Federal Trust Company (Cleveland, OH)

Episode Information

Episode Type
Suspension → Closure
Start Date
March 31, 1904
Location
Cleveland, Ohio (41.499, -81.695)
Bank Type
trust

Metadata

Notes

Company was assigned (placed in custody) after disappearance/embezzlement by an officer.

Events (2)

1. March 31, 1904 Suspension
Cause
Bank Specific Adverse Info
Cause Details
Disappearance of secretary/treasurer George F. Clewell and apparent embezzlement/shortage prompted assignment.
Newspaper Excerpt
Cleveland, O., March 31.-The Federal Trust company today assigned to the guardian of the trust company, owing to the disappearance of a prominent official of the Federal Trust company.
Source
newspapers
2. March 31, 1904 Receivership
Newspaper Excerpt
The Federal Trust Company, of Cleveland, Ohio... has assigned. Deposits amount to about $1,700,000... The surety company which is on the bond of George F. Clewell... was today given a warrant for his arrest.
Source
newspapers

Newspaper Articles (13)

Article from The Washington Times, March 31, 1904

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Article Text

NEW YORK

The Federal Trust Company, of Cleveland, Ohio, with a capital of $1,500,000 and assets of $3,000,000, has assigned. Deposits amount to about $1,700,000. and outstanding loans are in excess of $2,000,000. The institution began business in 1891.


Article from The Daily Palladium, March 31, 1904

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Cleveland, O., March 31.-The - Federal Trust company today assigned to the guardian of the trust company, owing to the disappearance of a prominent official of the Federal Trust company. The total assets are about three million dollars.


Article from The Daily Tribune, March 31, 1904

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Cleveland, O., March 31-The Fed. eral Trust Co. assigned today. Officers say depositors will lose noth. ing.


Article from New-York Tribune, April 1, 1904

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BONDS

103% North Pac 4s ½ + AT&SFg4s.101% * Reading gen 4s 96% B & gold 4s 102 SL&S ref 4s. 82½ Chic B & 4s 94 % + SLSW con 4s.. 72% 1/4 CRI&PRR + 1/2 Un Pac conv 4s... 98% Col T 5s. 79 75% U S Steel 5s 59½ Consol Tob 4s 14 611/4 Wabash D Bs KCFS&M4s. 80% STOCK MARKET OPERATIONS. Transactions in yesterday's stock market were made up in great part of the operations of the professional element and sales by dealers who decided to convert paper profits into cash. The board room element was bearish throughout the day, and in the absence of a public demand for securities early efforts to reduce prices met considerable success, although the reaction was not effective in bringing a large amount of stock on the market. There were no news developments of sufficient importance to induce liquidation, but the room traders thought that the trust company failures in Cleveland and Boston warranted an attack on values. These failures were not large enough to be classed as influential factors in the general financial situation, but, of course, the theorizing speculator immediately saw in the trust company troubles indications of serious disturbances in similar institutions in other parts of the country. The local banks are not affected in any way by the suspension of the Federal Trust Company in Cleveland, or by the failure of an unimportant concern in Boston. As a matter of fact, the stock market was ripe for a reaction, and the decline was due to technical conditions rather than to developments outside of the Exchange. Vigorous efforts have been made in the last few days to boost prices, and moderate improvement has been recorded, but the so-called public has not responded to a noteworthy degree, while, according to the reports from commission houses, there is nó immediate prospect of enthusiastic interest in speculation from that quarter. Important market operators are undoubtedly working to bring about a higher quotation level, and for this reason the ordinary trader ought to be extremely careful in selling stocks short. It is said that there is still a large short interest in Union Pacific. In well informed circles the tip has gone forth to hold Southern Pacific, but no reason is given for the belief that a higher price will be recorded in the near future. Southern Pacific, however, is not selling at an exorbitant level, and people who own the stock may act wisely in maintaining a tight hold of the issue, although profits may be a long time in coming. St. Paul, which has enjoyed improvement in the last week, is certainly entitled to its gain, and conservative operators believe that eventually this issue will sell far above its current level. The report of a close alliance between the St. Paul company and the Union Pacific, other than the trackage alliance already in operation between the two companies, is apparently dying a natural death, and the chances are that the attempt to convince the public that a new era of railroad consolidation is about to develop will end in miserable failure. The intrinsic value of securities, as a rule, is greater than the present market prices. Efforts to stimulate quotations through the medium of Wall Street fairy tales will injure the market and reduce the chances of a genuine bull movement in prices, and it is encouraging to note that the public shows no disposition to be gulled by the purveyors of false information. Conditions underlying the investment situation are favorable, and the time will come when the market will rise in response to the factors governing the actual worth of securities. People with ready money may find it advisable to buy stocks on all reactions. In the last hour of trading prices exhibited a rallying tendency from the low figures of the day, especially in St. Paul, Union Pacific, People's Gas and United States Steel preferred, in which the shorts appeared anxious to cover their outstanding contracts. As a result of this movement the greater number of issues recovered their early losses, closing at small fractional gains. People's Gas showed exceptional strength, ending at a net advance of 2 per cent on rumors that the company would win in its pending case in the United States Supreme Court. As to-day will be a holiday on the local exchange the weekly movement of money was compiled yesterday afternoon, and it is interesting to note that the loss of the banks to the Sub-Treasury has been offset by a gain from the interior. Unless, therefore, there has been a large increase in loans and deposits in the week, to-morrow's statement of the Clearing House banks ought to show an increase in the reserve above legal requirements.


