State v. Commercial & Savings Bank
State v. Commercial & Savings Bank
Opinion of the Court
The Commercial & Savings Bank of Kearney was organized under the laws of this state in the fall of the year of 1889, and as such bank transacted business until and including January 30,1892. On this last named date, and for some time previous thereto, Sylvester S. St. John was president of said bank, at the time being secretary of the Mutual Loan & Investment Company of Kearney, while John Barnd, contemporaneously, was cashier of the aforesaid bank. About half past 8 o’clock P. M. of January 30, 1892 (which was Saturday) there was executed between the Mutual Loan & Investment Company, by Sylvester S. St. John, its secretary, and Sylvester S. St. John in his individual capacity, as parties of the first part, and the Commercial & Savings Bank by John Barnd, its cashier, and by John Barnd individually, as parties of the second part, a writing of which the following is a copy:
“Kearney, Neb., January 30, 1892.
“Articles of agreement, made and entered into this day by and between the Mutual Loan & Investment Company and Sylvester S. St. John, of the one part, and the Commercial & Savings Bank and John Barnd, of the second part, witnesseth, that the said party of the first part hereby assumes and agrees to pay a certain note of five thousand ($5,000) dollars given by John Barnd to the Mutual Loan & Investment Company, and by them discounted at Essex National Bank, Haverhill, Mass., in consideration of the
“The Commercial & Savings Bank also agrees to pay a certain draft to the Citizens Savings & Trust Company of Iowa City, Iowa, given in payment of a certain certificate of deposit issued by the said the Commercial. & Savings Bank to A. C. Hinman and'by him discounted at the Citizens Savings & Trust Company of Iowa City, Iowa.
“Also, Syl. S. St. John agrees to turn over to said John Barnd stock number one(l), two (2), and four (4),and thirty-eight (38) of the Commercial & Savings Bank, being two hundred (200) shares, this day sold to said John Barnd, cashier, and the said John Barnd agrees to turn over to Syl. S. St. John number sixteen (16) and seventeen (17) of the Mutual Loan & Investment Company’s stock, being seventy-five (75) shares this day sold to said Sylvester S. St. John.
“The Commercial & Savings Bank also agrees to return to the Mutual Loan & Investment Company first mortgages on real estate amounting to forty-nine hundred fifty ($4950) dollars held by the Union National Bank of Chicago as collateral security; also five thousand dollars ($5,000), more or less, of first mortgages on real estate held by F. D. Updyke as collateral to the said Commercial & Savings Bank’s note of five thousand ($5,000) dollars,
“In witness whereof, we have set our hands and seals this 30th day of January, 1892.
“The Mutual Loan & Inv. Co.,
“ By Syl. S. St. John, Sec’y. [seal.]
“Sylvester S. St. John. [seal.]
“ Witness:
“A. H. Bertrand.
“L. H. St. John.
“The Commercial & Savings Bank,
“By John Barnd, Cashier, [seal.]
“John Barnd. [seal.]”
On Monday, February 1, 1892, a special meeting of the directors of said bank was held at 8 o’clock A. M., as shown by the bank records, at which meeting the following proceedings were had:
“Special Meeting op Directors Held at 8 A. M.
February 1, 1892.
“Meeting called to order by S. S. St. John, president. Present, S. S. St. John, John Barnd, John Scott, O. P. Pearson, W. F. Pickering, T. N. Hartzell, and A. H. Bertrand. The following letter was read:
s “‘Kearney, Neb., January 30, 1892.
“ ‘To the Board of Directors of the Commercial & Savings Bank:
“‘Gentlemen: Having sold my stock, and disposed of all my interest in the bank, I necessarily cease all of my connection with the same, and tender my resignation as director and president.
“‘Yours most truly, Sylvester S. St. John.*
“The resignation of Mr. St. John was moved and carried as director and president.
“On motion, the resignation of John Barnd, cashier of the bank, was carried and accepted.
“On motion, it was seconded and carried that the board of directors confirm the transfer of stock, notes, etc., made between S. S. St. John and the Mutual Loan & Investment Company, of the first part, and John Barnd and the Commercial .& Savings Bank, of the second part, as appears on the records of the bank as having taken place January 30, • 1892.
“A statement was made by John Barnd, that owing to conditions and circumstances over which the bank had no control, the bank would possibly be compelled to close its doors and business for want of funds; that this state of affairs was brought about by the general depression of financial matters for the last eighteen months, causing a shrinkage in the deposits of the bank, and inability to collect and realize upon its resources.
