Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-08-23
The First Case.

could not help admlrlng the "Doc-
tor" He was one of the handsomest
men l ever saw-tall, compact, clear
cut, with a mild and amiable face,and
a perfect dresser; always looking as
though he had-to use very original
phrase--just stepped out of band
box. He sat with his legs under my
mahogany, or black oak, and slipped
Amontillabo, and ate broiled wood
chuck, precisely as though they were
his daily fare. The doctor would not,
perhaps, have been considered exact
ly the associate for man in my posi-
ticn, the head of a frst-class CONNER
cial house-barring all egotism but
| would have defed any one, by his
looks, to have named his profession.
In two words the doctor was pro.
fessional detective, and, in the line of
his business, had just done me a SER
vice which the amount of money | had
given him did not pay for, and 1 had
extended the eivility of an invitation
to dinner, at my own house, for seveal
reasons, one being that thought him
a quiet and entertaining gentleman,
and another that he had, by his pen.
etration and good management, ravel-
ed a matter that had troubled me
very seriously for some weeks-not so
much by the loss Of the money involv-
ed, as from the fear lest the discovery
should inculpate some Of my confden-
tial employees in the counting house,
not one of whom, when the affair first
occurred, could | look on with sus-
picion, or think Of as guilty, without
a feeling of intense pain, all of them
having been many years with me, and
endeared by faithful service. Before
l go on with my main narrative, per-
haps it will be well to tell how came
to employ the doctor on my behalf
Although having no connection with
the tale, it will show wise headS-as
they think themselves-can be both
cred with a simple thing when unused
to the business.
From the day that first came into
our house, as partner, | have always
attended to the cash and banking bust
ness myself, all moneys, checks drafts.
etc, passing through my hands or
accounted for by me. In three-and-
twenty years eXperieGce | never had
an error but which, OF. careful revision
could be rectifed, nor had any money
ever been lost or stolen.
You may judge, therefore, OF my
surprise when, one day-it had been
a very heavy cash day-on making up
my account, found myself two thous-
and three hundred and fftv-seyen
dollars short. There was no such
amount entered in any way that
could possibly have made an error in,
and nothing in all my transactions
upon which to base my deficit. | had
but one place in which to put my
money during the day, and that was
in drawer of my desk, a solid, old
fashioned structure, attached to the
building, and put up when the office
was built, forty years hofore. Had
the desk been one of the modern
fimsy affairs, | might have thought
that somebody could have spirited the
money out in some way, but even the
idea OF false key did not harmonic
with the old fashioned lock and solit
wood. | always locked the drawer
and carried the key in my pockets ,anC
was rarely out of the office during
the day, except half an hour for luncl
[, and then there were never fewer thar
three Or four persons in the same
room. AT night l invariably removed
II every dollar to the safe, so that an,
l. appropriation of funds must be mad
u in the day time.
! This was the state of the case tn
= day that | was two thousand thre
~ hundred and ffty-seven dollars short
l went through every pocket and a
!, vailable place on my person, though
n n knew that | never put any none
" u about me, and then closed my accoun
u with the deficit, making up my min
not to speak of it that day, but t
:. consider it until the morrow, before
IL, asked advice. The morrow came
ID and, utterly di8composed, | admitte
u, to myself my inability to straighte
III it and called in for advice Mr.. Coz
ig way, our old and confidential bool
keeper, in whose judgment | had gret
ne reliance. Mr.. Conway did not, lik
~ the famous Dutch squire, weigh th
III two accounts, and give judgment
favor of the heaviest but he did a
ar most as well. He footed up the co
We umn Of figures three or four time
counted my cash-balance as ofte
looked at me over his spectacles, an
Dr. told me the account was wrong-tv
ne thousand three hundred and fifty -sevt
r. dollars short. That's all the satisfa
lis tion there was from Mr.. Conway
u.s. After this, pledging him to secrecy,
ID, thought it better to consult noboC
al, else, but watchfully await event
no charging the amount. as | was bouI
Oh to do, to myself personally.
,u0 m How much, for days, this matt
'n troubled me, | cannot relate; bl
- - like all things else, after two wee
- had gone by, and no calculation hi
u, come to me, it began to wear ava
lo when one day | was amazed and he
w rifed to find another deficit of nj
&c hundred dollars. This time remel
0l bered some of the very missing bill
u and knew that they had been tax
aie a from my drawer, had not left t
-, - key in it one moment while was a
INC sent from the room, and all day the
lo' W had been present at least two perso
80 beside myself; and there had been
a"' so people coming and going all t
III III time, but these were separated frc
me and the clerks by railing,
that it was impossible for any pers
ira FRA calling on business to approach ne'
Tue er to my desk than fifteen feet. III
oi, time 1 consulted with my partne
Iou and, after numerous theories-all
eli which fell to the ground-we cc
.ry' cluded to call in the aid Of some rel
i. lnA ted, able, detective officer; and h;