The Sylvester Family of Plainview, Minnesota*

Four Other Charges Will Be Continued to Fall Term of Court

May 14, 1926 - May 21, 1926

PAGE 219

Charles Zirbel, of Winona county living near Plainview, who lost nearly all his property and money in the defunct bank, totaling over $10,000.
The grand jury, which had been in session since 2 PM Monday, was dismissed by Judge Callaghan in the morning court session immediately after reporting the Sylvester and two other indictments.
The other two indictments were not made public.
Following his sentence, Sylvester was taken back to Stillwater, accompanied by the guard and his attorney, brining to a close at least temporarily, and perhaps permanently, one of the most exciting cases ever originating in Wabasha County.
From the first, when the bank was found to be insolvent, through the year’s search for Sylvester and his capture at Biloxi, Mississippi, and trial at Rochester to the last stanzas, the people have watched with minute interest.
May 14, 1926-

Former Banker Arraigned On Five New Indictments
E. L. Sylvester Brought Before Grand Jury at Wabasha Yesterday
Civil Cases to Be Disposed of First – Many on Calendar
E. L. Sylvester, who was brought from Stillwater prison yesterday, was arraigned in the district court at Wabasha at 1:30 that afternoon on five new charges brought by the grand jury of this term of court. Following his arrest in February he was arraigned on four indictments returned by the grand jury a year ago. Thus, since he pled guilty to one count, he now faces eight more. One of these he stated he would plead guilty to at the time of his arrest. As the civil calendar will be disposed of first, it is expected that Sylvester will remain in Wabasha during the whole term of court.
The grand jury returned its indictments at 11:45 Thursday morning, including some which will remain secret until the arrests are made…
The retrial of the Austin case was postponed on the motion of Paul Strickland, attorney for Austin, because of improper service of the notice of the new trial. R. L. Rockwell appeared for James A. Carley as attorney for the Plainview State Bank because of Mr. Carley’s illness. The case will be taken up probably at the fall term.
One of the cases taken up Tuesday by the jury was that of School District No. 43, north of Plainview, which is reported to have a shortage of funds amounting to $3,000 growing out of the mixed accounts at the Plainview State Bank.
No further indictments were brought against A. S. Kennedy.
Following the disposal of the civil calendar the retrial of G. A. Stoltz is expected to be the first of the criminal cases…
May 21, 1926-
E. L. Sylvester Gets 5 More Years in Pen
Hopes of Early Freedom Blasted When Judge Gives Sentence
Former Banker Guilty of Charge of Making False Statement
Four Other Charges Will Be Continued to Fall Term of Court
Five years was added to the sentence of E. L. Sylvester in District Court at Wabasha Friday afternoon, when he plead guilty of the charge of making a false statement to the state superintendent of banks. The new five year term will begin at the expiration of the ten year term of which he has now served three months. Sylvester’s attorney, Geo. W. Peterson of St. Paul, moved that the other four indictments be dismissed but through the action of County Attorney Foley they were continued to the November term of court.
In passing the sentence, Judge Callaghan made the following remarks: "You lived in your community for a great many years and acted as adviser and friend to its citizens. The people of Plainview trusted you. You drew their papers and you handled their funds and then – you betrayed their trust.
"Every community needs someone in whom they can confide and when the people learn that their confidence has been betrayed it is a sad thing. Your acts caused sorrow, the loss to a great many but greater than that, acts such as your cause

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* SOURCE: Manzow, Ron (compiler), "The Sylvester Family of Plainview, Minnesota - a collection of information taken from the Plainview News, other newspapers, letters, and diaries beginning in 1884": Plainview Area History Center, 40 4th St. S.W., Plainview, MN 55964. Compiled in 2001.

NOTE: from Ron Manzow, December 2001: "Feel free to reproduce the pages for anyone who wants a copy. It was compiled to be shared... All I ask is that they consider sending a check to the [Plainview Area] History Center to help us out. That should be enough."