“On motion, the resignation of O. P. Pearson, John Scott, T. N. Hartzell, and W. F. Pickering as directors of the bank were accepted, and their stock in said bank was purchased by the Commercial & Savings Bank. Moved and carried that the above transfer of bank stocks be recorded on the stock ledger of the bank.
“On motion, adjourned.
“A. H. Bertrand*
“Ass’t Cashier, and Actg. Secy.”
As developed by subsequent events, the bank was at that time hopelessly insolvent; its stock had no value whatever. Under these circumstances, if there is charged against the Mutual Loan & Investment Company and Sylvester S. St. John, the parties of the first part to the above agreement, what they were to receive thereunder, and to the Commercial & Savings Bank and John Barnd, as parties of the second part, the items that said agreement entitled them to receive, such statement would stand as follows:
To agreement of Commercial & Savings Bank and John Barnd to pay note Mutual Loan & Investment Company......................................... $5,000
To agreement of Commercial &■ Savings Bank to pay note of above company to said bank, afterward discounted at Lincoln National Bank...... 2,000
To collaterals to above to be returned ............... 3,000
To 75 shares, $100 each, of stock Mutual Loan & Investment Company, at par value ............... 7,500
To first mortgages on real estate to be returned, held by Union National Bank, Chicago ......... 4,950
To first mortgages held by Updyke as collateral... 5,000
Total...............................................$27,450
The Commercial & Savings Bank and John Barnd, Dr.
To Mutual Loan & Investment Company and S. S. St. John agreement to pay John Barnd’s note • to said Mutual Loan & Investment Company... $5,000
To cash paid to first parties to agreement........... 2,000
To 200 shares stock of said bank, worthless........ 0,000
Total............................................... $7,000
The terms of this agreement, as above shown, entitled the parties of the first part to $27,450, while the Commercial & Savings Bank and John Barnd, parties of the second part, received, in all, a consideration of $7,000. Of this $7,000 the note of John Barnd to the Mutual Loan & Investment Company for $5,000 had been discounted by the Essex National Bank of Haverhill, Massachusetts, presumably with the guaranty of said Mutual Loan & Investment Company, as the evidence for the defendant clearly shows that that was its usual course* as to notes discounted by said loan and investment company. As to
Sylvester S. St. John and the Mutual Loan & Investment Company question the powers of the receiver to institute this sort of proceedings as to them. A sufficient answer to this will be found by a reference to State v. Commercial State Bank, 28 Neb., 677, and State v. Exchange Bank, 34 Id., 198. The order in this case appointing Henry Gibbons receiver required the officers of the Commercial & Savings Bank to deliver to him all the property and effects of said bank of what description soever of which they had possession. In view of the fact that the evidence upon which the referee predicated his findings fully sustains each of said findings, the matters for which the Mutual Loan & Investment Company and Sylvester S. St. John shall be held accountable to the receiver aforesaid will be stated in accordance with said findings. It is alleged, however, that these findings fail to state the value of the sepa
Capital stock Mutual Loan & Investment Company..........................................$27,500 00
Capital stock Mutual Loan & Investment Company, of Barnd............................. 7,500 00
Notes of Mutual Loan & Investment Company................................................ 2,000 00
Notes Mutual Loan & Investment Company.. 5,000 00
Cash deposited to company........................ 3,761 00
Note of S. S. St. John, and interest $69........ 1,025 63
Note of S. S. St. John............................. 4,434 00
Note of L. N. St. John........................... 2,087 24
Note of T. E. St. John........................... 400 00
Total received, by St. John and M. L.
& I. Co....................................$53,707 87
Against this there was turned over to the bank and John Barnd the aforesaid worthless bank stock and equally worthless notes of John Barnd, with the following items: Cash, check, $2,780.40; notes of Mutual Loan &,
The Mutual Loan & Investment Company, aforesaid, and Sylvester S. St. John are, therefore, required to deliver to the receiver of the Commercial & Savings Bank, aforesaid, the value of the stock of the Mutual Loan & Investment Company of $27,500 canceled by said Mutual Loan ■& Investment Company, and all the notes and other property received as aforesaid, being in all of the aggregate amount of $34,188.47, with seven per cent interest thereon from January 30,1892, within thirty days from the date on which this opinion is filed with the clerk of this court* If this requirement is not complied with, such further proceedings will be taken by this court as shall be found necessary to enforce such compliance.
Judgment accokdingly.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- State of Nebraska v. Commercial & Savings Bank of Kearney, Nebraska
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published