Fort Lawn Deposit Bank - Fort Lawn, SC

Bank Information

Episode Type: Suspension → Closure
Bank Type: state
Start Date: November 25, 1913
Location: Fort Lawn, South Carolina (34.702, -80.895)

Metadata

Model: gpt-5-mini
Short Digest: 733d6c77

Response Measures

None

Description

No run is reported. Papers state the bank was closed pending investigation after the cashier H. B. O'Shields committed suicide; state examiner took charge and stockholders applied for a receiver. A court appointed receivers (reported Dec 2 newspaper referencing appointment the prior Saturday). Bank appears to have suspended and gone into receivership (permanent closure).

Events (3)

1. November 25, 1913 Suspension

Cause: Bank Specific Adverse Info
Cause Details: Cashier H. B. O'Shields committed suicide and the books/affairs were reported in confused condition prompting closure pending state examiner probe.
Newspaper Excerpt: The Fort Lawn Deposit Bank at Fort Lawn ... will remain closed until State Bank Examiner B. J. Rhame arrives and assumes charge of the situation late to-day.
Source: newspapers

2. November 28, 1913 Other

Newspaper Excerpt: Application has been made for the appointment of a receiver. Mr. B. J. Rhames, State bank examiner, was promptly notified and is now in charge and will prepare and furnish the public with an accurate statement of the true condition of the bank and its affairs. (The Union Times, Nov. 28, 1913).Cashier Fort Lawn Bank Takes His Own Life.Bank Statement Not Yet Issued.The books and affairs of the Fort Lawn Deposit bank are in a confused condition.Application has been made for the appointment of a receiver.
Source: newspapers

3. November 29, 1913 Receivership

Newspaper Excerpt: Judge Prince on last Saturday, appointed William H. Gist, the president, and D. Ferguson, one of the largest stockholders, receivers of the Fort Lawn bank. There was no opposition to the receivership proceedings.
Source: newspapers

Newspaper Articles (3)

1. November 25, 1913 Atlanta Georgian Atlanta, GA

Article from Atlanta Georgian, November 25, 1913

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Article Text

Bank at Fort Lawn Closed Pending Probe CHESTER, S. C., Nov. 25.-The Fort Lawn Deposit Bank at Fort Lawn, whose cashier, H. B. O'Shields, committed suicide Saturday, will remain closed until State Bank Examiner B. J. Rhame arrives and assumes charge of the situation late to-day. All sorts of rumors are afloat, as is usual in such cases, but nothing definite will be known of the bank's condition until the affairs of the institution are gone over by the directors and State Bank Examiner and an authoritative statement of the bank's condition is made by them.

2. November 28, 1913 The Union Times Union, SC

Article from The Union Times, November 28, 1913

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Article Text

Cashier Fort Lawn Bank Takes His Own Life. Fires Two Shots Through His Heart-Conflicting Reasons as to the exact Cause of Rash Act-Bank Statement Not Yet Issued. H. B. O'Shields, well known in Union and throughout the county, shot himself twice through the heart with a .32 calibre revolver Saturday morning about 10:30 o'clock. The tragedy WS enacted at his home in Fort Lawn, and but a few minutes after his wife had left him to go into another room. He had, it is said, been suffering with chills. and was also woryying over financial troubles connected with the bank, the exact nature of which has not yet been given out. There are all sorts of rumors and semi-official reports going the rounds, but nothing is yet definitely known. The following statement has been given out here by parties closely identified with the bank: "The books and affairs of the Fort Lawn Deposit bank are in a confused condition. Application has been made for the appointment of a receiver. Mr. B. J. Rhames, State bank examiner, was promptly notified and is now in charge and will prepare and furnish the public with an accurate statement of the true condition of the bank and its affairs." This statement was given out Tuesday by one who is in is touch with the bank's affairs, one of the stockholders of the bank. It is further stated that the books of the bank had not been posted for the past two weeks, but this was given as heresay, and not as official information

3. December 2, 1913 Yorkville Enquirer York, SC

Article from Yorkville Enquirer, December 2, 1913

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Article Text

LOCAL LACONICS. The Fort Lawn Bank. Judge Prince on last Saturday, appointed William H. Gist, the president. and D. Ferguson, one of the largest stockholders, receivers of the Fort Lawn bank. There was no opposition to the receivership proceedings. Fire Near Smyrna. The home of Mr. H. M. Shillinglaw of Smyrna No. 1, caught fire last Wednesday while the family was at dinner. A spark from the chimney set the roof ablaze, but a negro man who was passing by discovered the flames in time to prevent the destruction of the building. The damage was confined to an ugly hole in the roof. Death of James White. James White, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lossing B. White, of the Neely cotton mill, Yorkville, died last Friday morning following an illness of fifteen months with tuberculosis. The young man was born on January 3. 1896, and had spent the greater portion of his life around Yorkville where he had many friends. Funeral services were held at the home Saturday afternoon, conducted by Rev. F. A. Sparman of Spartanburg, assisted by Rev. E. E. Gillespie and Rev. J. L. Oates. The interment was in Rose Hill cemetery. Shot at a Hot Supper. Walter Rainey, a negro about 22 years of age, who works for Mr. Pink Allison in Broad River township, was shot and probably fatally wounded, by Pink Wright, another negro, last Thursday night. The shooting took place at the home of a negro named John Byers, where a hot supper had been held. It seems that Rainey was standing on the front porch of Byers' house when Wright came up and asked, "Where is Walter Rainey?" "Here I is," said Rainey, whereupon Wright raised his shotgun and fired, the charge entering Rainey's thigh, breaking the bone and tearing the member partly off. After the shooting Wright went to his home and then took his time about escaping. He has not been arrested. At last reports the injured man was still living.