Hopewell Bank & Trust Company (Hopewell, VA)

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HAWKS TO GET REFUND levied against Frank Hawks at Burlington, Vt., for landing in the United States at a place not designated an official airport of entry will be mitted when appeal is made to the Hawks landed at Burlington after flight from Montreal. Commissioner Eble of the Customs Virginia Bank To Close Bureau said today the fine was autoRichmond, Va., Aug. 17 (/P)-The matic, but where a person of known Hopewell Bank and Trust Company, of integrity, through misapprehension, Hopewell, was ordered closed today by violated the rule, the fine is remitted M. Bristow. State Commissioner of upon application.

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Richmond Trust Company Is Acquired By American Oliver Sands, the American Bank and Trust Company; today nounced the the Company and its West branch. The American Bank and Trust Comwhen the its branch opened The transaction held all day yesterday and last night. was the HopeBank and Trust Company, which today was ordered closed the state banking commissioner, involved transaction. Officers Richmond Trust held interests the Hopewell Bank.

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BANK RECEIVERS SUE

Hopewell, July 19 (P).-Suits have been entered here by the receivers of Hopewell Bank and Trust Company against the American Bank and Trust Company of Richmond and jointly against the Richmond Trust Company and the American Bank and Trust Company for the recovery of securities of the face value of more than $500.000

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RECEIVERSHIP PROBE SOUGHT

George M. Cease Calls Attention of Judge Robertson to "Rumors."

FULL INFORMATION ASKS

Court Will Order Investigation Petition Is Filed in Case.

An investigation into the receiverthe Hopewell Bank and Trust ship of be ordered by Judge Company Robertson. of the HopeThomas well court. petition is filed with him, making the request learned today. was promise was Judge George M. Cease, of Richmade to letter mond, response called attention to "ugly which have heard in circularumors that relative to the disposition of the tion money that has passed through the of the receivers to this date hands connection with the Mr. Cease wrote Judge Robertson under date of Jan. 11 stockholder in corporation who the time of the bank's closing holder of their certified checks for substantial amount." In his letter said that others affected entitled full information the present status of the conditions" of the bank. investigation of importance at this time in view the contest over the judgeship of the Hopewell corporation court, Mr. Cease holds. Archer Jones, wealth's who has been indorsed by the Hopewell bar for Judge one two receivers the closed bank. Mr. Cease in letter that full and should be before the general assembly takes any an election judge for the Hopewell court.

Insists on Report. the only names before the legislature for this high

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Seeks To Oust Bank Receivers

Dec. The affairs the defunct Hopewell Bank and Trust Company further litigation Charles Akers. chairman of positors' have named hearings on petition to the and their counsel filed two petitions in Circuit Court asking and ultimate moval receivers, and the other protesting payment of an auditor's Th second petition was argued before Judge Wilson action grounds insufficient The petition regarding the receivers still and no date has yet been pending for the hearing of evidence. In the action the audit Akers asked that Lee Rawlings and Company. Norfolk auditors, be nied their fee on the grounds that they asked tion for described inadeand deliberately misleading Regarding the conduct of the ceivership charges that of the bank, conducted by Archer Jones and Thomas Blankenship. the receivers David Harrison. their leged have been grossly The audit reveals the petitioner chain lictions of duty and gross neglect

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REMOVAL OF BANK RECEIVERS ASKED

Depositors' Committee Charges Affairs "Grossly Misconducted"

Hopewell, Dec. 21 (AP).—Suspension and ultimate removal of receivers for the Hopewell Bank & Trust Company, defunct for the last three years, and their counsel, was asked of Circuit Judge R. T. Wilson here today by the depositors' protective committee which charged in two petitions that receivers and "their alleged counsel have grossly misconducted" the interests of the bank and have paid an excessive fee for what was described as an inadequate and deliberately misleading audit.

Charles Akers, chairman of the depositors' committee, argued briefly against full payment of A. Lee Rawlings and Company, Norfolk auditing firm, but no date has been set for hearing on the petition asking suspension of receivers and counsel.

