Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-06-15
who was noted for his close obserya-

who was noted for his close observa.
ton, stated that his drover had a
scar about an inch long on his left
check. This information set the de-
tective to observing everybody's face
most carefully.
The second day he saw a young
man driving along in light wagon
and on his check his quick eye de.
tected the fatal scar.
Following him up, he found on in
quiry that he was Jerry Larned, also
a graduate of Yale, and a young
brother of Edward. He owned a
woolen mill not far from his broth
er's cotton mill, and was also sue
cessful and wealthy man, noted for
his jovial and pleasant manners and
very popular in the community.
When he was arrested every one
said it was impossible that he conld
have been engaged i'll the bank rob-
berry any more than his brother, and
the president of the bank, with his
family, remembered that on the very
night of the robbery, Jerry had spent
the evening at their house and had
made himself unusually agreeable.
When, however he was shown to
the paying tellers of the banks,
dressed as drover, they all declar-
ed him to be the man.
The trial came on in its regular
course, and after good deal OF close
argument on both sides, the two
brothers were condemned, Edward
to fifteen years. Imprisonment, and
Jerry to ten.
Outside opinion, however, ran
strongly in their favor, and many
were disposed to petition for their
pardon, when. suddenly, it was an
nounced that Edward Larned, who
knew nothing of this outside feeling
had confessed the robbery.
When asked what motive could
possibly have induced him to do
such deed, he answered with a tri-
umphant smile:
"Who could have done it SO well?"
Thus, from a feeling Of diseased
vanity he had deliberately sacrificed
friends, fortune and position, smirch.
ing his good name and earning moth
ing but felon's doom.
When asked how he had contrived
to keep the seals unbroken, he an
swered, with a contemptuous laugh:
"Why, | got piece OF watch
spring, Strengthened it out, and took
it with me to the bank. There l
heated 1t in the flame of candle,
and sliding the hot, thin steel care
fully along under each seal, l cut off
the top of it very neatly, and laid it
aside until l had done what l wanted
and then, by reheating the wax, l
easily replaced the SEAL"
A man named Bottonly, who own
ed woolen mill not far off, having
heard of this confession, thought that
he also could get some information
from Jerry Larned that he had long
desired to have. For some time this
man had noticed that, in spite of his
buying a superior wool, his goods
had all the appearance of having
been made from inferior materials.
He concluded to examine his wool
sacks at short intervals, and see if
any change took place.
lie found to his astonishment that
the very bags he had seen with his
own eyes full of the best wool, show
ed, on a second visit, wool that was
decidedly inferior, yet the exterior of
the bags seemed all right.
He concluded to set watch when
he bought his next lot, so as to find
out who had changed it.
The man he hired for this purpose
saw wagon, with two men in 1t,
coming toward the mill about mid
night, and ran across to the house for
help.
Unfortunately, the men in the wa
gon saw him, and turning around,
drove furiously away.
Suspccting now that Jerry Larned
might have been this skillful opera
tor, he went to the prison to inquire
of him about it.
Jerry confessed with a laugh, and
seemed as foolishly vain of this cx-
plot as his brother had been of the
bank robbery.
Thus these two men, altho ugh
wealthy and respected, either could
not, or did not resist temptation, and
went down from their high and en-
joyblc position in society to all the
dlsgraces and discomforts of con-
vict's life, tending to confirm the
views of those who consider all
wrong doing as insanity, and that
the proper punishment for crime is
to cure the criminals disease.