Farmers & Merchants State Bank

Bank Information

Episode Type: Suspension → Closure
Bank Type: state
Start Date: October 28, 1930
Location: Conroe, Texas (30.312, -95.456)

Metadata

Model: gpt-5-mini
Short Digest: 6acc2586

Response Measures

None

Description

Newspaper items (Oct 28, 1930) report the Farmers' and Merchants' State Bank as failed, with burned records and the cashier charged with embezzlement and falsifying books. No explicit mention of a depositor run is given; language indicates bank failure after discovery of adverse facts, so classified as a suspension leading to closure. Date taken from publication.

Events (1)

1. October 28, 1930 Suspension

Cause: Bank Specific Adverse Info
Cause Details: Bank described as failed; records discovered burned; cashier charged with altering books, theft and embezzlement indicating bank-specific malfeasance and insolvency.
Newspaper Excerpt: J. M. Griffith, cashier of the failed Farmers' and Merchants' state bank, whose records were discovered recently to have been burned, also faced a felony charge...
Source: newspapers

Newspaper Articles (2)

1. October 28, 1930 Brownsville Herald Brownsville, TX

Article from Brownsville Herald, October 28, 1930

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Article Text

# Judge Charged In # Bank Investigation CONROE, Tex. Oct. 28—(P)— In addition to ouster proceedings, A. W. Morris, suspended county judge, today faced three felony charges, filed by state rangers in connection with an investigation into records of the First State Bank of Conroe. The charges accused Morris with giving false testimony to a state bank examiner with reference to the security of a note executed by the H. A. Budde, the security on several notes aggregating $6,500 executed by the Wells Kennedy Company and with concealing an $8,000 liability due W. A. Trice. Having waived examining trial, the 56-year-old jurist, whose ouster suit was continued yesterday until Monday, was released under $500 bond in each case. He refused to discuss the charges other than to say his talking would be "done during my campaign for county judge on an independent ticket." J. M. Griffith, cashier of the failed Farmers' and Merchants' state bank, whose records were discovered recently to have been burned. also faced a felony charge, which asserted he had raised a $320.51 Item in the banks' books to read $2,321,51. Previously he had been charged with theft on the bank's records and with embezzlement. He was at liberty on bond.

2. October 28, 1930 Brownsville Herald Brownsville, TX

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Article Text

# Judge Charged In # Bank Investigation CONROE, Tex. Oct. 28-(AP)- In addition to ouster proceedings, A. W. Morris, suspended county judge, today faced three felony charges, filed by state rangers in connection with an investigation into records of the First State Bank of Conroe. The charges accused Morris with giving false testimony to a state bank examiner with reference to the security of a note executed by the H. A. Budde, the security on several notes aggregating $6,500 executed by the Wells Kennedy Company and with concealing an $8,000 liability due W. A. Trice. Having waived examining trial, the 56-year-old jurist, whose ouster suit was continued yesterday until Monday, was released under $500 bond in each case. He refused to discuss the charges other than to say his talking would be "done during my campaign for county judge on an independent ticket." J. M. Griffith, cashier of the failed Farmers' and Merchants' state bank, whose records were discovered recently to have been burned, also faced a felony charge, which asserted he had raised a $320.51 item in the banks' books to read $2,321.51. Previously he had been charged with theft on the bank's records and with embezzlement. He was at liberty on bond.