The Republican journal., 1877-08-09

stock OF domestics and staple goods were
llkely to rise much higher, he looked for
ward to a complete recovery from all his
losses. He was ready now to enter upon
open hostllltles with the man who had
Tor tive months past held his fate in his
hands.
With this condensed balance sheet in
his pocket, and on the same day that he
mad thrown the bait to the tshv man of
lgures, Belton sought the office of Beck
ley 4 Theales, and told the whole story
to Mr.. Beckley, who gave his client an
interesting account Of the statutes re-
specting backmail, and instructed him
as to the best course 10y which he could
bring the scoundrel to Justice The whole
plan was arranged, and on the following
morning the curtain rose in the private
counting room Of Bolton, on the following
drama. in one act, three scenes:
ACT Scene lst-Enter Mr. Bolton
and book-keeper. The latter asks for
s4o,0Oo in a check. The former tells him
he Will pay nothing further; book-keeper
threatens to blow, and says Belton & Co.
are 100000 short. aud are insolvent.
Scene ID. Enter cotton broker who
congratulates Belton on making Sos
'N!n Oh the cotton spec, dm,l says he will
make as much more by holding it a few
months. Book-kcepcr pale and silent.
Belton gay Exit cotton-b broker Bolton
shows the book-keepcr the little balance
sheet, and detics him.
Scene I'd. Enter managing clerk of
Beckley 4 Theaes.
snow l." says Bolton. advancing
on the book keeper. ''Well have a settle
ment, once for all. My lawyer here will
tell You that YOU are liable to heavy fine
and imprisonment for this black mail
| business. You hold notes for SO, 900,
given You as hush money, and YOU have
bought a house for S34, 900 more. all Of
which you eNtorted from ne Return the
notes and property to Belton 4 Co. and
| you can 90 free, refuse and We'll send YOU
| to Sing Sing
The man to whom these words were
addressed sat pale and silent looking
from one to the other of those who were
pressing him, as if he We're STUDYING the
situation and characters Of this sudden
shifting Of the scenes, and preparing to
decide on the course he should pursue.
As the representative of the law firm
OF Becklev x ThearS ! prorecdrl t"
demonstrate to the bonl1-kccpcr the ser-
GUS position in which he had placed him
self 10y eNtorting money from his employ
er, and informed him that nothing but
full restitution would save him from the
penalty Of the law
The booll-keepcr at last broke silence.
and said: "Nou charge me with levvinn
blackmail | deny the charge. and will
| make you provcit." So saving. he wheeled
n M -al ~.
We saw now that we had relied too
much upon fear as Il means for compel
ling restitution Our plan had partially
| failed and we must east about for new
| eNpedlents to accomplish what We de
sired.
Bolton was loath to enter a complaint
in u criminal court us he dlslikcd the
idea OF having the whole story brought
out in the papers. The charge of black
| mail would have to he proved clearly,
and what evidence had he to prove it en-
ccpting his own word ON examination
Of the books it was found that the buoI,
Keeper had covered his tracks by an adrot
system of cntries the checks on which
money had been paid had been drawn to
bearer: the notes had been drawn to or
der Of the firm and been indorsed with
the name Of the firm; ii was highly i'm
probable that the book keeper had put
| his name upon them, and If the notes had
been sold To notr-hrokcrS, it might be
difficult for the firm to avoid payment nt
them even by the defence that they were
void from the beginning, and such Il de
fence would moreover compel the princi-
pal defendant to tell the story OF the
| hNpothecation Of the trust bonds. and of
his having yielded to the impudent de
mand for hush money. which of itself was
Il confession of guilt.
IT, however, the notes were still in the
possession of the book keeper, he might
| be prevented from selling them 10y ;tn IN
| junction. With much reluctance Belton
consented al last to have injunction Ij;-
pers prepared and served that afternoon.
Meanwhile the book keeper, after lraN-
ING the office Of his employer. directed his
steps to the bank, and presented the 50,
600 note, and linding payment had been
stopped FASTENED to a note broker and
offered the three notes for sale, telling
him that he would return in half an hour
for the check. Belton 4 co. s paper was
we'll known to the notc-brokcr, and that
| individual FASTENED out to find Il custo-
mer who would take them at 9 per cent.
but on submitting the notes to the money
lender he soon saw that one of them was
non-negotiablc, the words ''or order" hay-
INC been omitted, while another was due
that day.
The broker, being anxious to earn his
commission, Immediately brought the
notes to the office of Belton x Co., rs
they We're made to the order of that firm,
and bore no Endorsements but theirs, and
handing them to the senior in person
asked him to supply the missing words,
and also calling his attention to the fact
that one OF the three notes came due that
day.
Belton thus found himself, much to his
astonishmcnt, in possession Of the very
documents which he had hoped to obtain
in another way. Concraling his surprise,
he told the broker that he had concluded |
not to sell those notes, but as he, the
broker, had found purchaser he had
fairly earned his comrission, which he
would pay him. The broker took his
commission and supposing that the per
son who had asked him to sell the notes,
and who was known to him as the book |
Keeper Of BeltOn \ Co, had been told by
that firm to sell the notes, departed With |
entire satisfaction at this arrangement
About ten minutes after his departure
the note broker made his entire again. in
Il state of suppressed excitement, and
told Beton that he had made a mistake |
in leaving the notes with him, that he
had supposed they were the property of
the firm, but that he had Just learned
from l. their book keeper, that the
notes We're his private property, and he,
the broker, was threatened with a law
suit unless they were Immediately re-
turned.
Tell L he must apply to me if he
wants those notes, replied Bolton. 'Make |
yourself perfectly easy about any lawsuit.
| will indemnify YOU
The broker departed with his message, |
leaving Bolton to renew his set-congratu
lations over his having so strangely ac-
II