The Sylvester Family of Plainview, Minnesota*

Hettie Sylvester helped Edwin escape; had communicated with him throughout

February 4, 1926

PAGE 189

Under the strain of the past few days, Sylvester has broken down, and today is talking quite freely about the bank, its affairs and his past life.
The break came late yesterday afternoon when the "gray man from Plainview" cried like a child. He has been in tears several times since.
As the train speeds on to Chicago, County Attorney John R. Foley is getting details after detail of his confession which when completed will doubtless clear up every puzzling particular on the bank’s affairs.
"The first irregularities or defalcations in the records of the Plainview State Bank," he told Foley, "occurred prior to the organization of the bank as a state bank." This statement checks with records of the bank as disclosed by banking experts shortly after the closing of the Sylvester bank.
"I had planned on going away for about three months," Sylvester continued. "My wife and daughter in St. Paul and my son Edwin knew my plans. We had discussed them and worked them out in detail."

Wife Knew of Break
"My wife knew when the final break came. She knew when I left to make my getaway. I was like a scared rabbit. I didn’t know where to go until I was on the train, and then I didn’t decide to go to Mississippi until after I reached Chicago."
The Wabasha county officers yesterday in going through Sylvester’s belongings found a memo book. It was hidden in one of his old clothes pockets. It was a secret detailed account of his activities since he left Plainview. It showed in detail each item of expense he has incurred, and the amount of money he had when he left and his earnings day by day.
Had $443 When he Left
"Amount when I left Plainview $443" reads the first item in the book. He had previously told newspapermen that he had less than $100 when he ran away.
Then detail by detail is set down with pencil or pen and ink – little notations about his whereabouts from Feb. 28, the day he vanished until May 6 of last year. The officers today are hoping to find the second volume of the little book.
One of the most interesting items in the book is the detail about the mail he received from home. The book shows that he had received 12 letters since he left and that he has written eight to his family. The letters sent home were sent via "White Bros," according to County Attorney Foley. (NOTE: Later it was found that it was White Bear – a place in Minnesota, not White Bros.) When arrested Sylvester had $90 in his pockets.
White Brothers Unknown
Plainview, Minn., Feb. 4 – The White Brothers referred to as the connecting link between Sylvester and his family in writing to and from Gulfport are unknown in this city. The post office here has no record of any people or firm by that name in their directory.
The Plainview State Bank was organized as a state bank in 1906 which according to Sylvester’s confession shows that his irregularities go back more than 25 years in the bank’s history.
"Not for Myself"
On board Illinois Central Train enroute to Chicago, Wednesday Afternoon – Word by word, sentence by sentence County Attorney John R. Foley is getting the inside story of the failure of the Plainview State bank out of Edwin L. Sylvester. The gray man, who was one "our E. L." in the Plainview community but now a confessed thief, is telling the tale in little bits. Foley and Sylvester sat for hours yesterday on the train and talked.
"I didn’t do it for myself," Sylvester would repeat over and over again, when Foley’s leading questions got too strong for the old man. "I did it to save the bank," Sylvester would say. "I failed. Bad loans had ruined the bank. I was the bank tottering. I saw my life wrecking to pieces."
Sylvester would then lean back in his seat. He is only a derelict now. His shoes

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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."