West Union State Bank - West Union, MN

Bank Information

Episode Type: Suspension → Closure
Bank Type: state
Start Date: December 12, 1929
Location: West Union, Minnesota (45.801, -95.083)

Metadata

Model: gpt-5-mini
Short Digest: f2642e91

Response Measures

None

Description

Article (1929-12-12) describes the 'late West Union State Bank' wrecked by cashier J. H. Werre's forgeries/shortages. No contemporaneous run is described; the bank appears to have failed/closed due to embezzlement/forgery (bank-specific adverse information). Exact suspension/closure date not given in the clipping.

Events (2)

1. December 12, 1929 Other

Newspaper Excerpt: Werre was sentenced ... after the guilty plea ... sentences will run consecutively ... brought back to Long Prairie to the Reformatory ... the following are the admittedly forged notes ... Total forgeries $6,347.50.
Source: newspapers

2. * Suspension

Cause: Bank Specific Adverse Info
Cause Details: Cashier J. H. Werre forged numerous notes and created a large shortage (forgeries totaling $6,347.50 detailed; overall shortage and alleged benefitting about $13,000), which 'wrecked' the bank and led to its closure.
Newspaper Excerpt: J. H. Werre, the boy cashier of the late West Union State Bank, ... shortage of $17,000 ... admitted forged notes ... the wrecking of the bank
Source: newspapers

Newspaper Articles (1)

1. December 12, 1929 The Sauk Centre Herald Sauk Centre, MN

Article from The Sauk Centre Herald, December 12, 1929

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Article Text

WERRE SENTENCED l TO TWENTY YEARS Enters Plea of Guilty to First f Degree Larceny on Two $ Counts I 1 SHORTAGE OF $17,000 , i y Insists Only $800 Was for i His Personal Use-Forgery Admitted e J. H. Werre, the boy cashier of 1 the late West Union State Bank, was sentenced at St. Cloud Mona ing day by guilty Judge plea Roeser before after the enter- Disto in first on trict the Court degree charge two of larcency counts; one for $600 and another for $500. Judge Roeser pronounced a sentence of the limit under the law not more than 10 years for each charge. The sentences will run consecutively, not concurrently, making 20 years, the maximum amount of time to be served. The shortage, including someover thing $6.000 in Werre admittedly insists forged notes, yet that he out all got of the wrecking of the bank was approximately $800. Since his return from California has examiner Werre every assistance given the in bank clean- After ing up the financial mess. his sentence Monday Werre was brought back to Long Prairie to his work complete with the taken bank- to ing department. He was the at Reformatory start St. Cloud his sen- today, Thursday, to tence. The following are the admittedly forged notes, the names forged, the date issued and theindividual amount of each note. March $600. C. 26, John A. L. Marthaler, Miller, July 30, 1928 1929 $500. Rosch Bros., by Geo. J. Rosch, Dec. 13, 1928, $577. H. 26. 1929. $700 $ Nick J. Marthaler, Pederson, July July 29, 1929. $400 H. J. Schwanke, Roth, July July 29, 10, 1929, 1929, $400. Carl $300. West Union Chevrolet Co., by Jos. Black, Aug. 27, 1929, $1,400. Rosch Bros., by Fred Rosch, Aug. e 16, 1929, $1,000. Fred Rueckert and A. L. B. Ruec$ kert, March 22, 1929 $470. Total forgeries $6,347.50. S It is understood that Werre 1 claims that he did not profit one cent by these forged notes that were to 1 they put in the of bank but cover overdrafts of some those t whose names were signed to the forged paper S From the above it will be noted e that the first forgery was made in was one 1929, July, Dec 13, 1928: 1928, there the balance in dated the bulk of them within a period of about 30 days in July and Augf ust of this year. can an of Maybe square the Banking actual shortage department t Werre more than claims $13,000 to have with benefitted. the $800 r The Herald editor is not a clever S enough bookkeeper for that. s Mrs. Maus, the lady who journeyed to San Francisco with Werre, had an overdraft of $1.790.00. y The Township of West Union S and the Village of West Union carried their funds in the. bank, g naturally, and naturally, also they are losers. n r On being closely questioned by i. County Attorney Wm. Wood as to was e whether anyone else remotely associated with him in his wreckthe that he a lone ing of played bank, Werre hand insisted and that no one was in any manner connected with him in his defalthe cations.