Lochner v. State
Lochner v. State
Opinion of the Court
The indictment herein contains nine counts, each of which charges a violation of sec. 221.17, Stats. So much of that section as is here material provides:
“Any banker, officer, director or employee of any bank who shall wilfully and knowingly subscribe to or make, or cause to be made, any false statement or false entry in the books of any bánk, or mutual savings bank, or shall knowingly subscribe to or exhibit false papers, with the intent to deceive any person or persons authorized to examine into the affairs of said bank, or mutual savings bank, or shall knowingly make, state, or publish any false report or statement of any such bank, or mutual savings bank, shall be deemed guilty of a felony, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished . . . ”
The first count of the indictment charges that on February 11, 1930, the defendant was president and director of the Bank of Shorewood and that he wilfully and knowingly subscribed to and made, or caused to be made, false statements or false entries in the books of said bank, and knowingly subscribed to and exhibited false papers with the intent to deceive any person or persons authorized to examine into the affairs of the bank, in that he entered and caused,to be entered in the books and records of the bank the name of one T. J. Marlier as having subscribed to and paid for ten shares of the capital stock of the bank, and issued and caused to be issued to the said T. J. Marlier certificate No. 215 for said stock, subscribed by the said Fred A. Lochner as- president of said bank, for the said ten shares, and entered and caused
The second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth counts are substantially the same as the first count except as to the dates of the alleged offenses, the number of shares involved, and the names of Jacob Strass, James H. Pratt, W, H. Bennett, and John Reisner, in whose names respectively the stock was entered in the books of the bank.
The seventh count charges that “on March 12, 1930, in the county of Milwaukee and state of Wisconsin, Fred A. Lochner, as president and director of the Bank of Shore-wood, wilfully and knowingly subscribed to and made and caused to be made false statements and false entries in the books of the said bank, and knowingly subscribed to and exhibited false papers, with the intent to deceive any person and persons authorized to examine into the affairs of said bank, and knowingly made, stated and published a false report and statement of the said bank, in that he, the said Fred A. Lochner, then and there, in the manner and with intent as aforesaid, made and caused to be made, and subscribed and swore thereto, a statement of the stockholders of the said bank, with the number of shares owned and held by each, as required by section 221.15 (6) of the Wisconsin Statutes, and included therein the names of certain persoñ and persons who were not in fact holders of stock in the said bank, the shares purported in said statement to be held by them being in fact owned and held by the said Fred A. Lochner, and in said statements excluded the falsely reported shares from the statement of the shares owned by the said Fred A. Lochner, and that the said Fred A. Lochner
The eighth count charges an offense as of April 3, 1930, similar to that alleged in the seventh count, and alleges that the report or statement to the Commissioner of Banking under date of April 3, 1930, included W. H. Bennett as the owner and holder of fifteen shares, T. J. Marker as the owner and holder of twenty shares, J. H. Pratt as the owner and holder of thirty-five shares, and Jacob Strass as the owner and holder of forty-five shares, all of which it is alleged were owned and held by the defendant.
The ninth count is substantially the same as the eighth count except the date alleged therein, January 16, 1931, and except that it also alleges the name of John Reisner as the owner and holder of twenty-five shares.
While the allegations of the several counts of the indictment are general, broadly following the language of the statute and not as specific as might be desirable, it is very evident from the proof adduced upon the trial that by the allegations of the first count it was intended to charge an offense based upon an entry in the stock register of the bank which showed that Marker was the owner of certain stock; that the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth counts were based upon similar entries, which showed that Pratt, Strass, Bennett, and Reisner were the owners of stock. It is also clear that the seventh, eighth, and ninth counts intended to charge that the defendant knowingly subscribed to or exhibited false reports to the Commissioner of Banking with intent to deceive such officer.
