The Republican journal., 1874-02-05
A Terrible Temptation.

The Boston Herald relates an interest
ing case Of man being led into tempta
ton and falling, through IN accident
which put into his possession a 81 900
check:
Unfortunately for one Of them, there are
two persons doing business in Boston
named David Hunt, neither OF whom dis
tingushed from the other by any middle
name or recognized at1iN. One David is a
Wholesale boot and shoe dealer in High
street, and the other is a small grocer Iiy
ing and doing business on 225 iIavre
street The shoe dealer does a large busi-
ness and is iii receipt of valuable letters
from all parts of the country. SO it was
no unusual occurrence that on the llth Of
December last Messrs. Crane and Nc
Quade of Cincinnati should mail to him 4
draft for $1,000, drawn by the Fourth Ma
tonal Bank of that city on the Third Na-
tonal of New \ ork, payable To the order
Of David Hunt. In due time the mSSiVe
with its valuable contents arrived in Boa-
ton and by no strange miscilanre was de
liyered to the wrong Dayid-the East Bos-
ton grocer. who, for Il time kept his own
counsel In the meantime the rightul
owner of the draft grew impatient of
the delay, and wrote his Cincinnati cll7to-
merS that Il remittance would be accept
able. In reply he was informed that the
draft had been sent. Within the week
Mes,ls Dearborn, Skelton and Drew Of
the secret service We're placed IN posses
sion of facts and the work OF detection
begun. Commencing with the Third Ma
tional Bank of New York. it was found
that the missing draft had been received
from the Fancuil Hall Bank OF Boston,
which in turn had taken il from MIR. &. II.
'Tinkham, 4 Fancuil Hall produce dealer
On visiting Mr.. Iinkham it was learned
that on the 10Th of December, nine days
after the draft lett Cincinnati, the East
Boston Hunt called on him and expressed
a desire to settle an old account OF SO
but unfortunately he had no funds but q
large draft on New York This he tend
cred, and on examination it was found to
be made payable to David Hunt and was
duly indorsed in that name. Glad t. get
his money, Mr.. Tmkham accepted the
paper and gave in return his check on the
Eaueuil Hall Bank for S925, which Hunt
Immediately had cashed All this was &c
complished by the officers in time to arrest
the dishonest grocer yesterday afternoon,
when he surrendered S9O5 Of the stolen
money and made a partial il not full con
tession of his crime. 1t is urged in cNten
uation that it was through pure accident
that Crane & McQuade's letter fell into
his hand and that being sorcly put about
for money he, in weak moment, stillcd
his conscience by the speclous reasoning
that it was no crime to write his own name
on the back OF Z, bit vi commercial paper,
and 50 made one long step from the estate
Of an honest and respected citizen to that
of i now selt-convicted telon. From the
time the draft remained in his possession,
it is evident that, although he ultimately
fell. he had a long struggle with himself
but the temptation was too terrible to with
stand.
50 far as the other actors in the trans
action are concerned, it is stated that the
New York bank will hold the Boston one
responsible, which in turn will fall back
on Mr. Tinkhan, who, being the last brick
in the financial row, will have to tall up
on his bank account. and draw Il check
for the so.