The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-03-10
How 1t Feels To Be a Thief.

How 1t Feels To Be a Thief.
E. w. TAYLOR, assistant cashier of
the Franklin Qnd.) National Bank, re-
ceived the following letter from his
brother, the abscondlng cashier, inform
| ing him of his crime:
| " FRANKLIN, IND, Feb. 4, 1877.
"E. w. TAYLoR-Dear Brother: l
send this to you from indianapolis, to-
| gether with several other letters. Please
deliver them as addressed. When you
get this see some of the officers of the
bank, better Mr. McCaslin, and deter
mine what to do. | cannot come back.
l am ruined, and you know how and by
whom. have tried to keep up, but we
cannot stand everything. l have fur
nished margins on speculations until l
cannot longer do it and keep the doors
of the bank open. l date my downfall
from the Indianapolis speculations in
which Rev. Crawford got me and Frank
Wollen. had to foot the bills. l found
then that was so deeply involved that
l had to do something to get out. l first
started with Jesse Needham, and had
loss of about $4,000 to settle there |
biiSN ~ ehSh Oh my Onh oNSOul1, hlNt
lost thousands; then went in with Jeffries
& Fesler, and lost thousands; then with
w. G. Crowell, and lost largely-sll to
save the bank. 1t has all gone against
me. have to suffer the penalty of the
whole transaction. ! have done many
things since l commenced that were not
honorable or honest to keep the bank up.
| have been discounting paper for the
past three years that hare forged, and
have kept the bank in seeming good con-
ditiOn. And it was not the last time
that Mr.. Lynch examined the bank that
there was $4,000 of the paper that /
had made to make the bills come out,
and in his footings l made them CORE
spond with my books. have prepared
letter for my wife-God bless her.
Will you deliver it and break the news
as gently as you can? | am lost, ruined.
l want you if they execute my property to
buy it all in; do not let one item leave
Buy Morgan his saddle horse and the
buggy, and buy all the household goods,
if motherin-law cannot claim it. | want
her mother to hold the business prop
erty. 1t was decided to her. / owed her
money, and do yet She holds my note.
have written to my wife about that. l
think you had better move in with them
and take care of them. Oh, my God!
how canI stand this? leave Indianapolis
Monday for parts unknown. l dread
the result of the news to my dear fami-
ly. They are not to blame. Oh! how
dear my family has been to me in the
past week. cannot help laying the
blame on other parties who have brought
me to this. But, of course, have to
stand it. Will you please take care of
my family? They will need your assist
ance. God bless them and you! If l
alone were to suffer l could stand it.
will watch the papers closely for the re-
suit. If anything fatal occurs adver-
tise for me in the papers. | must see
jessie if she should get down dangerous
from this shock. She is a good Christian
woman and does not deserve this. Would
to God that could go back seven years.
/ cannot but blame others for dragging
me into this. How pity our poor de-
positors. They have been kind to US,
they have had confidence IN US, and we
have been considered good. But, alas!
it is not so. The First National Bank
has been broken for the past two years.
and the credit it has had has been the
only thing that has kept it up. Please
look after my family. They will be
heart-broken when they get the news
See that jessie has the proper medical at
tention. She is a jewel, and almost feel
like committing the rash act of suicide,
but will not. | want you to see that the
home property is not moved. | have
paid all the city taxes and Morgan's feed
bill IN advance. want you to buy him
and the COW for them. / think you had
better draw what the bank owes YOU
($2, 500, as you will need it. l am lost in
all my accounts. Do not allow the pa
pers and people 10 blame me altogether;
l do deserve part, but not all. / have
written to the President of the bank
OH that | had the record that you have
Your books will bear examination, and
you will come out all right hope to
make back my defalcations in the course
of years, when will leave the country
for good. God bless you and stand by
you in this trial! My kind regards to
Joe Smith (teller). regret also on his
account. He has been kind and faithful
Mr.. Sprague, also. l will explain one
thing: | have been making per cent
dividends twice year That was done
to hold my position. The bank has not
made the half of it. There have been
added by fictitious interest at least $780,
600 since have been here that the stock
holders have got which were never made
by the earnings. 1t was done with the
hope that something would turn up that
might pay it back and save my credit
also. | am so near crazed that / cannot
write further. Please look after my
family. Be to them husband and a
father. Your lost brother,
ar. T. TAYLOR"
| Scarcely a mail SAWS the ,T0urnnL of