River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-05-31
KLEPTONANIA.

WHICH, Ike ali TIC GUILTY. hdAh1 VI ina
State az that time, had made an arrange
ment with the Suffolk Bank of Boston by
which their bills should be redeemed ant
returned to them in convenient packages
Mr.. Prentiss. the cashier Of the Mill
bury Bank. going one day TO the safe Il
get some bills, took up one Of these pack
ages. and. on breaking the seals and open
ing it, found. to his establishment, that
the bills had all been taken out and re
placed by pieces Of newspaper, cut to the
proper size.
Another package was lying near It. but
not having noticed much the seals of the
first, he sent for two Of the directors to
examine with him this second package.
They all agreed that the seals Of the
Suffolk Bank were perfect, and, on break
ing open this other package and finding
in il nothing bat newspaper slips, they
concluded that this substitution must
have been made before ii reached there,
and while il was still in the possession Of
the Suffolk Bank. The latter stOutly de-
MED this.
While this discussion was going on,
Mr.. Waters, the president of the bank,
was reused from his sleep one morning
about one O'Clock by two persons out
side. who insisted on seeing him.
Taking them FOR bad characters, he re-
fused AT first to admit them, but when
they called out that they had brought
him some Of the stolen money Of the bank,
he opened the door, and found them 10
be the hOstler and his wife, who were in
the service of Mr. Edward Larned, the
successful and wealthy owner of q cotton
mill near by.
They give him Gag containing $1,000
in gold. and q package Of bills amounting
to $21, 800, which was just half the
amount Of one of the stolen packages.
They stated that Mr.. Larned had come
home late that night, and the hOstler had
gone up into the haylOft with lantern
10 pull down some hay for the horse
Finding the hay rather tightly packed,
he look around for some that appeared
to be looser, and on pulling in certain
place found il 81 loose that his curiosity
was excited. After pulling away all the
loose hay, he found a hole cut into the
solid part, and, on putting in his hand,
he pulled out from the back part of the
hole the bag Of gold and the package of
bills.
Delighted with the treasure, hc hastily
finished his task, and, going home. he
put both bag and package under the bed.
lie found il. however, impossible to sleep
on account of thinking what he ought to
10. Finally, his tossing and turning
walked his wife. who insisted on knowing
VIVA. was the matter.
The moment he told her, she said that
II must be the money Of the bank, and
that they lhust take it To- the president
Immediately.
Getting up and dressing herself she
made him 10 the same, and "a they
brought the money To the bank.
In the morning, the first thing to hc
done was tn find some trace Of the rob
hers. Everybody talked of it. and every
body tried to find out in vain.
4 Boston detective was therefore sent
tor quietly. and he went quietly to work.
Taking OFT the locks OF the bank doors
and Of the oId-taShiouc,l safe, hc found
that some small particles of soap were
sticking To them. This showed that an
impression had l',en taken. and false keys
made.
Mr.. Larncd's cotton mill then became
the center Of inquiry. and. among Others
who were closely questioned Was the
machinist who. however. denied having
made any kew for any one. He added
that the only thing he had mad, apart
from repairing the machinery of the mill
was small thing that he had made
some time before for Mr.. Larned, and
which the latter had told him was a small
cam movement that hc wished Ia make
an experiment with.
The machinist stated that twas a short
brass roll, about six or eight inches long,
with short piece projecting at right
angles from each end. He said that Mr.
Larned, when he ordered it. had handed
him drawing of it. which nc had after
ward thrown away.
While going toward the Office, the de
tective noticed that the sweepings from
the Office had been allowed to accumu-
late in a heap not far from the door.
He Immediately engaged boy 20 pick
out Of this heap every scrap of paper he
could find. while he himself stood by to
see that nothing of any possible value
should be neglected..
Taking these to his room. and putting
the pieces patiently and carefully togeth-
or. he was rewarded by finding some
drawings Of the cam movement, and
on one of these he noticed some indenta-
tions that looked like the wards of key.
On comparing these with the bank keys,
they correspOnded exactly
Mr. Edward Larned was then arrested.
This startled the whole community, for
ne was a graduate of Yale College, sue
Cessf'ul business man, and now wealthy
mill owner with money enough for all or
binary desires.
The great majority of the people who
lived near could not believe that he had
robbed the bank. and he of course denied
it,
Their chief argument Was tlBt lac could
not possibly have the seal of Hlc Suffolk
Bank, and, therefore, he could not have
opened the packages and replaced the
seals.
While this discussion was going on,
the detective still kept quietly at work
by going to the different towns around
Millbury that enjoyed the dignity of a
bank. and inquired who had recently
deposited or exchanged any of the Mill
bury bills.
He found al four of these that rolls OF
these bills had been exchanged for bills
ola large amount by a droyer.
They Judged him 10 Ice a drOver from
his broad brimmed hat, his loosely tied
cravat. and his sOiIed and dusty clothes.
The cashier of one of these banks, a
Young man who was noted for his close
observation, stated that his drOver had
a scar about an inch long on his LETT
cheek. This information set the detec-
tive TO observing cverybody'S face most
carefully,
The second day he saw a young man
driving along in a light wagon and on
his cheek his quick eve detected the fatal
scar.
Following him up, he found on inquiry
that he was Jerry Earned, also a graduate
Of Yale. and young brother of Edward
He owned wooden mill not far from IN:
brothers cotton mill, and was also sue