The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-11-07

hcaith came baCk AT magical pace,
and everything seemed destined TO go
on well, thanks TO my West Indian pa
tient, TO whom I wrote once more, but from
whom never heard again.
In speaking Of my friend, Mr.. Deacon,
ought to have said he had two sons In town,
both mddle-aged men--one a lawyer, the
other was manager of the French bank where
| had opened my account with my fist thou
sand pounds. The lawyer was Mr.. Robert.
The bank manager was Mr.. William, and
both were good friends Of mine. One after
noon when happened to be at the bank Mr..
William asked 10 see me In his private room;
found another visitor in IL who was
stranger TO me-"
Wilson," said he, you remember
when opening your account with us last
May you paid in single Bank of England
| note. Should You know IL II you saw II
AGAIN."
"I Endorsed IL with my name"
:" Your name, in your own handwriting -
:" Certainly"
"Is this IL 2'
ct is" said.
GLOW long ago and from whom did you
receive this noteY'
"On the 10th of May, at the Bank of
England"
The two gentlemen looked at one another.
I" You say" said the stranger, !" that you,
on the 10th of May last, received over the
counter of the Bank of England this note of
this particular date and number. Would
you swear it in n court of justice, If necos-
sary"
81 certainly would swear to that any
| where"
son what account was this note paid into
your hands3''
Gin payment of check drawn in my
favor by Mr.. Jules Londas, of Kingston,
| jamaica"
"Can you give me the date of the
check 2"
"The 18th of September last
"You are sure of that? ?"
Absolutely sure"
"Then need detain you or Mr.. Deacon no
/ longer. Good day."
"What does IL all mean 20 asked Mr..
Deacon as soon as the other had gone.
hope you are not in trouble about that note.
don't know much about banking"
81 hope" he said, "that no one will be
in any trouble, but have told all know
about the matter, and SO have you. dare
say we shall not hear of it again. Will you
excuse me? am very busy just now"
Tho following afternoon was in the cell
of London police station. Within week
had given bail to meet my trial OH an in
dictment for having forged aud uttered n
note of the Bank of England for one thousand
pounds.
Mr.. Robert Deacon acted as my legal
adviser. He was a shrewd, careful lawyer,
but the case puzzled him as much as it
baffied me. Whether lie believed me guilty
know not but If he did not, he was
more credulous than should have been.
The case was this: II has always been the
practice of the Bank of England never to re-
issue note, but 10 burn every one that re-
turns to it. Now, on a certain day, note for
one thousand pounds, bearing certain
number and other marks of Identification,
had, in tho usual course of business, been
returned TO the bank, and duly burned with
the others. OF that there could be no ques-
ton, unless there had been conspiracy
among many officials to save 1t from the fire.
Some time after paid into the bank at D.
a note corresponding in every recorded par
ticular with the note that had been destroyed
The case looked almost fatal for me. had
not been content with declaring that had
received what had proved to be u reissued
note from the Bank Of England, but asserted
drawn on the 18th of September. And Il
, sum up all. the bank had been long ago mott
fled that its customer, Mr.. Jules Londas, o
, Kingston, had been accidently drowned II
Kingston HarbOr OIL September IL, the very
day after had left him to the enjoyment o
! n new lease of life for forty years. And hi!
|, ck-book, containing the stubs, had beer
lost with him, and no evidence remained o
his having drawn any such check save hi
letter to me-if IL had not been written B.,
me.
And SO much for Mr.. Jules Londas, hi
hopes, and his fears! The man who hat
nothing to dread save a death by disease OF
. or before certain Saturday had persisted
: by drowning the next day. Perhaps he ha(
!, mistaken his ffty-seventh birthday, perhaps
, not. Who can tell At any rate, there mus
have been some mistake.
, But it was terrible one for me Nothing
but the nature Of Mr.. Robert DeacOn's de
! Tense for me-that no official or expert coul,
! detect the slightest sign of forgery on tn
face of the note-warranted my admission Il
bail OH 80 serious charge as forgery upol
> the Bank of England.
4 But to make the matter more complicate,
a and dangerous for me, note Of the sam
4. amount had been given on the 10th of Ma
in payment of a check drawn. by Mr.. julie
n LOndas, as appeared OIL the books, but II wa
a of different number, and had not yet bee
= returned.
y About week after my arrest commun
# cation from Mf. Robert Deacon informed nj
:, that the bank would give me all facilitie
4 for identifying the clerk who had, accordin
E ny s,ory, oasncu ny one'hs "ousi
l. III 70 avall h'ysoll o, .he". Whieh ! III,
lr anu III company WIN my soiici.or M" oi
Mr.. Deacon, l once more Travelled to LondOi
anu .neh i1i. tnenl W one 0, VI" prNa.e OH
COS OF the pahk' wmle wa'keu .he ieng'
Vi 'he COUNTER All was Jus. as ~ IN" oee
N before saw twe've cierks AZ twoive desk
~ pu. .le .lIr'eeh,,', lor WHOM was iookinl
:. olu ho' rvs. ne certainty "as mol NJ u
III counter, "or ""S no " po sceh III ,he roo'
a. aHho1sn my eyes went all over IL from aes
On ucsk =, y" ~, sea'1h u n,i'' An A. IT..
H. won aske" mr. niich' 'ho uirec'o
10 "nen returned.
lin, n '1n "m,y say mn nave no. ST. ST.
u mi,n' answered. WINE 'e''ihy hear' si'
" "itn ,r, me. :,
lhon no sa'a, VIC nave done an
" sho' LOT tnere IL ho,hing more 10 DO salo