River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-11-27
A ROLL OF BILLS.
And a Curious Coincidence Connected
with It's Loss.

The following story-an old affair now
was told TO reporter of The Times
yesterday by a well-kn and highly
respectable citizen. There are obvious
reasons for not giving the names of the
parties interested, but are all still living
IN this city. The incidents related hap
pened four or five years ago, but have
never before been published. An elder
ly gentleman, the senior member of
large wholesale blu mess firm, on one
Saturday afternoon, drew from his bank
er $l00 in bank notes for his wife. He
placed the money in his vest pocket.
When he got home the lady asked him
for the money, and or feeling in his
pocket for it found that it was gone. He
then remembered that ON his way
home he mad stopped at market and
made some purchases, and Oh paying
for them he had taken
the money from the vest pocket in
which he had placed the 800. 1t being
late he let the matter rest until Monday
when he went to the market-man and
said: "Mr. -, when l was here Satur-
day night l dropped a roll of bills
amounting to $780," TIE marketman
answered: Nv ell come to think of it,
man was in just after you and made
some purchases. He telt in his pocket
for the m oney and acted as if he had
lost something. Then looking down he
he saw roll OF bills on the floor picked
it up and counted it. There was Just
500, and from it he paid for what he
bought" The marketman furthermore
did not know the man, except, by sight
but said that he often came INTO the
place to buy meats. A watch was kept
for the mans return and on the follow.
ing Saturday, lie came to the market.
He then learned of the other mans loss
and found out the name of the loser, to
whom he at once went. He found him
in his office, and handed him 800, with
the following explanation: On the pre-
vious Saturday he had been in Windsor
where he had been engaged in doing
some professional work for wealthy
citizen of that place. 1t was getting
late, and he was preparing to return to
Hartford when his employer came in
and handed him 800 in bank bills, ask
ing him TO hurry, as the carriage had
hardly time to reach the station. Hasti-
ly thrusting the money as he supposed
into his vest pocker, he returned by the
train to this city When he went to the
market above referred he naturally felt
for his money, and, missing it, looked
around for it, and saw the roll on the
floor which he supposed his own. He
had used it during the week and only
on that day had he put ON his working
coat. While at work he wanted a match
and feeling in the pockets of his coat to
his establishment he found the 800 he
had put there instead of into his vest
pocket. As soon as possible he went to
the market to see il anyone had lost
that sum of money, and this led to
general settling all around. He Gid not
know at that time that he had been sus-
pected of the theft, and did not imagine
that he was in danger of arrest. But
had he not found the money as he did
he would have been arrested on the fol-
lowing Monday. Awkward as the stu
alton it would have been very difficult
for this gentleman to make any satis-
factory explanation, and, artist though
he was. he would have gone to jail.