Exchange Bank of Dow City

Bank Information

Episode Type: Suspension → Closure
Bank Type: state
Start Date: April 4, 1904
Location: Dow City, Iowa (41.929, -95.494)

Metadata

Model: gpt-5-mini
Short Digest: acb9d574

Response Measures

None

Description

Article reports the Exchange Bank of Dow City was closed April 4, 1904 and the cashier/owner H. S. Green fled and is wanted on a charge of fraudulent banking. Assets went to a receiver (discussion of property sold by receiver) — indicates suspension leading to permanent closure/receivership. No run is described.

Events (2)

1. April 4, 1904 Receivership

Newspaper Excerpt: I thought in case of failure, my assets would more than pay all liabilities, but I had no idea of how things would shrink value in a receiver's hands: For instance a thousand acres ... sold by the receiver for fifteen thousand dollars, and other pieces of property in proportion, only worse.
Source: newspapers

2. April 4, 1904 Suspension

Cause: Bank Specific Adverse Info
Cause Details: Closure following alleged fraudulent banking by cashier/owner H. S. Green; he fled and is wanted on charge of fraudulent banking.
Newspaper Excerpt: his bank, the Exchange bank of Dow City, was closed April 4, 1904
Source: newspapers

Newspaper Articles (1)

1. August 18, 1905 Evening Times-Republican Marshalltown, IA

Article from Evening Times-Republican, August 18, 1905

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Article Text

Missing Iowa Banker Writes County Attorney at Dennison Asking For Leniency IS A FUGUTIVE FROM JUSTICE Prefers. to Have the Law Kill Rather Than Hound Him--Wants Chance to Pay All His CreditorsHas Had All the Punishment Can Bear. Special to Times-Republican. Denison, Aug 18.-H. S. Green, the missing banker, wanted at Dow City on a charge of fraudulent banking, has written a letter to the county attorney of Crawford county from Vancouver, British Columbia, in which he declares that he will endeavor to rep his depositors if not placed in jail. Green gloomily declares that the law should be changed SO that "when a man failed he would be shot or killed by officers of the law Green, who had been missing since his bank, the Exchange bank of Dow City, was closed April 4, 1904, was apprehended and arrested at Winters, Cal., in July. He had been engaged in the hotel business there for eight months and had secured such a good standing in the community that was released on his own re cognizance pending the arrival of an Iowa officer Before the officer could get to Winters Green had disappeared again. He thought to have gone to Portland, no trace could be found until this ter was received by County Attorney Klinker at Dennison. Green dates at Portland, August 5, but says mails the letter from Vancouver, British Columbia, and intimates that he on his road to Alaska. The letter is in full as follows: "Portland, Ore., Aug. 5. Dear You will no doubt be surprised to from me, but I wished to write you few lines. First, in regard to the of ficer at Winters that let me go; it no fault of his, it was all of the people of the town that insisted that I should have liberty to go where pleased, and no compensation of any kind was ever offered him. "Second-1 had about come to the conclusion that there were no indictments against me and I was getting started in a hotel and was making secret of where.) was and thought with hard work of myself and family I would be able in time at least to pay all the poorer depositors and one AEW I that si ILVING JO objects the sometime get enough money together that I can pay every cent that I justly owe; and how can I possibly do anything in that line if I am on trial and locked up? God only knows what the verdict of a jury would be, but I know that I did all mortal man could do, I thought to protect everyone that any u! thought I put 01 SUM case of failure, my assets would more than pay all liabilities, but I had idea of how things would shrink value in a receiver's hands: For instance a thousand acres of land western Nebraska that I could have sold for twenty-five thousand dollars, and I do not think could be bought that today, sold by the receiver for fifteen thousand dollars, and other pieces of property in proportion, only worse. I suppose the receiver did as well he could for everybody tries to buy property forced on the market at half price. "One more thought and I am thru: I do not see any reason in justice why the law should pursue me. (Remember I am not finding any fault your actions to have me arrested you are only fulfilling the duties of your office in accordance with the law.) The only thing I contend why anyone should want me locked if they could have me. Do they think I am dangerous, or do they want to punish me? "I have had all the punishment that mortal man could bear without committing suicide and my wife and family have gone thru untold mental agony Now I am separated from wife and family and no one knows when I will see them again. I would not care for myself, but all efforts punish me react on my wife and children. I have often wished that the law was changed so that when a man failed he would be shot or killed by the cers of the law. For that is one thing I am not afraid of and that is to die. for then a person will go before the Supreme God who will judge our in accordance with the spirit in which they were done. "I suppose the best thing for me to do now is to go to some country like Alaska and see if I can retrieve financial strength so that I will be to support my family and if possible make enough so that I can commence paying up on my old indebtedness to