12875. Farmers & Merchants Bank (Butte, NE)

Bank Information

Episode Type
Suspension → Closure
Bank Type
state
Start Date
November 22, 1899
Location
Butte, Nebraska (42.911, -98.849)

Metadata

Model
gpt-5-mini
Short Digest
68e4f822

Response Measures

None

Description

State Banking Board took charge after president Samuel C. Sample died; receiver (sheriff Wilfred Standiford) appointed and bank described as defunct with no cash and practically no assets. No mention of depositor run prior to suspension. Classified as government action suspension leading to closure/receivership.

Events (2)

1. November 22, 1899 Suspension
Cause
Government Action
Cause Details
State Banking Board took charge of the bank after the death of its president and reported no cash on hand; regulatory seizure/supervision by state authorities.
Newspaper Excerpt
The Farmers and Merchants' bank of Butte, Neb., ... is in the hands of the state banking board.
Source
newspapers
2. November 23, 1899 Receivership
Newspaper Excerpt
Judge Westover appointed Wilfred Standifred ... receiver today of the Farmers and Merchants' Bank of Butte; the concern is in such bad condition ... the deposits amount to about $15,000 and the assets are practically nothing. (Omaha Daily Bee and Representative accounts).
Source
newspapers

Newspaper Articles (3)

Article from The Owosso Times, November 24, 1899

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Article Text

No Cash in the Bank, Ainsworth, Neb., Nov. 22.-The Farmers and Merchants' bank of Butte. Neb., of which Samuel C. Sample, who died a few days ago in Omaha of heart failure, was president, is in the hands of the state banking. board. It is reported that the affairs of the bank are in bad shape. When the board took charge no cash was found. Application will be made in a few days to Judge Westover by the attorney general, asking that a receiver be appointed to wind up the business.


Article from Omaha Daily Bee, November 24, 1899

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Article Text

BANK'S VAULTS ARE EMPTY Head of Institution Dies and Leaves No Assets Behind. SHERIFF OF BOYD COUNTY IS RECEIVER Samuel Sample, President of Butte Bank, Dies in Omhha and Leaves His Institution in Wrecked Condition. AINSWORTH, Neb., Nov. 23.-(Special Telegram.)-Since the death of Samuel C. Sample, who was president of the Farmers' and Merchants' bank at Butte, Neb., and died in Omaha recently, the bank has been in the hands of the State Banking board. On Wednesday Assistant Attorney General George P. Corcoran, accompanied by Dr. Hall, secretary of the State Banking board, appeared before Judge Westover here and filed a statement of the financial condition of the bank and asked that a receiver be appointed to wind up its business. Judge Wostover appointed Wilfred Standifred, who is a resident of Butte and at the present time the sheriff of Boyd county. His bond was fixed at $10,000 and as soon as this is approved by the judge he will at once take charge of the defunct bank. When the banking board took charge of the bank no money was found, although the books showed $1,800 cash on hand and several notes are missing ranging from $900 to $1,000. The deposits amount to about $15,000 and the assets are practically nothing. It is said that Mr. Sample's life was insured for $15,000 and that the premium on this was paid out of the deposits of the bank. Should this prove true an effort will be made to have it applied to pay off the deposits.


Article from The Representative, November 30, 1899

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Article Text

Sensational Bank Failure. ind TO (Special to the Times-Herald.) AINSWORTH, Neb., Nov. 23.-Sheriff Wilfred Standiford, of Boyd county, was appointed receiver today of the Farmers and Merchants' Bank of Butte. The concern is in such bad condition that people here think President Samples, reported dead of apoplexy in Omaha, really committed suicide rather than face the depositors. The smashing and the crashing is beginning again. The secretary of the treasury has had to buy up $25,000,000 of national bonds, at 18 per cent premium, so as to save the brokers of Wall street from going to the demnation bow-wows. Think of that! Nearly $5,000,000 taken out of the pockets of the people to protect the New York octopus! And this is a government of "equal rights for all and special privileges for none!" Of course it is! I. D.