Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-01-09
The Man that Never Was Found Out.

enjoying unlimited confidence, having
far name in business, in society and in
the church had suddenly been convicted OF
forgery, No one becomes very base all
ut once says the adage. and the disclosure
was made that this man of trust had for
many years been carrying on his business
by the aid of forged paper, but had until
now been able to conceal his steps. A
full confession WAS made to the court by
the guilty man, and this with his subse-
quent conduct after sentence to the peni-
tenliarY were made the occasion of II COOL
deal of comment in the newspaL ers and
among business men or those who were
socially connected with the forger.
Two gentlemen, among others, We're
talking the matter over one day, shortly
after The prison doors had closed upon
llalcrOft, and he was lost to sight for five
years. They were sitting in the private
Office of the elder of the two near the close
OF the business day. The feature of the
ease which most impressed the elder was
the cnlpabilty Of the banks which had for
IL long time received IIolcroft's paper
without any examination, from the gen
era trust which they reposed in him.
" 10 bank or person has u right" he
excliRmed :" to accept any securities with
out the closest scrutiny. In the interest Of
the community they are bound to ignore
entirely the character and reputation of
the man who offers his paper, and to ex-
ercise the same care us Il goldsmith who is
asked to buy or advance money on any
precious stones which may be offered to
him. 1t is not the name on the face of the
paper only, but the names on the back
which should be inspected and tested with
the utmost precaution."
"What you say, Goldthwait," said the
younger man, has just at this moment
the weight of this disaster to enforce it;
but you know very well that in ordinary
times no one could maintain such vgor-
Gus guard. You do not yourself look
sharply at every bank bill which passes
through yur hands; you take it for granted
that the bulk of money in use is good, and
only now and then are you on your guard
against II counterfeit issue. What is to
me the most remarkable about Ilocroft's
case is the courage with which he and his
family accepted the consequences, and let
the law take its course. lie made no effort
to escape. and his friends made none to
keep him out of prison. They had money
enough, and suppose they could have
taken advantage of legal quibbles and
STAYED off the linal trial and perhaps got
him free after all"
q" doubt if it was altogether courage
on his part | have herd that he had
made up his mind to commit suicide when
ever the condition of his aiflir should be
discovered, but when the time came he
could not bring himself to it. No, de
pend upon it, to II man of IlOlcroft's na-
lure. IL m IN of generous impulses, refined
tastes and weakened will there could be
nothing so torturlng as to face his old
friends after the discovery; he would far
rather accept the solitude Of the penitrn-
tary; and, besides, having II mental per-
crpton of the operations Of law, he would
regard II tarm OF years in the state prison
rs likely to rXpiate his crime. and satisfy
his outraged Conscience; but it would not,
it would not
No, it would not" said Farley, the
Younger man. a crime like liUlcfOfL' :
reaches great deal farther than YOU or |
Can trace il, and the mrn himself carrie.
II mark in his consciousness which ue can
not erase. | have always thought that
Shakespeare sonnded the depths ot human
sinfulne,s when he Wade Lady Macbeth,
even in her sleep, try in vain to rid herself
of the blood which the world did not know
10 be on her hands. AN the perfumes of
Arabia will not sweelen this little hand.
No one can believe that any good act he
does afterward will blot out his sin. He
may believe this theoretically of some one
else, but he will not himself sin and be
lieve it. There is II case in my mind now
of IL man who carried about for years the
remembrance Of an undiscovered sin, a
sin which he believed wholly concealed,
and ut length the confession was forced
from him by the pressure from within,
and not from any external force"
What were the circumstances?
These, if you will hear them: He
was young man in business here in town,
and doing fairly we'll. lie had many
friends, and one in particular, a man Older
than himself, with whom he was in the
habit of exchanging accommodations. His
friend endorsed for him, and he endorsed
for his friend. 1t CHANGED that his friend
was burned out in the great fire, and hav-
ing no Office he used this man safe as Il
depository for some bonds and other pa
perS. lie went Off also for II Journey,
saying that he should have no occasion to
disturb his deposit during his absence,
which was TO be for month. About a
week after he left, this man, whose affairs
had become somewhat embarrassed by the
shrinkage Of value of considerable insur-
ance scrip which he held, got in very
tight place. A note OF his was coming
due, and he hld no funds with which to
meet it. His own securities were nearly
worthless, and he was ut his wits end how
to raise the necessary sum He could fore
see Two payments due him in fortnight
which would be sufficient, but he had never
asked to have Il note renewed, and he had
Il pride about it which made him now re-
fuse that relief. Then it occurred to him
that his friends deposit would be available
i if his friend were on hand. lie had re-
ceived temporary relief in this way before.
That his friend was absent VS. an annoy
ance, and he could not reach him, for ne
was on the water. Under the circum,
stUnces, Us he said to himself, he was rs
much justified in borrowing five Of his
friends bonds for security in raising foul
thousand dollars, 'tS II boy would be who
should shake u tree for apples, in the acei
DENIAL absence of the farmer, who haC
often given him as many rs he wanted.
However, he left this for II last resort; buI
when the day came he had not succeeded
in raising the money by any other means
aud he took this methed. A few hours
afrrward the original holder Of the note
come to him almost with tears in bis eyes
he bad had the note discounted month
previously, and now. knowing the critical
condition in which every one stood, he ha(
been in terror lest the maker of the note
should be unable to pay it, and the bank
should call upon him, which would be the
only thing needed to string him up, us he
said. There really seemed to be sort o
special Providence in it all, said Onr friend
to himself, for he had begun to feel little
uneasy.
Meanwhile the loan which he had
raised by means Of these bonds was a
short one, and he expected to meet it by
the two payments shortly to fall due,
What was his dismay. when the dny fol
them came, to learn of the failure OF the
house largest in his debt, and to be waited
upon by the smaller house with request
for an extension. His friend was to return
in three days, and something must be
done at once. The day was discount day
at his bank. He drew up II note for the