" -A smile flashed across the banker's face as he nodded. "I've been fighter all my life." he responded, "but today I'm not fighting-I'm begging. Begging my friends to give this bank. their community, themselves, square deal. I'm forgetting that I'm a banker. remembering only that am a citizen, a loyal citizen of this communIty. I have one request to make of my friends in this lobby. "Who will be first to lead the way out of the door into the street?"
Fate in Balance.
There was moment of tense silence. The banker knew that the fate of the bank he loved depended upon what would occur in the next 60 seconds. A thin, cracked voice smashed the silence. "I will! I believe you, Mr. Jenkins!" The speaker was a wizened old woman, whose life savings had been placed into Jenkins' keeping years before. With feeble steps the little old lady started toward the door, 30 feet way. Younger men and women opened up a path for her. Dozens of men and women, many with tears streaming down their cheeks, turned their faces away from the tellers' windows and followed their feeble leader out into the street. Her cheeks flushed with the thrill of achievement, the little old woman tottered straight ahead, on and on until her bent figure was lost in the maze of traffic.
Many Depart. The backbone of the run had been smashed. Many depositors grimly stuck to their places in line, but more had departed. Jenkins returned to his office, conscious that the American National bank would not close its doors ruined. The shades of evening found grimvisaged directors in session. Some of them had heard their president's dramatic appeal. Some of them had not. But all feared that another sunrise would bring another hysterical throng to the door. It was decided not to open the bank the following day But President Jenkins was confident the American National bank would reopen.
MAN BLINDED BY LIQUOR EXCUSED IN ALIMONY CASE CHICAGO, Dec. 11.-John Warren, 33, excused from paying yesterday pendIng settlement of his suit for divorce from Mrs. Catherine Warren. Warren led into the court room of Circuit Judge Trude by his father and mother. "My wife used to operate beer flat," Warren testified. "I drank some of her moonshine. It was poison and It made me blind. haven't been able to work for three years."