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11 UTT UD Ten Per Cent Will Be Given Toronto Bank Depositors. Eureka, Kan., June 30.-Paying off the creditors of the defunct Toronto State bank was begun last Saturday morning. Receiver J. D. Cannon is paying over 10 cents on the dollar and this will probably be the extent of the deposits realized. Willis P. Dickerson, who ruined the institution and then left the country, is now located in Mexico with his family. He left southern Kansas shortly after his arrest for embezzlement and until a few weeks ago had not been heard from. A few weeks after her husband left Toronto, Mrs. Dickerson and the three children, who were visiting relatives in Fort Scott. disappeared and presumably went to Mexico, where they joined the husband and father. The Torento State bank, of which Willis P. Dickerson was cashier and president, failed January 24. State Bank Commissioner Clark had spent several days in Toronto examining the books of the bank. He was thoroughly convinced that crooked work had been used in the transaction of business and he promptly ordered all business to cease. Three weeks after the blinds were drawn, Dickerson was arrested on two indictments. A justice of the peace at Toronto, before whom he was taken, fixed his bond at $5,000. Dickerson asked permission to go to Yates Center to consult his attorneys. The request was granted and in custody of a constable he was taken to the county seat town. Here Dickerson was again taken before a justice and the bond cut down to $2.000. Dickerson managed to give this bond and a few days. later left the country. When it was rumored he had fled. a number of the creditors of the defunct bank met and twenty more indictments were filed. but the officers were unable to locate their man. A reward was offered, but it has yet to be claimed and it is probable that Dickerson will never be brought back to Kansas. January 1, this year, there was perhaps not a man in Toronto who was considered more of a leading citizen ara ideal business man than Dickerson. When the bank closed its doors the depositors were slow to realize that the man whom they had known and trusted ) since a boy had committed a wrong. They could not believe that the earnings of years had been stolen from under their very eyes, and not until the books had been placed before the public. did they comprehend the real situation. When Dickerson was arrested February 14, few people believed him guilty. He had for years been a leader in the community. His bank had deposits upwards of $50,000. Of this amount $9,400 were county deposits, secured by strong bondsmen. As Dickerson was school district and city treasurer, he derived considerable deposits from these sources; but neither county, school district nor E the little municipality lost their money I when the institution closed. The losers were the business men of the little town of 600 and the farmers along the Verdigris and Walnut rivers, who trusted Dickerson with their entire savings. Dickerson was a hard religious worker and the deacons of the Methodist church relied much on what he said. He possessed marked musical talent and led the church choir. besides instructing the home band and booming local business ventures. He was the foremost promoter of the Toronto Gas and Oil company and during his leisure hours had dabbled in politics to the extent that he was twice clerk of the district court in Woodson county. Dickerson's banking concern, an individual institution, was 12 years old when it failed. It had for years been the only bank in the town, and did a "land office business. The extent of the business, however. was not known to the general public until after it closed. The banker had played with the animals in the grain pits of St. Louis and Chicago, and when the bottom fell out of the big corn market, two years ago. Dickerson was little better than a "busted community." He had for several years invested in grain futures and watched the market quotations in an apparently listless manner. But when corn commenced to excite the entire country. Dickerson was among those to make a wild seramble for the grain. He joined forces with the bulls. and through his commission merchant placed all that he owned on the board of trade. and also bought corn with a part of the money in the bank. A few weeks later the bears overcame the market and the banker was left with little but debts to show for his plunging,
