Smyrna times., 1876-03-01
Lead Us Not Into Temptation. "

OanK In New England town upon attempt |
ing to open the vault of the institution |
found that some accident had caused the |
displacement of steel pin in the lock, so
that the combination upon which it was
set failed to open it. The safe manufacturer
was sent for and the entire day occupied |
in effecting an entrance through the outer
door, it being at last accomplished by jarr-
ing the door so that the displaced pin fell
into its position, when the bolt was turned
by the combination. Immediately on the
door being opened the*workman stepped
back and the cashier and teller of the
bank looked in. Upon the first sight each
uttered an ejaculation of surprise. Two
inner doors upon which were locks of the
most approved burglar-proof pattern were
aiar, unlocked. A moments examination
disclosed the fact that package of $2l 900
in legal-tender bills had been stolen.
Nothing more than that. There were no
indications of burglary, for it was very plain
that the difficulty with the outside lock
was the result of an accident. There were
no signs of violence or Of any attempt to
break into the safe deposit boxes in the
vault, in which were securities to the value
of several hundred thousand dollars. If
this was a burglary then there was no
security in burglar-proof safes and locks.
For here were three doors secured by the
best of locks. each set upon combination
known to but two persons, and only one
person, the President of the bank, know
ing the three, so that only he was in posses
sion of the three combinations by which
access could be had to the interior of the
safe from which the money was taken.
The directors of the bank had taken every
possible precaution against burglary, and
against the possibility of any one person
being seized as the Northampton cashier
was, and tortured into a disclosure of the
combinations. To make assurance still
more sure, a chronometer lock had been
ordered in addition to those already in use,
and was to have been attached to the door
the day following the robbery.
Of course the manner and method and
the perpetrators of the crime were great
mystery. The last person in the bank the
night previous was the teller, young man
respectfully connected, of excellent habits
and irreproachable character, twenty-five
years of age, married, an active member ol
a Christian church, and having the entire
confidence of the bank officers and the
community in which he lived. He had
been left to close all the safe and vault
doors, and lock up for the night. 1t was
i. not possible, under the circumstances, that
, he should escape suspicion, though ordi
q narily his character and habits and the
implicit confidence reposed in his in
/ tegrity would have exempted him. HI
h was questioned, pressed, cornered, and a
n length confessed that he took the money
s himself before leaving the vault, and tha
. he left the doors ajar in order to give tn,
!. impression of burglary. 1t was al
awkward, bungling piece of work, utterl
d lacking in ingenuity, or anything that coul'
be called contriyance even, and almos
certain of exposure. The bank recovere,
all the money, deficit of 81, 800 in tn
: package being made good by the youn
N mans friends. So all that happened wa
. the young mans ruin. His crime was
10 failure, and he is disgraced forever. Their
will be few days sensation, he will hav
his trial, 60 to prison, and then be fo
Os gotten. He had been in the employ Of tn
;s bank for several years, and, as the fact
~ show, trusted implicitly. His salary WI
,,s nine hundred dollarsa year.
70 In a corporation in the same town
20 which this robbery occurred, gentlema
"a was called year or two ago to a responsib
bo executive position. Entering upon h
al duties, he found that one young man
the employ Of the company had been i
-. trusted with almost absolute control
large sums of money. Returns were mac
-, to him, moneys paid and disbursed, wi
~ nothing like check or restraint upon hil
do and hardly any system by which the cC
:, rectness of his accounts could be teste
The gentleman made it his first business
=. have a thorough overhauling of the boo
- of the concern, and then to put in opel
-, ton plan Of duplicatereports and retur
i, ;F and a complete system OF checks al
~ balances, whereby error or fraud could
-. detected at once. Some time after the
lor ganization Of this system, the young ma
or,, who possessed, as he deserved, the ent
49,, confidence of his employers, said to {
- superintendent, Mr.. B., did you think
81 was dishonest that you made these chan,
in our methods Of doing business and Ike
o,, ing accounts?' "No," was the reply;
~ did not think you were dishonest, and
- not mean that you shall have any char
to be. 1t was as much for your sake
- the companys that directed the chan
!. .e to be made. Imeant to remove anyth
go like temptation from you. won't al
i =. myself to be subjected to any such tenn
ton, and so have the same checks VI
'""' myself.n That gentleman knew the we
ness of human nature, and it was
M - philosophy to avoid by oil means putt
i - any strain upon it. II seems to us "
There was Divine insight into the We