Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1875-06-18
Whole Number N i 1923.
above. Mr. Dobson

AecIly, SIT; and l also under
stand Bookkeeping Ireplied, think
ing that | was about to Be elevated.
and wishing to let him know what /
knew.
well, | am very glad come
down-here after, dinner this evening.
I want you for something.
| got to the Office that evening
very early, not giving myself much
time to eat dinner / found Mr..
Dobson there before me.
i want to make an examination
of Mr.. Bakers books. / am not ae-
quainted with bookkeeping. 1
watched you, and found you to be
very energetic, and saw Mr.. Baker
often calling upon you for assistance.
A friend of mine has convinced me
that l should keep track of my own
business. Baker is in the Office now.
He came in here just as I was turn
ing the corner i do not know what
brings him back. I saw him enter
with man. Now / wish to see
what he Is doing. will open1the
door softly, and We will go back and
listen .s rT
We entered noislessly. All was
dark and gloomy, save q single gas
light in the book-keeper's Office
We approached the Office; the door
was partly open, and we heard the
following conversation:
4 must have the money, Mr.. Ba-
ker; you promised it to me first. If
it is not paid I will see the firm
Cant you wait till the first of
next month"; @
NO, Twill not
well, 1 will give you the money;
here's a check for $4Oo. Here-re-
ceipt your bill, and make yourself
scarce dr,-r-..s G.-94-. ,-r.--.- rfl.
The man went out, followed by
Baker, who unlocked and locked the
doors. He returned again to the Of
fee, lit another burner, and wrote for
some minutes. He soon got through,
thrust paperinto q spindle and put
the books into the safe, sIammIng It
with deafening noise. i
4 am through with him, anyhow;
must figure sharp;tWo many of these
things on file. 3 raa1 s'a5Z
We heard him say these words to
himself. In another minute the gas
was turned off, and he went out
We waited a few moments to make
sure that he would not return, then
entered the Office, lit the gas and were
soon ready for work. Mr.. Dobson
had duplicate keyes of the safe, so he
soon had the books out. / suggested
to him to check the bills with the
He opened the book, and
at the stubs, said: 81
what does this meanP Here's a
stub for $4O0-inst the check he gave
that man, and charged Stephen q Co.
the same amount-their bill for fifty
barrels of -four. This is impossible; I
haven't bought a barrel of -four from
them this month, and I am certain
Mr.. Morrissey has not
/ had been looking for the biIld
book, and having found It, nv han d
touched a bill of -four from Stephens
& Co, dated the first of the month.
Here's the bin,' I'said, regularly
receipted.' 5 -1
Let US see if there are any more Of
them,' said Dobson.
We soon discovered several bills Of
that firm, and entries to the check
book to correspond.
These bills are frauds said Mr..
Dobson. Tomorrow shall see Ste
phens & Co., and unearth this, devil
try. Why, it never struck me that
the thing could be worked in this
style. The fellow has been stealing
thousands from us. Had it not been
for our eaVesdropping there is no
doubt that we would never have dis
covered these frauds, as ne has man
aged everything with reference to
external scrutiny ~
( The next day the bills were taken
to Stephens & Co., by Mr.. Dobsoh,
who immediately pronounced them
forgeries. The writing was exactly
like their bill-clerk's; the bill heads
were theirs.
Mr.. DObson's. partner was fully
advised of the discovery; he was ter
ribly enraged. Now to ensure Baker
was the next thing. .-...,5.,
A few days after Baker was pre-
sented with a statement from Ste
phens & Co., with a request to ex-
anime it. 40
That has been paid long ago. he
said. t-o7 SD ~ -
Il want to see the account, said
Mr.. Dobsdh. 4 am going to look
more into these matters than ] have
been doing. Mr.. Wilder win help
you
l expressed my willingness. b.
ker ran over the leaves Of his ledger
till he came to Stephens 3 Co.'S
page, and then said; ID a
Examine the accounts for your
self ,,.,..,-..s-,
~ was dA AlSAb. NC oOSoeue1
were checked up to nicity, and Ba-
ker said: - ....... .,...-,
'tAre you through Mr., DObsOn, I
do not need any assistance from this
young man.
'H9w doyou account for this stub
in your check book, Mr.. Bakerg said
Mr. Dobson; and this-and this
Stephens & Co., over and over again,
Hills for flour we never got, which
thew themselves declare to be for
geriesP Since you cannot explain
these figures | pgonnRnce you a cow
ard and sYiudletp lrahsagza
Baker turned ss psla IS death, and
leaned heavily upon his desk, aad
then looked at Mr. iDobsOn with
fearful eye, He sprang to the safe
and grasped knife which lay there,
and looked at me, kissing between
his teeth: s ~ ..,
you cursed imp,yOu told its Take
thatr
He made plunge at me with the
knife. but I stepped aside With such
ouiekness that L did no damage. MF.
Dobson Iasped upon him; be then
turned the knife upon himself aud
vIanged Il into his heart. It was 3
rIEs.;,,o, s;erht hid nv faca from