9239. Farmers & Merchants Bank (Moberly, MO)

Bank Information

Episode Type
Suspension → Closure
Bank Type
state
Start Date
May 11, 1922
Location
Moberly, Missouri (39.418, -92.438)

Metadata

Model
gpt-5-mini
Short Digest
8a215edd36822062

Response Measures

None

Description

The bank closed permanently on May 11, 1922 with a reported shortage of approximately $400,000 and subsequent criminal indictments/convictions for forgery involving officers (president and cashier). No article describes a depositor run prior to suspension; closure appears tied to internal fraud/embezzlement and resulted in the bank becoming defunct.

Events (2)
1. May 11, 1922 Suspension
Cause
Bank Specific Adverse Info
Cause Details
Closed with an approximate $400,000 shortage; senior officers indicted/convicted for forgery and one officer (president) went missing.
Newspaper Excerpt
the defunct Farmers and Merchants' Bank of Moberly, which closed May 11, 1922, with a shortage of approximately $400,000
Source
newspapers
2. * Receivership
Newspaper Excerpt
missing president of the Farmers and Merchants bank of Moberly, which closed recently. Bundridge is wanted on charges of having forged a number of promissory notes.
Source
newspapers

Newspaper Articles (2)
1. May 21, 1922 The Morning Tulsa Daily World Tulsa, OK
Article from The Morning Tulsa Daily World, May 21, 1922

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Article Text

Reward For Bundridge. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., May 20. Gov. Arthur M. Hyde today issued a pročlamation offering a reward for the apprehension of J. W. Bundridge. missing president of the Farmers and Merchants bank of Moberly. which closed recently. Bundridge is wanted on charges of having forged a number of promissory notes.

2. March 19, 1925 The Milan Standard Milan, MO
Article from The Milan Standard, March 19, 1925

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Article Text

REARREST FOR BANKER WHEN HE LEAVES PRISON Moberly, Mo., March 13.-Vern E. Bundridge, former cashier of the defunct Farmers and Merchants' Bank of Moberly, which closed May 11, 1922, with a shortage of approximateby $400,000, will be rearrested when he leaves the Missouri state penitentiary on April 12, a capias on grand jury indictment having been sent to the sheriff of Cole county today The capias is on an indictment returned by a grand jury in Moberly in 1923, which charges the former banker with forgery of a $1800 note. Prosecuting Attorney W. M. Stringer said today that Bundridge would be tried on this indictment and that five other indictments returned by the same grand jury, also charging forgery, will be filed against him. The indictments are made jointly against Vern Bundridge his brother, Walter, president of the bank, who was sentenced to ten years in the penitentiary. while Vern's tence was for five years. With benefit of good behavior, Vern's term-expires April 12, Walter remaining in prison.