The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1877-02-01

win was in the clerks office, and with
him gentleman who, I remembered
afterward, was one of the partners in
the firm of Sylvester, Cayley & Co.,
our bankers. | ran TO the bank az
fast rs | could, threw the envelope
across the counter, and said, "Gold,
please" as pulled out my handker-
chief and wiped my forehead, for the
day was hot.
| The clerk opened the check, looked
at me with surprise for moment, and
then left the counter, while he went
first to the door, and said something
| to the porter, and then walked into
| the inner room. He came back to me,
after two or three minutes, and said,
you must go inside, please; go quiet
~. It's all up at last
Now | declare that | knew no more
what he meant than child, but !
supposed there was some message for
Mr. Baldwin, and | went into the
inner room, filled with clerks, where
the real business of the bank was
transacted. Everybody looked at me
oddly, as | walked to the end at which
the partners and managers were to De
found. One of them seemed to be
waiting for me; he pointed to chair
"Sit down." he said, land wait"
The tone of his voice was not en-
couraging, but obeyed and waited.
Not single thought crossed my brain
that there was or could be anything
wrong.
In ten minutes or so a policeman APP
peared, and understood was to 90
with him.
thought ii must be rs witness,
and it was not till was at the Man
sion House that knew was arrest
ed on charge of forgery.
| lauged; ii was so absurd, that /
laughed.
''Send for Mr.. Baldwin," | said.
They put me in the dock for the pre-
liminary examination. Mr.. Baldwin
gave evidence. He was shaken and
agitated; he would not look me in the
face. He broke down once or twice
with emotion, but his evidence was
clear 1t had been discovered day or
two before that Il system of embezzle-
ment, by way of forgery, had been in
practice for some months. The sigma
ture of the firm had been forged by
some one who knew how to initiate
the handwriting of Mr.. Baldwin. A
sum-in all amounting to upward of
nine hundred pounds-had been thus
fraudulently obtained. To stop the
forger Mr.. Baldwin had been asked by
the bank to add a private mark to his
name. On this morning he had placed
| in my hands, he said, an envelope
containing a check for twelve pounds
with his signature having the private
mark, and he had asked me to cash
that check at the bank He swore
positively that he had drawn that
check, and no other, the day before
the counter-foil proved that-yet the
check | presented was for eighty
pounds, and it had not the privat,
mark.
Observe, now, how the evidenc,
grew more and more circumstantial
had one check given ME; present
ed another. Doubtless ! must have
torn up the first on the way. Then
an important circumstances. | came
back from executing my commission
but did not cash the check. l got as
far as the door of the office; l was seen
| to look in and retreat hurriedly. Mr..
Baldwin was in the clerks room, with
one of the partners of the bank.
| walked fast, or rather ran, to the bank
| | presented the check for eighty
pounds in quick, anxious way, and
l asked for the whole amount in gold.
Naturally it was assumed that was
| going to abscond with the proceeds of
my last forgery. In fact, no question
at all was raised as to my guilt that
was concluded from the very begin
ming. The Lord Mayor refused bail
and | was sent at once to the prison
which l only left in order to be tried
and convicted.
| That was the story. l told it again
and again, while the wood fire cracked
on the hearth. Miss Elwood asked
me for every detail; she talked the
matter over and looked at it in all its
lights, but she always came back to
one point.
| "Mr. Baldwin gave you check
which he had drawn the day before.
How could he swear that the envelope
had not been changed bv some one
elseo"
| And there was another point. 1t
was assumed, though the charge was
not pressed that had been the forger
in the preceding frauds. Now no
clerk could swear that presented any
other of the forged checks. Also it
was proved in the defense that my
life was quite quiet, innocent, and
simple. Every hour of my day was
laid open for the jury. No motive
was discovered for the circumstance
no secret source of extravaganza was
ascortained; and it was found that the
frauds had been committed by means
| of check -book-got Heaven knows
where-not that in the possession of
Mr.. Baldwin. No attempt was made
to find out how | could have obtained
another check-book.
But these were trifes light as air in
comparison with the weight of the
| circumstances against me.
| Always Miss Elwood came back to
the same point.
"Who could have changed the en-
veIope with Mr.. Baldwin's check ?"
! l do not say that the discussion OF
my story occupied the whole OF our
time on the island OF st. Peter. We
had work to do all day, and were often
glad to turn in soon after dark. In
| the summer we walked and talked
outside, and we were always looking
for the ship that was to give us our
release.
At first we looked with certainty.