Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-04-24
S.ltftto Store.
Experiences with Detectives.
CHAPTER l.
THE loss


THE LOSS.
Not long ago a foreign firm in Lon
don asked me TO assist them in recover
ing some bonds, the loss of which
would embarrass them very much.
The circumstances under which these
documents had been taken from them
were very peculiar, so much SO that
they could hardly move in the affair
themselves without injuring the credit
Of their house. The son Of the senior
partner, young man about twenty
i've years of age. was employed by the
firm, and acted as sort of confidential
clerk or secretary to his father. The
junior partner was often obliged to be
on the Continent for several weeks
together and as the senior had very
delicate health, and often absented
himself from the Office fora day or two
on that account, he had given, with
the full consent of his partner, his son
power to sign for the firm ''by procura-
ton" as 1t is called. The son had, as
was only found out when too late,
been gradually falling into bad habits,
and, unknown TO his father, used to bet
upon races, and otherwise do much
that he had been far wiser to have let
alone. Latterly his creditors had been
pressing him very hard. He had some
overdue acceptances, which the holder
threatened to tell his father if they
were not taken up. He also owed
money to tradesmen, and had even
more discreditable liabilities which he
would not for the world his father
should know of. For some time past
he had used his power of signing for
the firm to sign checks for sums of flO
or f20 whenever he wanted money.
His father had been unwell, the Junior
partner was to be absent for some
weeks, and the check-book, as well as
the bankers pass-book, were left in
his hands. At last he had got so deep
in the mire of debt and difficulty that
there were but two roads open for him
the one to make q clean breast of it,
tell his father all he had done, and ask
him 10 pay his debts; the other to
leave London and Europe, and 70 60
to America. In an evil hour he chose
the latter but before doing so, drew
out by check from the bank nearly the
whole balance then to the credit of the
firm. Fortunately this was only few
hundred pounds, as several large &C.
ceptances had fallen due short time
before. Butin addition to this money
he took with him bonds to q large
amount, which represented the greater
part Of the capital of the firm. These,
being shares on foreign companies,
were payable ''to bearer" and there
fore il was surmised that he must have
pledged them. He had been traced to
Paris, and from there to Havre, where
he had embarked for America. / men.
ton these various circumstances to
show how il was that the firm itself
could not act openly in the matter
without injuring very greatly theil
credit in the commercial world, and
Why it was they requested me to find
out, if possible, whether these stoler
bonds we're pledged; if so, where, fol
what amount, and to redeem them a.
chssply and quiokly ~ possible.
A clue-a very slight one, it is true
but still . clue-vas given me as t.
where to begin my inquiry. Nearly
all the checks which the young maj
had drawn without authority in s,
doing had been traced to the banl
where very notorious money-lende
kept his account. This individual hat
the very worst of rchasacters, having
as we'll known, been some years ag,
mixed up with the robbery Of we'll
known bank in London-not indeed q
principal in the work, but as iostigatol
Ireceiver of the splander, and havin
pro6ted by the JpisDder very muc
more than the chief actor in the adai'
But the sccnsstion could never b
lprossd against him, and the cons'
qusnce was that be vas ftee ma,
4 whsseas III clszk wAo had perpetrate
The 1tand had beea lbr some ysars
penal oogViHn6os -