The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-01-17
A HAMBURG BANK TRAGEDY

DuiS. lut Htdu anu uidilaSef vi Tie NOaSt
was Danish gentleman namei Christian
Haroidson, and he deserved his first name, il
any man did. He was a steady churth-goer
good liver, aud an honest man. His clerks
and dependents said there never was a bet
ter master. The merchants Of the town
would have taken his word reader than mos
peoples bond and all who knew him agreed
that Haroldson had hut one fault or folly
and that could scarcely be blamed. for it Wa,
the thinking too much of his son Frederick
He was the only boy out Of seven children
The good mans wife had died when the,
were Young: and he had brought up his siN
daughters.wt the help of their old nurse, &c
he good women and careful housekeepers, in
onr Danish fashion. had laid by decent por-
ton for each of them, had married the three
eldest 10 honest men of his own standing in
the town, and said he would h.. satisfied with
husbands of the same quality for the three
remaining but he set his heart on raising Fred
erick above banks and business. He Was
proud of the boy from notion that he was
really Il talented fellow. Nobody could OF
would undeceive him. though schoolmasters
friends and neishbors knew that Frederick
Harold>on had It'll" capacity. less spirit, and
was likely 10 turn out sort 0: Scapegrace.
but in a hidden, underhani way, for he haG!
great deal more cunning than courage
The father sent him TO the best schools in
Hamburg, spared no expense Oh boons or
clothes. never let him into the bank eXcep;
to see it, which the hoy did to every crevice
and corner. for he was curious and his I.th-
"A h.. h. .,,,l
teen. sent HIM 10 the university of Copenhl-
gen. to study Danish law. that he might come
TO be counsellor OF state one day by his tai
tnts
II is perhaps necessary to state here. in
explanation OF the events which occurred a.
'erwar!s, that the banking house of Harold
son Go. was an old monastery building,
remodclcd for banking purposes, and that
Frederick Haroldson. during the few times
that he visited the place, explored every
quaint nook and corner thereof, and WAS
very curious in lis inquiries relative to the
su5ierrancan apartments. which. Of course,
Werr numerous.
Well. Frederick went to the college at Co.
penhaSen under an excellent tutor. and he
progressed we'll He still remained there
and Ms father was receiving encourage NJ
letters from him constantly. when the fol-
lowing events took place
There was clerk in the bank named Et-
ward Grunder. and from the fact that he
associated intimately with Dtlapres.a French
man of not very good rrpute in that town.
he was an object of di>,ruSt to Mr. Christian
laroldson. One day ther. wa- presented
~ i
when proved To be a forgery The presrn-
Ter. 4 senator Of the town. had CO. il from
his cores >pondent in Amsterdam: the cor
respondent had got il from a Russian mer-
chant: the RUSSIAN merchant had got il
from his correspondent, in London and a,
lenyt tlle cashier %. an English banking
house. then of high repu,e in Hamburg. De
Clared that he had received II. among other
notes directly from the Danish bank. in eX
change for some issued by his firm. Ua
closer Investigation. Christian HaroldS III re.
collected that. on the day mentioned by tn.
cashier. he had exchanged notes with the
English house, ny the hand of Edward G;und
Ter. The pruden; banker. a. his custom was
had registered the number sent. not only il
the bank books. but also in private ledger
rt his own. and the forged one was not IA
, monS them. Moreover. the English cashier
clearly identified Grundler as the messenger
but the latter persisted IN knowing nothing
about the forgery. The notes had been Civ
en to him in a sealed packet: as he got. s,
he SAID he delivered them. The Englisi
cashier in some respects cOrruboratcd hi
statement for he had fund the bank sea
81.
-, sent and delivered, agreed with that which
Grundltr might hive taken 10 walk from III,
bank t. the Elbe Stress. where the Engllst
house was situated. Bv the laws OF Ham
burg. Grunder was Obliged either To te!
how he had come by the note. under thos
. peculiar circumstances. or suffer the penalt
of forgery. which was there capital oticns
u as i'll most other countries of Europe: ant
rs no explanation could be got from him. IA
was committed to prison, and a day appoIn
ted for his trial in the city court.
All who knew Grunder we're sorry 70
him. Nobody thought o! blaming the French
man Delapres. he had never been accuses
of any crime, and there was not shadow q
= suspicion against him; but Grundler's friend
and relations said that bad COMPANY was tn
: cause of his ruin, and it was easy seeing no,
Il little Delapres cared for the boy now, for b
was TO be seen in all public places as gay a
ever. laughing and testing with new compaI
:. ions: but that was like his country. Lat
II in the evening before the trial, Christia
Haroldson remained in his office arrangin
IL some papers and looking over accounts
Z the banker. if possible stuck closer to bus
ress after that difficulty. AS he vas abou
to leave for the night. the porter said gen
tieman wished to speak with MIR llaroldSOn
and with one of his best bows, in wake
- Delapres. He introduced! himself in Il mos
insinuat!ng manner, but with little ceremon,
as having come TO request Mr. Haroldson
q good offices on behalf OF his friend. In spi,
u of his French accent he spoke Danish wei
u and he pleaded hard for mercy toward tn
{ accused clerk Grundler First, lie fattere
: the banker on every imaginable subject, an
= chiefly on those On which he prided himse
= mis- noble descent, his abilities for bushes
and the figure his son Frederick was sure /
e make. Then he urged that man of h
sound sense and uprightness could not b.
!, lieve in Grundler's guilt showed how incal
- able the boy was of committing forgery. eve
if he had been willing; how unlikely it wa
that if he knew anything of the note, b
l. would not save himself by full confession
m and he had always led an honest life, We
Young. ana had no relations that cared f
g him. Haroidson agreed to all be said,