The proof adduced by the state upon the trial in support of the first and fourth counts is substantially as follows: On December 20, 1923, Marker was the owner of two shares of Bank of Shorewood stock of the par value of $100 each. The total capital stock of the bank was $25,000. In 1930
The proof adduced by the state in support of the second count is substantially as follows: In December, 1928, at the request of the defendant, Strass bought five shares of bank stock from Arthur J. Straus. He paid for the stock with his own money but was later reimbursed therefor by the defendant. The Straus certificate was exchanged for an
The proof adduced by the state in support of the third count is substantially as follows: On December 20, 1923, one Grossman was the owner of ten shares of stock represented by one certificate which was thereafter exchanged for two certificates for seven and three shares respectively.
The proof adduced by the state in support of the fifth count consisted of the facts revealed by the stock register, which are substantially as follows: On December 20, 1923, one Goodman was the owner of ten shares of stock. The original certificate was replaced by three certificates, one of which, certificate No. 109, was for five shares issued to
The proof adduced by the state in support of the sixth count is substantially as follows: On February 11, 1930, one Goetz was the owner of certificate No. 204 for fifteen shares and later' on the owner of certificate No. 317 for fifteen shares which were assigned to Louis P. Lochner. These two certificates were later exchanged for other certificates, among which were three certificates aggregating twenty-five shares issued to Reisner. All three certificates were receipted for by Reisner on September 18, 1931. He indorsed them in blank and delivered them to the defendant. Mr. Reisner testified that he was a brother-in-law of the defendant; that the defendant issued twenty-five shares of stock in his name for which he never paid anything; that defendant brought the stock to him and he signed and receipted for the same and indorsed the stock; that he- did not keep the stock in his possession; that defendant wanted him to have the shares of stock in his name; that he knew when he signed for the stock that he became a stockholder of record and intended to become a stockholder of record and knew that it subjected him to liability unless the stock was transferred again; that he did nothing to have the stock transferred by the bank.
In support of the ninth count the state proved that under date of January 16, 1931, there was sent to the state banking department at Madison a certified list of stockholders of the bank and the number of shares held by each, as of January 1, 1931. The following holders of stock were listed therein: Bennett, 25 shares; defendant, 1,151 shares; Pratt, 35 shares; Strass, 45 shares; Reisner, 25 shares. This report or statement purports to have been made only by George D. Bartlett, cashier, who verified the same.
Marker, Pratt, and Strass were close friends of the defendant and were associated with him in several business enterprises in no wise connected with the bank. The defendant officed with them prior to his taking active charge of the bank in March, 1931. The bank was closed by the Commissioner of Banking in 1932 and its affairs taken over by the banking department, under whose direction double liability assessments were made against the stockholders of record, including Pratt, Marker, Reisner, Strass, and Bennett, for the benefit of the creditors of the bank. Most of the
The defendant contends (11 that the-proof adduced by the state fails to show the commission of any offense for the reason that the record indisputably shows that Marlier, Pratt, Strass, Bennett, and Reisner, at all of the times men--tioned in the indictment, so far as the bank, the Commissioner of Banking, or the creditors of the bank are concerned and for all the purposes of the law, were stockholders of the bank and therefore there were no false entries made or caused to be made on the books of the bank, or no false statements or reports made to the Commissioner of Banking; (2) that no offense known to our law was committed by the defendant in causing the stock to be issued in the names of others with their consent, and so entered on the books of the bank, or in failing or neglecting to transfer the stock assigned to him on the books of the bank.
We are not here concerned with the right of Marlier and the other stockholders of record mentioned, to assert claims for damages against the defendant for any wrongs done them by him in not having the stock assigned by them to him transferred on the books of the bank.
The questions before us are: (1) whether the defendant made or caused to be made false entries on the books of the bank by being a party to having certain stock purchased by him, or at his request, entered on the books of the bank in the names of certain of his friends and associates with their consent; (2) whether sending or causing to be sent to the Banking Commissioner statements containing the names of persons who were stockholders of record but who, to the knowledge of the defendant, had theretofore assigned their stock to him, constitutes the making of a false report or statement.
Sec. 221.43 provides:
“The shares of stock of an incorporated bank shall be deemed personal property, and shall be transferred on the books of the bank in such manner as the by-laws thereof may direct. ...”
