20064. Terra Alta Bank (Terra Alta, WV)

Bank Information

Episode Type
Suspension → Closure
Bank Type
state
Start Date
October 19, 1931
Location
Terra Alta, West Virginia (39.446, -79.546)

Metadata

Model
gpt-5-mini
Short Digest
898e2db5e60ce66c

Response Measures

None

Description

Three contemporary papers (Oct 19–20, 1931) report that the Terra Alta Bank (alongside the First National Bank of Terra Alta) were closed today. No mention of depositor runs, reopening, receivership appointment, or later resumption appears in the excerpts. A bank clerk's death at the First National is reported the same day; articles give no causal link between that death and the closures. Because the bank is reported closed with no reopening mentioned and no run described, I classify this as a suspension that appears to be a closure. OCR typos corrected (e.g., 'Tera Alta' -> 'Terra Alta').

Events (1)
1. October 19, 1931 Suspension
Cause Details
Articles simply state the banks 'were closed today'; no explicit cause given (clerk death reported at First National but no causal statement).
Newspaper Excerpt
The First National Bank of Terra Alta and the Terra Alta Bank were closed today.
Source
newspapers

Newspaper Articles (3)
1. October 19, 1931 Evening Star Washington, DC
Article from Evening Star, October 19, 1931

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Article Text

County Is Divided. "Anne Arundel County is so filled with criminals that it is set off in sections by these pests, who dare not invade the others' territory, so great is the rivalry. County police know what is going on and they are receiving graft from every establishment in the county." The jurist then took a slap at wet newspapers. "I dare Baltimore to enforce the liquor laws. If it did, the Baltimore Evening Sun would not be able to recommend the abolition of the National Guard. Both the National Guard and the United States Army would be needed to keep crime down there." Clerk Dead, Banks Shut. TERRA ALTA, W. Va., October 19 (.P).-The First National Bank of Terra Alta and the Terra Alta Bank were closed today. Harry Idleman, 32, clerk of the First National, was found dead this morning in his automobile. The motor of the machine was running and death was pronounced due to carbon monoxide poisoning.

2. October 19, 1931 The Guthrie Daily Leader Guthrie, OK
Article from The Guthrie Daily Leader, October 19, 1931

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Article Text

NEARING DEATH SLAYER Electric Chair Being Prepared For Arkansas Man electric chair at the southern Illinois penitentiary was prepared today for the electrocution at 4 a. m. tomorrow of Merle Johnson, 25year-old confessed killer of Mrs. Carrie Bowers and her two little sons, at Mattoon last May 20. Johnson's parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Johnson of Drasco, Ark., spent nearly all of last Wednesday with him. The prison chaplain has spent much time with him but he has not changed his story that he killed the woman and children, with whom he lived, because she asked him to. He has not explained intimations at his trial that he was in trouble because of rum-running activities. Johnson accompanied Mrs. Bowers and children to Mattoon last February from a rice plantation near Stuttgart, Ark. Johnson worked for Mrs. Bowers' husband prior to his death in April, 1930, and afterwards continued in her eníploy. He has admitted that the younger of the two slain children, Delmar, 19 months old, was his. BANK CLERK DIES Terra Alta, W. Va., Oct. 19.-(P) -The First National Bank of Terra Alta and the Terra Alta Bank were closed today. Harry Idleman, 32, clerk of the First National, was found dead this morning in his automobile. Death was pronounced due to carbon monoxide poisoning.

3. October 20, 1931 Hinton Daily News Hinton, WV
Article from Hinton Daily News, October 20, 1931

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Article Text

BARBS A1 Capone attended football game with his bodyguard recently. He certainly likes to be around when somebody "kicks off. "It's smart to be thrifty,' runs the slogan of New York department store. Smart? In these days it's a miracle! American college students are indifferent to politics, says professor. Considering what Chinese students did to their foreign minIster for some alleged negligence in administration, it is perhaps well for our politicians that college boys don't know too much about politics. Now that Wang has been superseded as foreign minister, it behooves Japan to know its China Simile: As downeast as a taxi driver on a rainy day. (Copyright, 1931. NEA Service. Inc way to get it. My father is back in school again and studying geometry and algebra two of subjects son of his was famous in other days And you can bet got a big kick yesterday out of refusing to work his problems for him. Like he used to enjoy saying to, me over and over, cracked "If work them for you it won't help you any. Work them out yourself and you 11 get more out of Cruel yes, But lots of fun. Re: tribution at Clerk Of Bank Foun. Dead In His Garage First National Bank of Tera Alta and the Terra Alta bank were closed today Harry Idleman: 32 clerk of the First National Bank of Terra Alta, morning in his The motor the machine we running and* death was pronounced due 1: earbon monoxide poisoning.