room, the room being full to overflowing. But one Plainview man was present at the hearing.
E. L. Sylvester arrived in Wabasha last Friday evening, alighted from the train amid a crowd of perhaps a hundred people who were curious to see him. He was immediately lodged in the county jail where his first Minnesota cooked meal in 11 months was eaten in the kitchen of the jail. The only Plainview people who were present on his arrival were Senator James A. Carley, counsel for the state banking department, and C. L. Mikkelson, state deputy examiner, both of whom were there to gain what information they could in tracing the tangled bank affairs.
On his arrival Sylvester seemed glad to get back to Minnesota, expressing regret that he had run away. "I should have stayed and faced the music," he said, "but I couldn’t face the people. It would have been better for me and for the bank. I could have saved much which is charged as losses. I am going to do everything I can to help straighten out the bank and I expect to take my punishment. I was too easy. I couldn’t say no when a fellow needed money. My family sent too much but that was my fault too."
In speaking to the affairs of the bank, he said Kennedy, his brother Geo. F. and himself knew what was going on and all knew that a crash was coming. He had planned for three months upon running away. Kennedy had become interested in the bank when a big increase in business was shown by merging the interests of the old Sylvester Bros. bank with that of their incorporated state bank. At that time Kennedy wrote and asked for a place in the bank. Had Kennedy wished, he said, he could have gotten out before he became involved in questionable proceedings. "He was my right hand man. When I was away, Kennedy knew what to do, I could not have done what I did without him. But Kennedy didn’t get any money out of it.
"A few months before the bank closed we had a meeting at night in the bank at which the three of us, Kennedy, Geo. F. and myself, were present. We went over the situation and Kennedy quoted law books to show what the sentence would be for each of us when caught. We all had a regular crying bee."
Sylvester has agreed to appear as a witness in the retrial of the case of Adolph Stoltz at the May term of court.
In his own case Sylvester has agreed to plead guilty to two charges.
Notice of a motion for a new trial in the case of the Plainview State Bank against Harry G. Austin has been served upon Paul J. Strickland of St. Paul, Austin’s attorney. In the November term the bank lost its suit to collect on $5,700 in notes when Austin’s contention that he was paid the interest on the notes and settled them by paying $3,500 in cash was sustained. The motion is asked on the ground of prejudice on the part of the jury and of newly discovered evidence following the capture of E. L. Sylvester. It is understood that Sylvester has denied the payment of the notes and will appear on the stand.
Sylvester’s arraignment was postponed until Thursday of this week to give Examiner Mikkelsen an opportunity to go over the bank records and help straighten them out.
Mrs. Sylvester and daughter, Mrs. Nettie Caldwell, arrived Saturday morning to see the captive banker. Sylvester was called from his conference with Mikkelsen and after a few tears from the ladies, they chatted about family affairs. Mrs. Sylvester stated her intention of remaining in Wabasha to be near her husband as long as he was there.
Except that he is a little thinner, has a light tan and was dressed without particular care for his appearance, Sylvester looks the same as when he left Plainview. He has every appearance of good health and seems to have recovered from his agony of the scared rabbit stage.

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