Article Text
LOGAN TO MEET OFFICER FROM LAKE CO. As He is Released from Sing Sing Prison, He Will Be Brought Back To Indiana Prison. R. M. Logan. former president of the First State Bank of Griffith which he wrecked and who is now serving time in Sing Sing prison in New York, is to be brought back to Indiana soon to face embezzlement charges which have been filed against him as a result of his mismanagement of the Griffith bank's affairs. The whereabouts of Logan, which was a mystery for a long time, has been known to only a few of the many people interested in seeing him brought to justice. When the absconding president was finally located he had already been imprisoned for working a similar game in New York and a watchful waiting policy had been observed until he had served his sentence. Logan will be released from the New York penitentlary on December 20 and when the warden opens the doors for him. Officer Oscar Borchert of the Ham. mond police will be there ready to take him in charge and bring him back to Lake county. Extradition matters in connection with his re-arrest have all been arranged and Logan will spend Christmas in the Crown Point jail. Logan's illegal manipulation of the Griffth bank's books became evident August 26. 1915, when a state examiner made an investigation. He quickly found that the bank was insolvent and that money had been sidetracked. While the official was making his examination Logan, as was customary, told the examiner that he had to come to Hammond to deposit some drafts. He took a bunch of drafts to the Citizens bank in Hammond and asked for $1,000 currency which was given him. That evening he registered at a Hammond hotel, but it was found later that he left the hotel at 3:00 o'clock in the night. went to his wife to say farewell, and has not since been in Lake county. He went first to a Chicago department store, where he purchased a complete change of clothing, seeing to it that there was nothing about his person whereby he could be identified. The old clothes were placed in a trunk and checked to New York, but it was never claimed and was later returned to the department store. Efforts at locating the man were fruitless until newspapers carried the story of his arrest in New York on an embezzlement charge. It was learned that he had been given a prison sentence there so justice of Indiana waited until the New York term had been served. The specific charge on which he is to be prosecuted in Lake county is the theft of $1.000 of the bank's money which he drew from the Citizen's bank of Hammond. Petition for a receiver was filed in the Hammond superior court August 28, 1915 under the title of the State ex. rel. Dale Crittenberger, auditor of state vs. the First State Bank of Griffith The Lake County Savings & Trust Co. of Hammond was appointed receiver. Reports of the receiver show that the total loss to the bank as a result of Logan's work, amounted to $21,908.83 Dozens of uncancelled notes were found which had been paid for some time. Excessive loans were made to the J. 8. Wylle Co., in which Logan was an officer and which has since been declared bankrupt rendering notes amounting to over $12.000 worthless The Wylle Co., as well as the Griffith Hide Co., ,and the Indiana Hide Co., were used in other ways In misappropriating the banks funds The receiver this fall was able to announce that all of the creditors of the wrecked bank had been paid 100 cents on the dollar and that there would be something left for the stockholders.