The general rule as it affects the assessment of stockholders of record for the benefit of creditors was thus stated in Matteson v. Dent, 176 U. S. 521, 20 Sup. Ct. 419, 423:
“As a general rule, the legal owner of stock of a national banking association — that is, the one in whose name stock stands on the books of the association — remains liable for an assessment so long as the stock is allowed to stand in his name on the books, and, consequently, that although the registered owner may have made a transfer to another person, unless it has been accompanied by a transfer on the books of registry of the association, such registered owner remains liable” for contribution in case of the insolvency of the bank.
The rule stated in the Matteson Case is subject to an exception which permits an assessment to be made against one who has fraudulently transferred his stock to another who is financially irresponsible, for the purpose of evading his liability as a stockholder (Germania Nat. Bank v. Case,
The general rule is subject to the exception that bank stock not actually transferred on the books of the bank will be considered as transferred when the holder of record has done everything that he reasonably can do to effect a transfer on the stock register. Whitney v. Butler, 118 U. S. 655, 7 Sup. Ct. 61; McDonald v. Dewey, 202 U. S. 510, 26 Sup. Ct. 731; Parker v. Brumder, supra; Earle v. Carson, 188 U. S. 42, 23 Sup. Ct. 254; Apsey v. Kimball, 221 U. S. 514, 31 Sup. Ct. 695; State ex rel. Freeling v. Ware, 82 Okla. 130, 198 Pac. 859, 45 A. L. R. 127.
In Parker v. Brumder, supra, the rule is stated thus:
“In 1 Michie, Banks & Banking, p. 203, it is said: ‘The transfer of bank stock not regularly entered on the stock books is ineffectual to cut off the individual liability of the stockholder, unless the transferrer has done all that can be required of him to obtain a transfer on the books, the failure to make it being due to neglect of the officials of the bank. It is not enough to rely on the vendee to have the transfer made.’ ”
It is generally held that delivering a duly assigned certificate of stock to a bank for transfer, when accompanied by a power of attorney to transfer the stock, satisfies the rule that in order to effect a transfer of bank stock the holder must do everything that he can reasonably be expected to do to make a valid transfer of the certificate on the stock register. Whitney v. Butler, supra; McDonald v. Dewey, supra. In Parker v. Brumder, supra, it was held that a stockholder who assigned his shares of bank stock
It must be held upon the record in this case, which shows that Marker and the others consented that stock might be placed in their names, accepted the stock issued to them, receipted for the same on the books of the bank, and, after indorsing the stock over to the defendant and delivering the certificate to him, subscribed for new stock upon the increase of the capital stock of the bank, to which they would only be entitled on the theory that they were stockholders, receipted for such stock, permitted the bank to issue dividend checks in their names which they indorsed over to the defendant, executed powers of attorney to the cashier authorizing him to dispose of a special dividend, and did nothing which the law requires them to do to effect a transfer on the books of the bank, that they and each of them became stockholders of the bank and knowingly continued as such, unless the fact that the stock was assigned or indorsed over to the defendant, who was the president of the bank, operated in law as a transfer of the stock to him.
In Cousins v. Flertzheim, 182 Wis. 275, 285, 196 N. W. 250, a case ruled by Whitney v. Butler, supra; Matteson v. Dent, supra; Earle v. Carson, 188 U. S. 42, 23 Sup. Ct. 254; Apsey v. Kimball, 221 U. S. 514, 31 Sup. Ct. 695, it was said :
“The basis for the conclusion announced in the initial case of Whitney v. Butler, supra, is that when the stockholder sells his stock to the president or other officer of the corporation properly indorsed in blank with power of attorney to fill in the purchaser, the officer of the corporation receives it with knowledge that the stockholder has parted with his title and that, under such circumstances, he has done*123 all that he can do to accomplish a transfer on the books of the company; that thereupon it becomes his statutory right to have his stock so transferred, and it becomes the statutory duty of the officer of the company to accomplish such transfer upon the books of the company, and in the absence of any notice that the officers of the company have failed in the performance of such duty or a knowledge of facts which may be reasonably said to raise a question as to their performance of such duty or of their intention to perform such duty, he may rely upon the presumption that the stock will be so transferred upon the books of the corporation. We think this is a just and reasonable rule and is in harmony with the natural, ordinary conduct of mankind. It should be presumed that when the president of a corporation purchases stock of the corporation paying therefor its full par value, he does so because he attaches value to the stock, and that he, being the executive officer of the corporation, will see that the stock is properly transferred upon the books of the corporation, and that this may be relied upon by the seller in the absence of knowledge which should reasonably raise a doubt in such respect.”
