A Bank President’s Paranoia

J. K. Edmiston, president of the defunct Security Savings bank of Seattle and the Walla Walla Savings bank, was moving from the police station to the justice court and prosecuting attorney's office yesterday in great haste. He feared H. G. Tobin, a depositor of the Walla Walla Savings bank who tried to kill him at Walla Walla April 23, would repeat the attempt in this city. Edmiston received a telegram yesterday afternoon from his attorney notifying him that Tobin had left for Walla Walla and would presumably arrive in Seattle on the 4 o'clock train. Edmiston made a straight line for police headquarters, thinking that it was better to seek protection before Tobin had a chance to use him for a target. Edmiston told the chief of Tobin's expected arrival and wanted a detective on hand to arrest him for carrying concealed weapons. About 4 o'clock, Constable Terry King and Edmiston left Justice Caldwell's office and went to the Northern Pacific depot. A sharp watch was kept on the passengers, but to Edmiston's relief, Tobin with his gun did not appear. About two weeks ago, Edmiston was acquitted at Pomeroy of embezzling $50,000 from the Walla Walla Savings bank. Then he was arrested on the charge of receiving deposits knowing the bank to be insolvent. On the morning of April 29, while standing on the street in Walla Walla, H. G. Tobin, who lost $1,000 through the bank's failure, walked up and fired at Edmiston. The shot did not hit its mark, and Edmiston ran down the street, pursued by Tobin, who fired four more shots at him, none of which took effect.