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PROBE FAILURE OF RYAN
Webster County Grand Jurors Hear Charges of Misapplication.
SPECIAL TO THE PRESS HARTVILLE, Mo., Mar. 3.-A special grand jury called by Circuit Judge H. Skinker Monday morning went into its fifth day of investigation of the closed Ryan Banking company of Norwood, whose cashier and most active official, David L. Conley, died in Springfield hospital few days before his bank was closed by state officials. Nearly 50 witnesses have appeared. The jury may report late Monday afternoon, according to Leonard E. Newton, Wright county prosecutor, who is leading the investigation.
Misappropriations Charged. The investigation centers around activities of the Norwood bank of ficials, Prosecutor Newton declared although he refused to reveal any names. The witnesses largely comprise depositors and small stockholders. While the grand jury was called primarily to investigate affairs of the defunct bank, other matters of criminal nature are to be probit was indicated. An audit made by the Southwest Audit and Systems company of Springfield short time after the bank failed, revealed, according to attorneys for the bank receiver, that Cashier Conley misapplied approximately $25,000 of the bank's funds over five-year period. Bond Is Forfeited.
Conley's bond as cashier, $5,000, was paid by the National Surety company without protest. A claim of $2,500 made by attorneys for the receivership upon the $5,000 bond of Ralph Calhoun, former assistant cashier of the bank, has not been honored. It charged misapplications in which Conley appeared chiefly involved. The bonding company was expected to fight the claim on Calhoun's bond upon the grounds that misapplications involved in it were engineered by Conley and to Calhoun without his knowltimes in the payment of his salary. The largest single misapplication charged against Conley is for