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GEO. STRONG IN TOILS Well Known Banker. Under Arrest in Arkansas. CASHIER OF STATE BANK Alleged That He Is Over $10, 000 Short in Accounts. The following dispatch has been sent out from DeVall's Bluff, Ark., and is of interest here because of the fact that George C. Strong was formerly a resident of this city and is well known here: "The Bank of DeVall's Bluff was today placed in the hands of a receiver by Chancellor Elliott of Pine Bluff. W. H. Morrow, the temporary cashier of the bank, is named as receiver. "The Bank of DeVall's Bluff began bisiness about three years ago. George c. Strong was elected cashier at the organization of the bank and had served in that capacity until four weeks ago, when the directors demanded his resignation. "On the Fourth of July last Cashier Strong visited Little Rock and was taken seriously ill at the Capital hotel. Pending his return the directors began an investigation of the bank's affairs. The books and accounts of the bank were found in such a tangle that for the moment its condition could not be ascertained. "It now transpires that $10,000 to $12,000 of the bank's funds are missing. Cashier Strong has been arrested, and at a preEminary hearing was placed under bail to await the action of the grand jury in September. "Strong coolly admits using the bank's funds and states that he thought he had deals on the string whereby he would be able to replace all the funds used of the bank. A persistent run has been made on the bank for the past three weeks, and on yesterday it was deemed best for all concerner that the bank's affairs be placed in the hands of a receiver. The depositors will be paid in full. "Mr. Strong was an active member of the Presbyterian church and superintendent of the Sabbath school, and widely known in Little Rock, Camden and Wichita, Kan. It will be remembered that the bank he was connected with at the latter place went under. Mr. Strong came here very highly recommended by parties in Wichita, Peoria and Little Rock. For many years George C. Strong was a bookkeeper and assistant cashier of the Kansas National bank of this city. He afterwards organized the Fourth National bank, which did not fail as stated in the above dispatch, but is one of the strongest banks in Kansas today. Strong organized a loan company here which failed at the collapse of the boom when there was such a tremendous shrinkage of values. A good deal of the money which Mr. Strong loaned was Invested in Fairmount property. and (while Fairmount is all right today and building up, the men who loaned the money at that time lost a large proportion of it, but Mr. Strong could not help that. The bankers of this city showed a good deal of interest in the case when asked about it yesterday. All seemed to think that Mr. Strong would be able to make a better showing than the dispatches indicated. President Jobes of the National Bank of Commerce and President Naftzger of the Fourth National bank did not regard George C. Strong as a very brilliant financier because of his aptness to over-confidence. Colonel H. W. Lewis, cashier of the Wichita Savings bank, president of the Anchor Trust company and former president of the Kansas National, is better acquainted with Mr. Strong than any of the bankers. He said: "I knew that Mr. Strong was out of the bank at DeVall's Bluff, but I did not know that he was having any trouble. It was a state bank and the capItal was only $5,000. The dispatch states that the depositors will be paid in full This could not happen if $10,000 or $12,000 of the bank's money is lost. That part of the dispatch conveys the idea that the money is somewhere and will be returned. "I am of the opinion that George C. Strong has probably borrowed more of the bank's money than he had a right to, but if that is so he has invested it in something that can be turned over to the bank. He has been pushed forward down at Little Rock and he has been doing a good deal to boom Arkansas in general and Little Rock in particular. He was completely carried away with the future greatness of that section of the state. He has been writing to me and wanting me to come down there and invest money in farm lands and city property He has been sending me photographs of orchards and their fruit to convince me that Arkansas was the greatest place on earth. It is very natural with his enthusiasm that he would consider any real estate in that section the best security on earth. The last time he was here I told him that I believed certain lands that he wanted me to buy were cheap, but I warned him to beware of Investments and not go beyond his reach, for the reason that buyers were scarce in that section and when the pinch came he might not be able to find a purchaser. "If Mr. Strong owes the bank anything, I feel very confident that his investments will be more than sufficient to pay it all. It is very easy for people to jump onto the banker whenever some fellow thinks and says the bank is not safe, but when It comes to the test it is sometimes not 80 easy to show that anything is wrong. If George Strong has made any mistake, I am satisfied that his over-confidence in that section of Arkansas was the sole cause.' WORKING ON ANOTHER ROAD.