After a very careful review of all of the authorities cited in Cousins v. Flertzheim, supra, and others, we are of the opinion that the statements “when the stockholder sells his stock to the president or other officer of the corporation properly indorsed in blank with power of attorney to fill in the purchaser, the officer of the corporation receives it with knowledge that the stockholder has parted with his title and that, under such circumstances, he has done all that he can do to accomplish a transfer on the books of the company,” and “it should be presumed that when the president of a corporation purchases stock of the corporation paying therefor its full par value, he does so because he attaches value to the stock, and that he, being the executive officer of the corporation, will see that the stock is properly transferred upon the books of the corporation, and that this may be relied upon by the seller in the absence of knowledge which
“By sec. 5139 of the Revised Statutes, those persons only have the rights and liabilities of stockholders who appear to be such as are registered on the books of the association, the stock being transferable only in that way. No person becomes a shareholder subject to such liabilities and succeeding to such rights, except by such transfer; until such transfer the prior holder is the stockholder for all the purposes of the law. . . . The case is not within the rule laid down in Whitney v. Butler, 118 U. S. 655, 7 Sup. Ct. 61. Here there is no proof, as there was in that case, of the delivery of the certificate to the bank and a power of attorney authorizing its transfer, with a request to do so made at the time of the transaction. The delivery was to Holmes, not as president, but as vendee. We are, therefore, constrained to hold that the decree below, in charging Comstock with liability as the owner of 150 shares, was not erroneous.”
There is nothing in our statutes applicable to a fully organized going bank which makes it a crime to cause bank stock bought by an officer of the bank to be issued in the name of another or which makes it a crime for an officer of a bank to fail or neglect to cause stock assigned to him to be transferred on the books of the bank.
There is nothing in the record tending to show that the defendant had any sinister purpose in picking up certain stock which was either being offered for sale or which he, as president, desired to have under his control. He may well have been of the opinion, for reasons that are perfectly obvious, that it was not desirable to have stock in his bank “peddled around.” He may well have thought it desirable to pick up stock, hold it in the names of others until such time as it might be disposed of to persons whose influence, loyalty, and businesses would make them desirable stockholders. The record reveals that a considerable part of the stock which had been purchased by the defendant and placed in the names of his associates was held by them for a time and was then transferred to others who became stockholders.
Our conclusions may be summarized as follows: (1) It is not an offense in this state, nor in any other state so far as we can discover, for an officer of a bank who purchases bank stock to cause it to be entered on the books of the bank in the name of another; (2) it is not an offense in this state, nor in any other state so far as we can discover, for one to whom bank stock has been assigned, to neglect or fail to have it transferred on the'books of the bank; (3) when
By the Court. — Judgment reversed, with directions to discharge the defendant.
Dissenting Opinion
The following opinion was filed February 19, 1934:
(dissenting). I most emphatically dissent from that portion of the opinion which overrules the doctrine considerately and deliberately laid down in Cousins v. Flertzheim, 182 Wis. 275, 196 N. W. 250. As I understand the opinion herein, it is overruled because not supported by authorities. I shall enter into no controversy upon this question. Whether it is or not, is utterly immaterial. There has been no widespread judicial expression upon the subject. It is a question upon which this court has a right to think for itself, and declare such principles as it concludes to be promotive of justice under our conditions and practices. Acting in accordance with this prerogative, it most deliberately promulgated the doctrine referred to, and
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