Article from The Washington Times, April 3, 1904

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WARRANT FOR BANK BREAKER

CLEVELAND, Ohio, April 2-The surety company which is on the bond of George F. Clewell, the missing secretary and treasurer of the assigned Federal Trust Company, was today given a warrant for his arrest.


Article from The Laramie Republican, April 5, 1904

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WILL NOW BE GOOD CASHIER OF FAILED TRUST COMPANY WILL RETURN TO CLEVELAND WITHOUT TROUBLE. Thinks His Shortage Will Amount to Eighteen or Twenty Thousand Dollars, and That He Was Led Into Irregularities to Lift Mortgage on His Home. St. Joseph, Mo., April 5.-George Caldwell, cashier of the Federal Trust company of Cleveland, O., today said he would not resist requisition. He said he thought his shortage would amount to $18,000 or $20,000, and that he was led into the irregularities to meet the mortgage on his home. Clewell fled a week ago, just before the company suspended. The warrant charges him with embezzling $18,000.


Article from Waterbury Evening Democrat, April 5, 1904

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Clewell Captured at St

Joseph. CLEVELAND, O., April 5.-A dispatch to Chief of Police Kohler of this city announces the arrest at St. Joseph, Mo., of George F. Clewell, the missing secretary and treasurer of the assigned Federal Trust company of this citv


Article from The Bennington Evening Banner, April 5, 1904

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Clewell Captured at St

Joseph. CLEVELAND, O., April 5.-A dispatch to Chief of Police Kohler of this city announces the arrest at St. Joseph, Mo., of George F. Clewell, the missing secretary and treasurer of the assigned Federal Trust company of this city.


Article from The Savannah Morning News, April 5, 1904

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Clewell Captured

Cleveland, O., April 4.-A dispatch to Chief of Police Kohler of this city announces the arrest at St. Joseph, Mo., this afternoon, of George F. Clewell, the missing secretary and treasurer of the assigned Federal Trust Company of this city.


Article from Evening Star, April 5, 1904

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Absconding Treasurer Caught.

A dispatch from Cleveland, Ohio, says: A telegram was received by Chief of Police Kohler from Chief Franz of the St. Joseph, Mo., police department, announcing that George F. Clewell, the missing secretary and treasurer of the recently assigned Federal Trust Company of Cleveland, had been arrested there. The charge against Clewell was a shortage of $10,000 in his accounts with the Federal Trust Company.

A telegram was received stating that Clewell would return to Cleveland without a requisition.

Friends of Clewell have raised a fund, and stand ready to make good any shortage in his accounts.

Clewell's shortage, so far as known, amounts to $18,100, and this sum his friends stand ready to pay. It is understood that the bank officials will accept the proposition and probably withdraw the warrant against the missing secretary and treasurer.


Article from Vernon County Censor, April 6, 1904

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Assignment of Two Banks

Federal Trust Company of Cleveland, Ohio, assigned, fearing a run by its depositors because of rumors that a missing official is a heavy embezzler. Union Trust Comp ny of Boston also closed.


Article from Eagle River Review, April 8, 1904

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Assignment of Two Banks

Federal Trust Company of Cleveland, Ohio, assigned, fearing a run by its depositors because of rumors that a missing official is a heavy embezzler. Union Trust Company of Boston also closed.


Article from The Broad Ax, December 31, 1904

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Business Failures

Jan. 14—Auburn (Ind.) Farmers' bank. 16—Mt. Ayr (Ia.) Citizens' bank; $450,000. 22—Cleveland (O.) Produce Exchange bank and branches at Bedford, Hudson and Defiance. 23—Elkhart (Ind.) Nat. bank. 30—New York, A. B. Baxter & Co., cotton brokers; $2,000,000. Feb. 2—New Orleans, Kirby Lumber Co. and Houston Oil Co Clarksburg (W. Va.) Traders' Nat. bank. 9—McGruder (Tex.) Citizens' Nat. bank. 10—New York Equitable Nat. bank Bank of Dunn, N. C. 11—Syracuse (N. Y.) Exchange Nat. bank; $500,000. 15—Pella (Ia.) Savings bank. 28—Opelika (Ala.) bank; $150,000 Taunton (Mass.) bank; $600,000. Mar. 2—Le Sueur (Minn.) bank; $95,000. 11—Garden Grove and Coin (Ia.) banks. 18—Daniel Sully, New York cotton king; $17,000,000. 21—Lonaconing (Md.) Savings bank. 22—Riverside (Cal.) bank E. O. Miller, banker, Providence, Ia National bank of Holdenville, Ind. T., suspends operations. 31—Union Trust, Boston; $1,600,000 Federal Trust, Cleveland; $1,000,000. Apr. 4—Capital Nat. bank, Guthrie, Okla.; $1,033,000 W. B. Mack, New York.