Merchants Bank - St Louis, MO

Bank Information

Episode Type: Run Only
Bank Type: state
Start Date: October 7, 1900
Location: St Louis, Missouri (38.627, -90.198)

Metadata

Model: gpt-5-mini
Short Digest: e00a3221

Response Measures

None

Other: Article describes a large, hurried crowd at Merchants' Bank and detectives following two suspicious men; no bank run, suspension, or reopening is reported.

Description

Article (1900-10-07) describes a large crowd pushing at the Merchants' Bank windows and customers rushing to deposit or draw before closing — a heavy withdrawal episode but no mention of suspension, closure, or reopening. The immediate cause is not stated in the article, so cause is set to 'other'.

Events (1)

1. October 7, 1900 Run

Cause Details: Large crowd of customers making hurried deposits and withdrawals before closing; no specific trigger or rumor identified in the article.
Newspaper Excerpt: The bank was in the midst of a swarm of people ... crushing and pushing and josthing each other about the windows of the receiving and paying tellers. Most of them carried bank books, big bunches of currency and large bags of coin...
Source: newspapers

Newspaper Articles (1)

1. October 7, 1900 The St. Louis Republic Saint Louis, MO

Article from The St. Louis Republic, October 7, 1900

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Article Text

with John Burke, who was then Chief of Detectives, when the telephone bell rang. I answered it and found a clerk of the Merchants' Bank, then located in the basement of the Merchant's Exchange building on the Third street side, at the other end of the wire. The clerk told me two men had been loitering about the bank all morning, and he thought they were up to some game. I reported the matter to Burke and he told me to go down there. Then he called me back. I found him closing his desk and placing a revolver in his pocket. "Billy, I have an idea there is something in this, and I guess I'll go along with you," he said: The bank was in the midst of a swarm of people at that hour. They were hurrying and skurrying along the sidewalks, rushing across the street, running up and down the steps that led down to the bank entrance, and crushing and pushing and josthing each other about the windows of the receiving and paying tellers. Most of them carried bank books, big bunches of currency and large bags of coin, for it was close to 3 o'clock. and all were making the final rush to deposit or draw before the bank closed. "Bully time for a sneak." said Burke, as we pushed our way through the crowd to the desk of the clerk we wanted to see. Both of us were keeping our eyes and ears wide open, for if the men were there for a "job" a better opportunity would never be offered them. The clerk was much excited. He told us the men had disappeared a few moments before, but was sure they were not very far away. And SO the three of us started out to find them. We pushed our way through the crowds and turned north on Third street, the clerk giving us a minute description of the men as we walked. "One has a florid face, with small sideburns and a small mole on each side of a long nose: he is not more than 30 years old, stands about 5 feet 10 inches and weighs close to 160 pounds. He is well dressed in a pair of light trousers, a black frock coat, vest, white shirt, high white collar, black string tie and a big diamond stud. The other is similarly dressed, but doesn't fit his clothes SO well; he is smooth shaven and has a sullen look." We turned west on Pine street and had nearly reached Broadway when I saw two men driving rapidly east. "They look like the men," I said. "They are," said the clerk, and got out of the way so that he might not be seen with us. Burke and I turned as though to enter a saloon, and just as the buggy passed us we wheeled about and followed it. It was not an easy job with the street full of people and the buggy going at a lively clip. But we kept it in sight. The men drove directly to the Merchants' Bank and stopped on the east side of the street. The florid man got out and went directly into the bank; the other man held the reins. Burke and I stopped well behind the buggy, but where we could watch both it and the bank entrance. It was several minutes before the florid man reappeared-right behind a group of men, each of whom carried a considerable sum of money well exposed to view. He followed them across the street, apparently absorbed in a newspaper. He did not even glance at the man in the buggy. The men with the money entered Phil Hellery's, and SO did the man with the newspaper. And so did I, Burke remaining outside to attend to the man in the buggy. At the bar stood the group of men, my man at the end toward the door, and close beside a commission house clerk. This clerk had a big bag of coin on the bar in front of him and a bank book, in which could be seen a quantity of bills, stuck out of his sackcoat pocket. I did not wait for a denouement: I stepped up to my man, and called him aside. "A gentleman at the door would like to see you,' I said. He appeared surprised, but not in the least confused. "I'll step out as soon as I have had my drink," he said, quite pleasantly, and turned to the bar, again glancing at his newspaper. "But-" I began. "Pardon me," he said, "will you join me?" "No, I thank you," I answered, "but-" "May I ask your name?" he said. "Desmond," I answered, "and the gentleman wants to see you at once." #Desmond? Desmond? I used to have a