The Rescuer of Last Resort

Bank regulators consider taking over Continental Illinois

"Dreams, as we all know, vanish when we wake. Nightmares vanish too," wrote Continental Illinois Bank Chairman David G. Taylor in a memo to his beleaguered employees earlier this month. But Taylor's corollary proved only half true. The nightmarish flight of Continental's customers that led to the bank's near collapse two months ago has continued. Since May, customers are rumored to have withdrawn two-thirds of Continental's $30 billion in deposits. Last week bank officials appeared to have virtually given up looking for another bank or for some...

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