Liabilities for Endorsements and other securities, Directors Canal Bank... Theodore Olcott, on the 14th day of July, 1848, presented the following notes, with a request that they should be credited to the Pratt Bank of Buffalo, having been discounted previously with funds belonging to that bank. If they are so credited, it will increase the indebtedness of John Keyes Paige, President, and Edwin Croswell as follows. E. Croswell's note on demand, endorsed T. Olcott, 1847, Oct. 13. 66 Nov. 30. H. Dwight, draft on cash Canal Bank, in favor of Edwin $20,000 00 8,125 00 6,775 47 6,491 57 50,000 00 $91,392 00 If the above demands are charged to the account of E. Creswell and J. K. Paige, President, their indebtedness will be as follows:- John Keyes Paige, President, $110.266 40 $215,668 21 JOHN L. CREW. Examination of John L. Crew, Teller. Question. Were you the Teller of the President, Directors and Company of the Canal Bank of Albany, commonly calle 1 the Canal Bank, on and prior to the 11th day of July instant, and how long had you been such Teller? Answer. I was the Teller on the 11th day of July inst. How long I cannot tell without reference to the books. I think I had been such Teller about three years. Q. Have you any knowledge of the removal or transfer or change of possession of any notes, bonds, bills, or any other kind of evidence of indebtedness to said Bank, or of any moneys, drafts, or bank bills, being removed from said Bank at any time within a week before the said ele venth day of July? A. Yes, I have. Q. State what securities, moneys or bank notes have been within that time removed or transferred, and open to the books or other evidence kept in writing in the course of the business of the bank showing the same. A. I refer to the book "Receipt Cash Book, No. 32," Canal Bank, from date of 3d of July, 1848; on that day I should have on hand, according to the books, $181,572,23. The left hand column of the Teller's exchange book, under and after the date of July 3d, shows the transactions of the exchanges with the different banks in this city and Troy. It shows that truly, unintentional and unknown errors excepted. The entries on the right hand column are the items which were received of the bank as far as I know. I am able to say it contains a true account of all that was received from other banks. There were other moneys out of the bank during that time in payment of checks drawn by persons having deposits in the bank. Those checks are charged on the debtor cash book, marked disbursement cash book, No. 32, Canal Bank. The entries under and after July 3d, on that book, show all the checks and vouchers for all moneys which were disbursed and paid out or parted with during that time, to my personal knowledge. Q. Have you any reason to believe that any moneys or bank bills, or other evidence of debt, or property of any description, was paid out or transferred, or in any way removed from the bank within that time except those already stated by you? A. No sir; not to my best recollection. I was in the bank all the time during the usual business hours, from the 3d to the 11th of July. Q. Were you in the bank on the 10th July? A. Yes; I was here in the morning and until 9 o'clock in the evening. I did not do anything in the evening. Q. Who else was in the bank that evening after business hours? A. All the clerks about, to wit: Mr. Hill, Mr. Jenkins, I recollect no other clerks. The Cashier, Mr. Knower, a clerk, and a Mr. William McPherson, the errand boy, were also in. There were other persons in. Could not remember who; not any of them positively. Q. Were there any of the officers, or directors, or stockholders, or depositors of the bank, in the bank after bank hours on that afternoon or evening? A. I could not specify how many persons were there. Q. Who, according to your best information or recollection? A. I think Mr. Edwin Croswell and Mr. Thaddeus Joy may have been in, as for any body else I have no sort of recollection of any body. Q. About what time do you think you saw Croswell or Joy in? A. I could not say. Q. Were either Croswell or Joy in after dark? A. Not to my knowledge. Q. Were either of them in after four o'clock in the afternoon? A. Not to my kuowledge. Q. What is your best impression or information whether they or either of them was in after four o'clock in the afternoon? A. I have no impression or information about it. Q. Where was Joy or Croswell when in the bank that afternoon after banking hours or in the evening? A. In the Cashier's rooom, the office, I presume the Cashier was with them, nobody else to my knowledge. Q. What were they doing in the Cashier's room or office? A. I do not know. Q. Have you no knowledge or information direct or indirect, what they were doing there? A. Not any. Q. What time did they leave that place last as near as you can now recollect or judge? A. I have no impression of it whatever. Q. What part of the bank were you at that time? A. At my counter in the room. Q. Did you go out of the bank leaving them in, or did they go out of the bank, leaving you in? A. I think it was before dark that I last knew of their being in the Cashier's room, or in the bank anywhere. Q. What were you doing at your counter at that time? A. Figuring to balance my cash. It was after past three o'clock I think; I can't recollect or give any account of the time of day. I quit my desk at that time, when trying to balance my cash. Q. Who was in the bank last that evening that you recollect besides yourself? A. Mr. Jenkins. Q. What time did Mr. Jenkins leave the bank that evening? A. At about 9 o'clock. Q. Were the candles or lamps lighted? A. The gas was