Charge Gross Neglect

"Your petitioner, while neither a lawyer nor an auditor, believes the audit plainly discloses facts which are apparent to any layman, that the affairs of the bank as conducted by Archer L. Jones and Thomas J. Blankenship, the receivers, both of whom are lawyers and under the direction of another lawyer, namely David A. Harrison, Jr., their alleged counsel, have been grossly misconducted and the audit bespeaks a chain of derelictions of duty and of gross neglect which if properly administered would have inured to the great benefit of the depositors who have patiently waited more than three years for the facts with hopes of some return," the petition said in part.

Assets of the bank have decreased by $508,187.15 but no dividends have been paid, the petitions set forth, asserting in detail that Dr. D. Lane Elder, mayor of Hopewell; the two receivers and their counsel and several other well-known Hopewell people had been paid money out of bank assets while they had not been required to pay their direct and indirect obligations to the institution which was closed on order of the state corporation commission, a party to the present actions.

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Opposes Hopewell Bank Receivers

Chairman Of Depositors' Committee Asks Court To Order Their Removal

Hopewell, Dec. 22 (AP)-The affairs of the defunct Hopewell Bank and Trust Company were in further litigation today as Charles Akers, chairman of depositors' committee. sought to have a date named for hearings on a petition to oust the receivers and their counsel. Akers filed two petitions in circuit court here yesterday, one asking suspension and ultimate removal of the receivers, and the other protesting payment of an auditor's bill. The second petition was argued before Judge R. T. Wilson who dismissed fne action on grounds of insufficient evidence. The petition regarding the receivers is still pending and no date has yet been set for the hearing of evidence. In the action on the audit Akers asked that A. Lee Rawlings and Company, Norfolk auditors, be denied their fee on the grounds that they asked an excessive compensation for an audit described as inadequate and deliberately misleading. Regarding the conduct of the receivership Akers charges that "the affairs of the bank. as conducted by Archer L. Jones and Thomas J. Blankenship. the receivers and David A. Harrison Jr. their alleged counse!. have been grossly misconducted." The audit reveals, the petitioner said, "a chain of derelictions of duty and gross neglect age, and 10 to 12 from the juvenile home at Toledo. Dr. Mae Habenicht. superintendent of the state child welfare bureau said the adopters insist they receive the babies by Christmas.

When greeting friends. native Indian women of Bolívia lift their hats.

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Hopewell Bank Receivers Hit By Robertson

Former Judge Charges Their Defense of Acts Is a Reflection on Him

Says They 'Dodge'

Demands Answer to Akers' Report Be Stricken Out

[Special to The Times-Dispatch.] HOPEWELL, Feb. 16—Denying that certain acts of receivers for the Hopewell Bank and Trust Company were done under his direction, Thomas B. Robertson, former judge of the abolished Corporation Court, today asked the Circuit Court of Hopewell to expunge from the record parts of the answer filed by the bank's receivers to allegations made by Charles Akers, chairman of the depositors' protective committee.

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Robertson, Candidate for Supreme Court, Assails Bank Receivers

Hopewell, Feb. 16 (AP). — Denying that certain acts of receivers for the Hopewell Bank and Trust company were done under his direction, Thomas B. Robertson, former judge of the now abolished corporation court of Hopewell today asked the circuit court of Hopewell to expunge from the record the answer filed by the bank's receivers to allegations made by Charles Akers, chairman of the Depositors' Protective committee of the bank.

Deny Dereliction.

Mr. Akers had charged the receivers, Archer L. Jones and Thomas J. Blankenship, with showing a lack of effort in making collections. The receivers in their answer denied dereliction of duty and asked dismissal of the Akers' petition.

Judge Robertson intervened to ask vindication of himself in the light of the receivers' answer that "all acts of the receivers which are complained of were acts done and performed during the existence of the corporation court of the city of Hopewell, all of which have been reported to the court and ratified and confirmed by said court and no exceptions have been taken thereto."

Judge Robertson stated in his intervening petition that the "receivers have in their answer and without cause or justification but with the sole purpose of defacing his character and standing in the community, and in furtherance of their own ends, and with the attempt to hide their apparent and clear derelictions of duty behind the skirts of the then corporation court, made it appear in their said answer that their actions were under the guidance and direction of the court.

