10381. Security Savings Bank (Kansas City, MO)

Bank Information

Episode Type
Run → Suspension → Closure
Bank Type
savings bank
Start Date
June 12, 1893
Location
Kansas City, Missouri (39.100, -94.579)

Metadata

Model
gpt-5-mini
Short Digest
4c482407

Response Measures

None

Other: This episode describes a bank failure/assignment (posted notices) and later arrest of the president for taking deposits while insolvent.

Description

Newspapers report Security Savings Bank posted notices of assignment and closed on/around June 12, 1893. Crowds gathered that morning (withdrawal pressure), and subsequent reports (Dec 1893) note the president was arrested for receiving deposits while insolvent (defalcation/overdrafts). Sequence: run/withdrawal pressure -> suspension/closing -> receivership/assignments and arrests; bank did not reopen.

Events (3)

1. June 12, 1893 Receivership
Newspaper Excerpt
posted notices of assignment upon their bolted doors.
Source
newspapers
2. June 12, 1893 Run
Cause
Macro News
Cause Details
General financial stringency/panic in June 1893 prompted depositors to crowd the bank seeking information and funds.
Newspaper Excerpt
Gradually, as the news became noised about, crowds of anxious people gathered before the two buildings, and waited ... for some information in regard to their deposits.
Source
newspapers
3. June 12, 1893 Suspension
Cause
Bank Specific Adverse Info
Cause Details
Bank closed and posted assignment notices; later reporting indicates insolvency related to defalcations and the president's overdrawn accounts.
Newspaper Excerpt
The People's Guarantee Savings bank ... and the Security Savings bank ... both succumbed to the inevitable, and posted notices of assignment upon their bolted doors.
Source
newspapers

Newspaper Articles (2)

Article from The Advocate and Topeka Tribune, June 21, 1893

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Article Text

OUR RAPIDLY INCREASING PROSPERITY. The Kansas City Gazette of June 12 has the following editorial paragraph: Dun & Co.'s Review shows a more healthy financial condition than in the report a week ago, with a better outlook for the future. Upon another page we find the following: The country's money circulation has increased from $726,000,000 in 1873 to over $1.600,000,000 at the present time. The coinage of silver has increased from $4,000,000 in 1873 to nearly $40,000,000 in 1890. There was no silver in the treasury or in oiroulation in 1873, and to-day there is $490,000,000. This is very encouraging, certainly, if true. But, if true, why this wail from another column of the same issue? The tidal wave of bank failures seemed to strike Kansas City, Mo., this morning, and two banks closed their doors. The People's Guarantee Savings bank, located at the corner of Missouri avenue and Main street, and the Security Savings bank, located at Sixth and Wyandotte streets, both succumbed to the inevitable, and posted notices of assignment upon their bolted doors. Gradually, as ths news became noised about, crowds of anxious people gathered before the two buildings, and waited in the burning heat for some information in regard to their deposits. # n * The laboring classes who toiled under the burning sun of last week, and on Saturday night wended their way to the banks to deposit their hard-earned and scanty wages, domestic and shop girls, store clerks and factory girls who have sparingly lived upon their earnings, carefully hoarding their little accounts, and added a mite to their deposits last Saturday night, woke this morning to find it all gone. # The officials refuse to give out any information as to liabilities or causes of the failure, except to attribute it to the stringency in financial matters. Now, seriously, with banks and business houses failing all over the country, all attributing their misfortunes to money stringency, with a financial panic imminent such as cursed the country in 1873, do republican editors think they can make the people believe that we have a greater per capita circulation now than at any former period of our history? Messrs. A. R. Chisolm & Co bankers and brokers, 61 Broadway, New York, in their weekly circular of May 29, say: We note that Right Hon. Mr. Lidderdale, of the bank of England, agrees with our views, 80 often expressed during the past ten years in our market letters, that this country needs more legal tenders. France, a stationary country, has $60 per capita. The director of the mint places the per capita in the states at $22, but $200,000,000 of gold have disappeared, and no estimate is made of the loss of paper and coin during the past twenty-five years. It is known that silver wears out and is renewed once in thirty years. We claim that deducting amounts in United States treasury and banks held as reserves and losses in paper currency and ooins, gold exports and hoardings, this country is down to the actual famine ciroulation of less than $6 per capits, counting our population at 65,000,000. The national


Article from Vermont Phœnix, December 29, 1893

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Article Text

THE NEWS IN BRIEF. Bank Defalcations. Large Sums Involved in Different Cities--the Lax Methods in the St. Nicholas Bank of New York. S. H. Hart, who was president of the State bank of Buckley, Wash., is in custody at Baltimore, charged with embezzling $30,000 of the bank's funds. S. J. Walling, formerly cashier of the City national bank of Brownwood, Texas, has been indicted for the embezzlement of $90,000 of the funds of the bank. The Greensburg, Kan., bank has failed. Its assets are said to be $95,000, but only $11,000 is in cash, the remainder being in real estate and paper, out of which 50 cents on the dollar will not be realized. The liabilities are $68,000, of which $50,000 is due Kiowa county. Willard R. Holmes, president of the defunct Security savings bank of Kansas City, Mo., was arrested Saturday for receiving deposits, knowing that the bank was insolvent. He had overdrawn his accounts $22,000 when the bank failed. Seth L. Keeny, former president of the Commercial bank of Brooklyn, was arrested Friday on the charge of perjury, and having made a fraudulent return to the state bank examiner. He gave bail in the sum of $30,000. The cashier of the bank had previously been arrested and his bail placed at $40,000. Mr. Keeny is one of the wealthiest citizens of Brooklyn, and is a director in some of the largest corporations of the city, and a trustee of the East river bridge. He is one of the largest stockholders of the Brooklyn Eagle, and is a prominent member of the Methodist church. The St. Nicholas bank, in New York, suspended payment last week Monday, the state superintendent of banking assuming charge of the institution. The bank had a capital of $50,000, net surplus of $130,200, and on November 6 last its deposits amounted to $2,011,000. It is said that the surplus and from $180,000 to $200,000 of the capital is gone, but it is probable the depositors will be paid in full. Lewis A. Hill, the teller of the bank, was arrested the following day. It is alleged that Hill's accounts, so far as they have been examined, show a shortage of $42,000. Hill was released on $20,000 bail. Hill's methods were simple enough, but it is extraordinary that he should have carried on his operations for years without discovery. He simply took part of the cash which he received day by day and turned over the remainder to the paying teller as being the full amount which the books showed had been received. The paying teller never counted the cash from the receiving teller. If he had, or if the state bank examiner had counted the cash in any of his examinations, Hill's defalcations would long ago have been discovered. Such lax methods of doing business as this are inexcusable.