burning. Q. What was Mr. Jenkins about up to the time he left? A. Did not seem to be doing anything. Mr. Jenkins and myself had gone out about eight o'clock to supper, and returned about a quarter to nine. Q. Was anybody in besides Jenkins when you returned? A. Mr. Hill, nobody else. Q. Have you no knowledge or information about what was done in the bank after bank hours that afternoon or evening, except what you have stated? A. I have not any. Q. Was it a usual occurrence for the clerks or officers, or others connected with the bank to be in the bank after bank hours, as late as 9 o'clock? A. When there was work to be done, it was usual, not usual lately. Q. Was there any work to be done the evening of the 10th of July that called them there, to your knowledge? A. Yes. Q. What was it? A. The balancing of the books for the day, making remittances for New York, forwarding packages to our Eastern correspondents, Western banks, and our miscellaneous business; I can't specify all now; that was the principal I suppose. Q. Did the business transacted that afternoon and evening, according to the usual course of business, require the presence of the Cashier and Mr. Croswell and Joy? A. No, sir. Q. Did you know what they were in the bank for? A. No, sir. Q. Had there been any of the clerks or officers or persons connected with the bank, in the bank after bank hours during or previous to the 10th of July? A. Yes. Q. Was there any one there on the evening of the 9th? Q. Was there any one there on the evening of the 8th? Q. Do you know who else was there? A. No distinct recollection; the Cashier, Mr. Hill, Mr. Jenkins and myself; none of the directors to my knowledge. I know of no business that was transacted that evening, or any thing that was done in the bank. There was nobody in after dark on the evening of the 8th, to my knowledge. Q. Had you, at any time previous to the said 11th of July, any knowl edge or information of any of the directors being in the bank after banking hours? A. Not to my knowledge. Q. Who are the directors? A. John Keyes Paige, President, William J. Fryer, Thaddeus Joy, S. W. Hoag, Elisha N. Pratt, Archibald McClure, II. T. Mesick, Edward Artcher, Theodore Olcott, Cashier, Shular Cady, Robert C. Russell, David II. Ford, Charles Van Benthuysen, Cyrus flawley, Edwin Croswell. JULY 14.-After Dinner. Q. When were you absent from the bank, and when did you return in the month of July? A. I was absent from the morning of June 1st, until the morning of July 3d, Monday I was in the bank, it is my impression, all day. Q. Were you familiar with the cash transactions in relation to your cash accounts, from the time you came home until the 11th day of July? A. To the best of my recollection, I was. Q. On the morning of the 11th, when you came into the bank, were Q. Do you recollect that they were in the bank that morning? Q. Do you not recollect of their standing at the end of the counter in the bank when you came by with the money drawer or papers, to bring it into the Cashier's room? A. I do not distinctly remember. Q. Do you say positively that you have no recollection of Thaddeus Joy and Walter Joy being in the bank that morning? A. To the best of my recollection, I do not know that they were. Q. Do you recollect Walter Joy's receiving any packages of money from the 7th to the 11th of July? A. I do not, to the best of my recollection. Q. Is that your memorandum of entries of cash, and is that your cash book? (Quarto bound, sheepskin.) The star refers to an excess of cash-$10,000—there was a mistake of $10,000 in the posting. A. It is and I acknowledge that it is my writing. Q. Have you been in the habit, since you were Teller in the bank, of receiving sums of money of persons for getting notes discounted? A. To the best of my knowledge I never did. Q. Have you ever received money from individuals who had notes discounted, for getting them discounted, while you were the Teller of the bank? A. Yes, I have; I have sometimes discounted notes myself, at a little over the interest of my own money. To the best of my recollection it is at least a year since I received a fee in this way. Q. At what rates did you discount? A. I have no remembrance of any particular rates of interest. Q. Did you ever discount a note in that way after the bank had de clined discounting it? A. To the best of my recollection, I never did. Q. You say you have received a premium for discounting. was the money obtained which you gave for them? A. It was either my own or that of my friends. Where Q. Did you never have funds of the Canal Bank for the purpose discounting notes for which you have obtained a premium? A. Not to the best of my recollection. of Q. Have you never taken money from the drawer of the bank and scounted paper and loaned it to individuals? A. I have loaned individuals money sometimes on checks; the money was the money of the bank. Q. I want to know whether you have ever taken money belonging to the bank from the bank drawer and loaned it to individuals, received the premium yourself, deposited your check or your father's in the drawer in substitution of the money taken out? A. Not to the best of my recollection. Q. Are you not now indebted to the bank for money obtained by yourself and for your father, acting as his attorney, and if so, about how much? A. I am indebted to the bank for money obtained by me for myself, but am not indebted to the bank for money obtained for my father, not as I understand it. Q. Have you a power of attorney to use your father's name? A. Yes; or the Cashier has it, which is the same thing; I suppose it is in the bank. (Continued on p, 217, Oct. number.) |