YEAR 1908: Ellinwood's Most Active Year

by Robert E. Yarmer

I find this year one of the highest and lowest points in the history of Ellinwood. More went on in town in 1908, than any other year before or since. Established businesses folded and new businesses started, there were fires, shootings, celebrations and the start of the city government passing bonds and building our utility system. Along with the responsibility of issuing bonds for city improvement the council grew, so to speak, to accept the mantel of leadership in all things modern. 1908 kicked off the cities quest for an electrical and water system, soon followed by sewer system and paved streets, all leading to where we are today.1908 was thirty years after we were incorporated, thirty six years after we were started by a group of young men, strangers, all looking for the same thing, success. What follows is not bad for some guys starting with nothing and only a short time to accomplish anything. Today thirty years doesn't seem that long. Few of the original business men were still around in 1908. The farmers had a better record of lasting the thirty years, I think. My story starts with a bang, the bank failure no one thought could happen, our first bank, gone in January, 1908.

BANK OF ELLINWOOD FAILS. We are very sorry to state that on Monday afternoon of this week, the Bank of Ellinwood was closed by W.T. Watson, deputy bank examiner of Kansas. The affairs of the bank are now in the hands of the examiner who will soon complete a statement of the assets and liabilities of the institution. Until that time, any estimate as to the probability of the per cent which can be paid the depositors, is mere conjecture, but at this writing it looks very bad. There are some very distressing features in connection with the failure which the Leader has neither heart nor inclination to dwell upon at this time.

The Journal kept by businessman William Mangelsdorf has an entry that is as follows:

It is reported that the Bank of Ellinwood will pay out only about 10%. I'm inclined to think the percentage will be greater. W. Leo B's bond has been increased and he is having difficulty in securing bondsmen. I say he is having difficulty-it is probably on of his friends or his relatives who are trying to secure this as W. Leo B. according to reports is very nearly insane. The physician says he is near to becoming a mental and physical wreck.

Leo was always thought to be innocent of any theft by most of the town, up until he was arrested that is. The Leader, always the optimist, never thought it would go this far and that the rumors of bank trouble was just that, rumors. Mr. Watson, the bank examiner of Kansas, knew different, Watson took no pity and had Leo behind bars before his friends could make up any new excuses for him. Before January was over Leo was out of the picture, what follows is from Mangelsdor's journal again: Leo Bockemohle's bondsmen refused to go upon a larger bond that the authorities demanded. he could get no one else, and was therefore compelled to go to jail to await his hearing. He was so physically wrecked yesterday, that the physicians would not permit his being taken to Great Bend. As he was leaving his house, in custody of the officers, he seized an opportunity, reached for a revolver in his pocket and shot himself dead, the muzzle of the gun being placed in his mouth. Thus ends his sentenced for a good many years to the penitentiary. His brother Ed who is president of the bank (Leo was cashier) had very little authority in the conduct of the banks affairs. He has a host of friends who sincerely hope that none of Leo's misdeeds will be charged to him. 

It seems the two Bockemohle brothers were well liked in town, they had a host of friends who were ready to stand by them, but things moved fast and the charges kept coming, there wasn't much anyone could do but talk about it. The Ellinwood Leader had a week or more to get the facts and present them to the readers, what follows is the official history of the last two weeks according to the paper:

'Ellinwood's Tragedy. The failure of the Bank of Ellinwood last week, was followed by a series of sensational developments that threw this usually quiet an orderly community, into the throes of the wildest excitement consternation, misery and chagrin. Following the closing of the institution on Monday afternoon, by Deputy Bank Examiner, W.T. Watson, the cashier W. Leo Bockemohle, was placed under arrest Tuesday afternoon, for having on December 5, made false statements under oath concerning the condition of the bank, in that in the assets at that, were two notes purporting to be genuine, one for $3500, signed by Matt Dick and Mary Dick, and one for $3,000 by Stephan & Isern, when in fact these notes had already been liquidated and were not a part of the assets of the bank. The accused was taken to Great Bend Tuesday evening and released on bond pending a preliminary hearing which was to have been held Saturday. A further examination of the banks affairs disclosed a number of other irregularities, and the further the examiner delved into matters, the worse conditions became. Not only in matters concerning the bank were things found to be wrong, but the cashier, who had been trusted with moneys, notes, etc., of individuals had diverted the money to his own uses and hypothecated the securities. There is no need to particularize. Matters are about as bad as they could be, and everything tends to show that the bank has been completely gutted, and very little can be realized for the depositors. We understand the deposits at the time the institution was closed, to be in the neighborhood of $90,000. In view of the developments, on Friday of last week, the cashier’s bondsmen concluded to give him up to the officers of the law. That evening about seven o’clock, Leo was called on to be taken to Great Bend in an automobile. As the party reached the gate to leave his home, he drew a revolver from his coat pocket, and placing the weapon to the roof of his mouth pulled the trigger. The ball passed through his brain and out at the back of his head. Death was instantaneous. Rather than face the awful charges that had been preferred against him, and unable to bear the disgrace and suffering that would be brought down upon him, his family , his relatives and friends, W. Leo Bockemohle chose to end his life by his own hand and cast his immortal soul before the judgement throne of a merciful God. It was indeed a sad and tragic ending of a promising career, blasted by its own indiscretions and desires to live beyond its legitimate means. Him who we trusted and honored, in the belief that he was worthy, has gone. He has paid with his most precious heritage, his life, for folly. Let us throw over his memory the mantel of charity. Perhaps he realized not what he was doing. Is it not possible that his mind was filled with delusions, and he did not realize the gravity of his offenses? And then when the crash came, broken in spirit and under terrible mental agitation, is it not more than probable that he ended it all in a moment of irresponsible frenzy? It is not for man to judge, he is beyond human reach, only the Almighty can now judge him. May God have mercy on his soul.

The funeral took place Sunday afternoon at half past two o’clock, from his late home. The funeral sermon was delivered by Rev. Oligner of Great Bend. A committee of the Elks and Eagles, of which the deceased was a member in good standing, acted as pall bearers. The family, the grief-stricken mother, the friends and relatives have the sympathy of the community in the hour of awful tribulations. William Leo Bockemohle was born in New Bremen, Ohio, and was 36 years, 5 months and 7 days old. He came to Kansas with his parents in 1880. In 1881 his father, H.W Bockemohle, together with S.B. Dupree, Wm. Mangelsdorf and Casper Schrepel, organized the Bank of Ellinwood. When president and cashier respectively, with who its management has since rested. For the past few years the bank’s affairs have been almost entirely dominated over by the cashier and through all the recent trouble no suspicion of criminality has been cast at Ed’s door.

Deputy examiner Watson turned the affairs of the defunct institution over to the receiver last Saturday afternoon and left town. Mr. Watson said things were in such a tangled shape that it was impossible for him to issue any statement whatsoever. The court has appointed Ora W. Dawson, a well-known businessman and accountant of Great Bend, as receiver, and Mr. Dawson will be at the bank every afternoon between the hours of 1 and 5 p.m. until further notice, straightening out is affairs. Mr. Dawson requested the Leader to ask those who hold pass books to turn them in to him at once, so they may be balanced and the liabilities of the institution found at the earliest possible moment. Mr. Dawson may make a statement of the probable assets and liabilities later. The failure is a big blow to the business interests of Ellinwood, as well as to the entire community. Most of our business men had money on deposit at the time of the failure, though some were hit considerably harder than others. The only thing to do is to make the best of a bad situation and such a disaster as has just happened will not break the spirit or courage of the heaviest losers. Ellinwood needed a new bank and Great Bend jumped right in proposing one for us. Three business men, G.N. and E.R. Moses along with Robert Mertn [sic] came to town with a proposal, proposition they called it, for a brand new bank here, owned by the three from the county seat. Not going to happen, not a chance, the rivalry was fierce between the two towns and it showed twice in 1908, once with the bank, and once as we will see, over a new light plant.

A New Bank. At a meeting of a number of our citizens, at the Commercial club room last night, it was definitely decided that a new bank, owned and controlled by our local business men and farmers, will be started as soon as possible. The plans are not completely matured, but we understand over $10,000 in stock has already been pledged. D.C. Johnson, assistant cashier of the Citizens state bank, has tendered his resignation to that concern and will be the cahier of the new bank.