Claims No Authority for Acts.

"It is quite evident that by reference to the auditor's report and orders entered, no such authority can be shown for the many irregularities such as payment of exorbitant fees and allowance of claims as preferential. Certain other orders, seeking to mitigate and rectify the doings of the receivers, and claimed to have been entered by me as the judge of the then corporation court, are news to me."

Seeks Bench Vacancy.

Hopewell, Feb. 16 (AP). — Judge Thomas B. Robertson, for 16 years judge of the corporation court of Hopewell until the court was abolished at the last session of the general assembly, announced tonight that he would seek appointment as justice of the supreme court of appeals to succeed the late Justice Louis S. Epes. He said that his petition would be circulated in Hopewell this week for endorsements.

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HOPEWELL BANK & TRUST DEPOSITORS MAY EXPECT SUBSTANTIAL DIVIDEND

Local Receivers Effect Compromise Settlement With Amer. Bank Receivers

OVER $200,000 RETURNED TO THE BANK IN ASSETS

Receivers Report Progress at Meeting With Depositors' Protective Committee

Depositors in the Hopewell Bank and Trust company, closed since August 17, 1931, by order of the state banking commissioner, are assured of a substantial dividend payment, according to a progress report made by the receivers of the bank, who met last Friday with representatives of the Depositors' Protective Committee.

This meeting was called by Chas. Akers, chairman of the committee, at the request of the receivers, Thomas J. Blankenship and Archer L. Jones, for the purpose of hearing and approving a report of the present status of the closed bank.

The receivers reported that they had effected a compromised settlement with the receivers of the American Bank and Trust company in Richmond, resulting in the return to the Hopewell Bank and Trust company of the following assets:

Approximately $42,000 in bonds of the Hopewell Bond and Mortgage company, a subsidiary of the local bank, notes aggregating about $150,000 and a large sum of cash, as well as an offset of approximately $12,000, and a waiver of their claim to participation in any dividend payments by the Hopewell bank, thereby reducing its liabilities.

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fund deposit.

A compromise may also be effected with one other creditor of $20,000, an insurance company in North Carolina, which is now in litigation. The receivers feel certain that a compromise can be effected here.

Members of Committee

It will be remembered that several months after the Hopewell Bank and Trust company was closed, Mr. Akers was elected chairman of a Depositors' Protective Committee, at a mass meeting of depositors of the closed bank and since that time he and his committee, composed of Miss Marie Hurley, W. I. Carrington, J. A. Haller, George Eliades and Harry W. Porter, Jr., have been active in the depositors' interest, which resulted in the resumption of the detailed audit, started originally by T. Coleman Andrews of Richmond, by the firm of A. Lee Rawlings and Company of Norfolk.

Approximately a year's time expired from the beginning of this audit until copies of same were furnished to Mr. Akers and his committee, as the result of a court order entered by Judge Richard Wilson of the Hustings Court at Petersburg, who was sitting on the Circuit Court bench here during the illness of Judge Peterson.

Objections Overruled

The committee chairman, on behalf of the depositors, protested the payment of approximately $5,000 for this audit. However, his objections were overruled by the Hopewell Circuit Court and payment was made upon recommendation of Archer L. Jones and Thomas J. Blankenship, receivers and their attorney, David A. Harrison, Jr.

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Petition Withdrawn

He employed to represent him, a former judge, Gordon B. Ambler of Richmond. However, his petition was withdrawn without prejudice when the receivers and their attorney agreed to produce certain definite results in the way of an early dividend payment and to cooperate with Mr. Akers and his committee in all future matters effecting the depositors' interests

When Mr. Akers withdrew his petition, the receivers estimated an early payment of at least a 30 per cent dividend and an effort to liquidate the affairs of the Hopewell Bank and Trust company by the end of the current year.

Would Be First Dividend

If and when this dividend is actually paid, it will be the first and only one that has been paid since the bank closed its doors in 1931.

Mr. Akers stated Friday afternoon that he would probably call all depositors of the bank together at any early date to give them a full report of the activities of his committee.