Dime Savings Bank - Baltimore, MD

Bank Information

Episode Type: Run Only
Bank Type: savings bank
Start Date: October 27, 1900
Location: Baltimore, Maryland (39.290, -76.612)

Metadata

Model: gpt-5-mini
Short Digest: 46f5b82b

Response Measures

Accommodated withdrawals, Public signal of financial health

Description

Article (Evening Journal, 1900-10-29) reports a brief run on the Dime Savings Bank in Baltimore triggered by fear of William Jennings Bryan's election (political/macro news). The bank paid all demands and kept doors open after hours, so it did not suspend. Date of run approximated as two days prior to publication.

Events (1)

1. October 27, 1900 Run

Cause: Macro News
Cause Details: Political fears about the possible election of William Jennings Bryan and threats regarding currency policy prompted depositors to withdraw funds.
Measures: Bank paid every penny on demand and kept its doors open after hours to accommodate working depositors.
Newspaper Excerpt: the savings bank depositors, taking alarm at the prospect of a Bryanite triumph, began to withdraw their hard-earned savings, and, in course of forty-eight hours, a run was precipitated on a dime savings bank
Source: newspapers

Newspaper Articles (1)

1. October 29, 1900 Evening Journal Wilmington, DE

Article from Evening Journal, October 29, 1900

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Article Text

NEWSPAPER OPINION Why He Is Feared From Philadelphia Evening Telegraph. A Democratic rally in the city of Baltimore a day or two since, awakened apprehensions that Bryan might actually be elected, and, as a consequence, a very significant incident OCcurred which might have been attended with unfortunate results. The Eavings bank depositors, taking alarm at the prospect of a Bryanite triumph, began to withdraw their hard-earned savings, and, in course of forty-eight hours, a run was precipitated on a dime savings bank which would certainly have forced a suspension had the institution developed any sign of weakness under the strain. Had this bank been closed it is more than probable that a panic among savings bank depositors would have ensued, causing incalculable mischief. Fortunately the institution is sound as a gold dollar, and not only paid every penny on demand, but kept its doors open after hours in the evening to accommodate working people engaged during the day. The flurry did no permanent harm, except to the depositors who have sacrificed accruing interest on their balances, but it offers a striking and convincing illustration of the scenes that would most assuredly be witnessed if the dread of Bryan's election should unhappily be realized. This dread is not due altogether to the Bryanite threats of degrading the currency of the country. These threats, often repeated and never withdrawn, of e course constitute a grave cause of unor easiness, but there is, beyond this apprehension, an instinctive conviction g on the part of the people that William e Jennings Bryan is not a fit person to be g trusted in the presidential office. You et cannot fool all the people all the time and they are fully persuaded in their own minds that Bryan would not make a good president. This impression he in has himself created, and hardly a day er passes that he does not say or do something to confirm it. In his ad dress during the past few days, for ex ed ample, he has turned his attention es pecially to the relations of our govern ment with the South African repub