Second National Bank, Warren, OH (Charter 2479)

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The second building for the Second National Bank circa 1960.

The Second National Bank of Warren, OH (1880 - 2004) was the longest lasting of Warren's six national banks. It survived past the end of the National Bank Note Era in 1935, and was acquired by Sky Bank in 2004. The bank is notable for its series of robberies beginning in the 1930s.

Early History

This postcard shows the original headquarters of the Second National Bank, which it kept until 1914.

Sources show the bank was organized on either May 10 or May 17, 1880 utilizing $100,000 in capital from 80 shareholders. It was chartered on May 28, 1880.[1]

Bank History

1880 Stock Payment Receipt signed by founding cashier Kirtland M. Fitch

The Second National Bank survived early turmoil when Kirtland M. Fitch, founding cashier, embezzled $80,000 from the bank in its first 3 years. [2] According to R. Ellis, Jr., the bank inspector from Cincinnati, the Second National Bank was expected to close with all depositors receiving full payment within 30 days, but the bank was able to remain open.

Fitch lost all $80,000 within 10 months in stock speculations in New York City. On Friday, August 17, 1883, Fitch, under cover of darkness and dressed in woman's attire in a carriage driven by his father, Boss Fitch, made his way the forty miles to Ashtabula for the Lake Shore train to Buffalo.  From Buffalo it was supposed he would go to the safety of Canada, but instead appeared in Boston on Sunday.  There a man well acquainted with Fitch saw him in an office on Federal Street.  The man who's name was withheld, had heard of Fitch's defalcation and that he was wanted by Ohio officers.  He went to the office of the district police and informed Chief Wade where Fitch was.  Not having any detectives available, the chief went to the Federal street office and took Fitch into custody.  After a short conversation, Fitch was arrested without a struggle and authorities in Warren were notified by telegraph.  Fitch consented to return to Ohio without legal delay and requisition papers.[3] The sheriff of Trumbull county escorted him back to Warren, OH.[4] Fitch would later receive a 5 year prison term for embezzlement and perjury. [5] R. W. Ratliff would take over as cashier.

In May, 1898, S. C. Iddings would take over as cashier.[6] Iddings would serve the organization for decades, becoming president in 1914, and then chairman of the board in 1927.

Commemorative token for second bank building of Second National Bank of Warren.

In February, 1913, the bank announced that it would build a new 6-story headquarters the following summer. This building would serve as Warren's first skyscraper. A commemorative token was released in 1914 to reflect the opening of the new building. [7]

On May 24, 1927, Second National Bank consolidated with Western Reserve National Bank, Warren, OH (Charter 3362) and assumed its circulation. The combined institution was capitalized at $350,000 with resources of $10,000,000. [8] [9]

The Second National Bank was acquired by Sky Bank on July 2, 2004. Sky would be absorbed by Huntington National Bank of Columbus, OH in 2007.

Notable Robberies

The Second National Bank was plagued by robberies throughout the 1930s, primarily because they handled payroll operations for the Republic Steel Corporation. In October 1933, two messengers of the Second National Bank were robbed of $68,000 while returning to the bank from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. For the previous year the Warren police chief, operating on a tip from federal agents, had been stationing men armed with shotguns on the roofs of the adjoining buildings to the bank as well as on the roof of the Masonic Temple across the street. The robbery was thought to be the work of the Purple Gang of Detroit. [10] The $68,000 stolen from this delivery was never recovered and the bank ended up suing its insurance company, New Amsterdam Casualty Company, to recover. [11]

In April 1935, a trio of armed gunmen robbed another shipment of payroll for the Republic Steel Corporation en route from the federal reserve. This time, $72,000 in currency was lost from the four stolen mail pouches. The driver of the mail truck, Burl Villers was quoted as saying, "I wish I had taken a chance at shooting through the windshield at the first man I saw, but I guess it's better to be alive now than to be a dead hero." [12]

In November 1935, five men armed with machine guns raided the Erie Railroad passenger and mail train which was carrying a portion of the Republic Steel Corporation payroll from the federal reserve to the Second National Bank. Shots were fired at multiple times during the robbery and a mail clerk was grazed in the head, though not seriously injured. The robbers were in command of the train for 10 minutes and escaped with $39,500 in cash and $12,450 in securities. Another $4,500 in cash was overlooked by the bandits. [13]

All of the 1930s robberies pale in comparison to a 1972 event in which the bank was burglarized of $430,000. The thieves cut a hole through the roof of the 6-story building, broke through a concrete wall and then burned a hole into the vault where the money was kept. [14] Charles M. Broekel, the safecracker in the gang, would later describe this event and the rest of his safecracking career in detail upon retirement. [15]

Bank Notes Issued

1882 Date Back $20 bank note with pen signatures of S.C. Iddings, Cashier and C.A. Harrington, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com
$10 Series 1929 Type1 small size note with engraved signatures of R.M. Brown, Cashier and E.J. Boyd, President

A total of $3,800,750 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1880 and 2004. This consisted of a total of 337,683 notes (242,480 large size and 95,203 small size notes).

This bank issued the following Types and Denominations of bank notes:

Series/Type Sheet/Denoms Serial#s Sheet Comments
Series 1875 4x5 1 - 12593
1882 Brown Back 3x10-20 1 - 3370
1882 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 7700
1882 Value Back 3x10-20 7701 - 11440
1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 1 - 33217
1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 10746
1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 2820
1929 Type 2 10 1 - 11176
1929 Type 2 20 1 - 2631

Official Bank Title(s)

  • The Second National Bank of Warren, OH

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Second National Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1880 - 1935):

Presidents:

Cashiers:

Other Bank Note Signers

  • There are currently no known Vice President or Assistant Cashier bank note signers for this bank.

Wiki Links

Sources

  1. ↑ [https://books.google.com/books?id=IRgVAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA439&lpg=PA439&dq=%22E+J+Boyd%22+trumbull&source=bl&ots=UahlJLSv9O&sig=bd6cfBEl813jiqKylkOKXMUqMC0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi9-MKxnPXUAhUBwYMKHceiCyMQ6AEILzAC#v=onepage&q=%22Second%20National%20Bank%22&f=false History of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley, Ohio, Volume 1 By Joseph Green Butler]
  2. ↑ Elyria Republican August 23, 1883
  3. ↑ The Boston Globe August 22, 1883
  4. ↑ Summit County Beacon August 29, 1883
  5. ↑ Democratic Press Ravenna, OH November 15, 1883
  6. ↑ Cincinnati Enquirer May 10, 1898
  7. ↑ The Mahoning Dispatch (Canfield, OH) February 7, 1913.
  8. ↑ Commercial and Financial Chronicle Vol. 124 No. 3231
  9. ↑ Commercial and Financial Chronicle Vol. 124 No. 3233
  10. ↑ Piqua Daily Call October 10, 1933
  11. ↑ Supreme Court Appellette Division
  12. ↑ The Newark Advocate April 25, 1935
  13. ↑ Cincinnati Enquirer November 8, 1935
  14. ↑ Dayton Daily News May 28, 1972
  15. ↑ Fremont News-Messenger July 8, 1974
  • Don C. Kelly, National Bank Notes, A Guide with Prices. 6th Edition (Oxford, OH: The Paper Money Institute, 2008).
  • Dean Oakes and John Hickman, Standard Catalog of National Bank Notes. 2nd Edition (Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 1990).
  • Banks & Bankers Historical Database (1782-1935), https://bbdata.banknotehistory.com
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