886. Needles National Bank (Needles, CA)

Bank Information

Episode Type
Suspension → Closure
Bank Type
national
Bank ID
4873
Charter Number
4873
Start Date
December 13, 1894
Location
Needles, California (34.848, -114.614)

Metadata

Model
gpt-5-mini
Short Digest
0e07d670

Response Measures

None

Receivership Details

Depositor recovery rate
25.0%
Date receivership started
1895-01-19
Date receivership terminated
1903-10-19
OCC cause of failure
Fraud
Share of assets assessed as good
11.1%
Share of assets assessed as doubtful
4.5%
Share of assets assessed as worthless
84.4%

Description

Article (1894-12-13) reports the Needles National Bank closed its doors for lack of funds. A later (1898) suit names Daniel Murphy as receiver, indicating the suspension led to permanent closure/receivership. No article describes a depositor run prior to suspension.

Events (4)

1. March 6, 1893 Chartered
Source
historical_nic
2. December 13, 1894 Suspension
Cause
Bank Specific Adverse Info
Cause Details
Lack of funds to meet obligations (insolvency/liquidity failure) caused the bank to close its doors.
Newspaper Excerpt
A National Bank Suspends. NEEDLES, CAL., December 13.-Lack of funds to meet obligations presented yesterday caused the Needles National Bank to close its doors.
Source
newspapers
3. January 19, 1895 Receivership
Source
historical_nic
4. May 3, 1898 Receivership
Newspaper Excerpt
case brought by Abner T. Bowen ... against the Needles National bank and Daniel Murphy, receiver.
Source
newspapers

Newspaper Articles (2)

Article from Richmond Dispatch, December 14, 1894

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Article Text

A National Bank Suspends. NEEDLES, CAL., December 13.-Lack of funds to meet obligations presented yesterday caused the Needles National Bank to close its doors. The officials say all depositors will be paid in full.


Article from The Herald, May 3, 1898

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Article Text

# SUIT AGAINST NEEDLES BANK Judge Ross Gives an Opinion on Bank Guarantees An opinion by Judge Ross has been filed in the circuit court in the complicated case brought by Abner T. Bowen of New York against the Needles National bank and Daniel Murphy, receiver. The action originally was brought in 1895 for $22,439, but this sum was not allowed by the court. A cross-complaint prays for $30,000, and the court awarded the plaintiff $69.45. Isaac E. Blake, a capitalist of Denver, largely interested in mines near the Needles, had several checks cashed on Bowen's bank in New York, for which, he claims, the Needles bank guaranteed payment. Several were paid by Blake, but three, in sums ranging from $4000 to $9000, drawn on the Chase National bank, remain unpaid, no money being on deposit in said bank. The court holds that, while the checks formed valid claims against the bank, they were not entitled to any preference on account of the guarantee's being without authority of law.