The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-05-18

was unfastened. l ran down into the
street,and looked up and down hopeless
ly bewildered 1t was damp and dark
night; the lamp at the corner threw a
long, sickly ray down the streaming
pavement, but there wasn't 4 soul to be
seen. Everything was still and cold and
dark The money was clean gone-yes
it was gone. 1 repeated these wordl
mechanically to myself as l crawled W
stairs. All the results of this loss pictur
ed themselves clearly before me-dis
missal from the bank, ruin of all my
prospects, utter ruin, in fact. Wha
could do7 To what turn? The blow
that had fallen upon me was SO heavy
that it had benumbed my faculties. Ny
chief desire was to crawl into bed, anG
fall asleep, hoping never TO wake. But
morning would come, sure enough
morning and its attendant miseries
Then the thought came to me: Should
/ go to bed and say nothing at all about
it? No one knew of my having received
that money, not a soul but Black, tht
man who had deposited it. had giyer
no receipt for it, no acknowledgement
Black had gone to America hundred
things might happen-he might never
return; at all events, here was respite
immediate relief. l could go to the
bank next morning, hang up my hat a:
usual-everything would go on as be
fore. If Black returned my word was a:
good as his. The notes and checks
could never be traced home. But
don't think retained this thought long
Do you ever consider how much resolu
ton and force of will it takes to intimate
course Of crime and deception? I'd
neither the one nor the other; | should
have broken down at once. l couldn't
have met that fellows eye and told him
had never had his money / woke my
wife-she'd slept throughall the trouble
Mary" 1 said, "we're ruined-there',
been a robbery"
a robbery" she cried, clasping her
hands; "and are the men gomez"
Yes" said
oh, thank Heaven" she said, "then
we're safe. Never mind the rest Jack as
long as our lives are safe. But there's
my waterproof Jack-oh, do run and
see if they've taken thatr''
Then Itold her the story of the twenty
two thousand pounds. She wouldn't be
lieve me at first, but when she heard the
whole story she was frightened enough
Yet she had wits about her more than ]
had
You must run off to the town hall,
Jack" she said, "and set the police to
work. They must telegraph to all the
stations,t to London and everywhere. Oh
do go at once, Jack this very moment
Every second lost may be ruin to u.s."
Away l went to the town hall. This
was big g,classic place, with an immense
portico and hugh flight of steps; but
you didn't go into the portico to get to
the police Office, but of the rudimentary
style of architecture, and you went along
number ofechoing stone passages be
fore you reached the superintendent
office.
When l told the superintendent the
story "ah," he said, al think know who
did that job"
oh" said i, "how thankful / am
Then you can put your hands upon him
and get back the money. / want the
money back. Mr. Superintendent-neve
mind him. wouldn't mind indeed, re.
warding him for his trouble, if could
only get the money back"
Sir said the superintendent, severe
ly, "the police amt sent into the world to
get people money back-nothing of the
sortwe aren't going to encourage compo-
sition of felony; and as for putting our
hands on FlaslIy Joe-for he did the job.
mark you-well. what do you think the
liberty of the subject is for? Where is
your evidence"
/ was obliged 10 confess l hadn't any,
whereat the superintendent looked at me
contemptuously.
"Now, let's see into this matter, said
he, after he had made some notes on q
bit of paper. "How came they to know
you'd got the money in your coat?"
/ said l didn't know.
"Ah, but know" said the superin-
tendent You went to get glass ofale
after you left the bank, young man.
was obliged to confess had done so.
That's how property gets stolen, said
he,looking at me severely. "And what's
more, you had glass with friend? All,
knew you had. And perhaps you got
talking to this friend of yours
Yes, indeed, had
Very well; and mentioned about the
money you'd just took?@
Very likely
Then this, Joe, depend upon twas in
the crib at the time and heard you, ana
he followed you back to the bank; and
you havn't got blinds but wire netting
over the window, and anybody outside
can see you counting out the gold and
silver"
That's true" / said.
YES, see it all" said the superin-
tendent, lust as Joe saw it. He follows
you up from here TO yonder, and he sees
you put your money into your coat
pocket; and he follows you home, and
when all's quiet he cracks the crib. Oh,
its all in nutshell; and that's how prop
erty goes. And then you come to the
police"
But if you know its Joe, why don't
you send after him and catch him."
"Oh, we know our business, sir; you
leave it all to us; We shall have Joe tight
enough, if not for this job, anyhow, for
the next Well give him a bit Of rope
like"
1 could't put any fire into the man
do what i could. Ee was civil, that is
for Yorkshiremsr; impassiye he'd do
what was right I'd given the informa-
ton; very well, all the rest was his busi-
ness.
So came home miserably despairing.
1t was just daylight by this time, and as
opened the shutters the debris of our
feast was revealed-the lees of the lob