The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-12-11
Detected in the Act,

some nine months agrO MT. y. A. ram |
sey. a Geneseo merchant employed one Ell
Clouse as clerk. Everything appeared |
to be right. but the business continued to
grow lessor at least the receipts were
not as heavy. Mr.. Ramsey was at loss
to account for the difference. and sought
in vain to solve the mystery until few
days ago when he had his suspicious arous-
ed that, Clouse was systematically robbing
him. The Republic tells the story in full
from which we clip the following. 1t APP
pears, from the statement in the Republic
that Mr.. Ramsey, to verify his suspicious
he took council with several friends and
| By means of marked money and their aid
had succeeded on Saturday last in getting
evidence OF three instances of Clouse's
abstracting money from the cash drawer.
| While the last OF the stolen money was
still secreted Oh his person Clouse was sent
t. Charles Dupham's office, on a pretend
ed errand, sand there confronted with
statement of the accusations against him
| In the face of the evidence against him.
and with stolen money in his pocket he
4
and SO abashed that gentleman that he
almost began to doubt the truth OF the
accusations himself However he perse
yered, and fually on Couses asking to be
searched. the last marked bill he
had taken was tound 10 his purse. The
discovery of that money made the first
break in the strength aud positiveness OF
his denial, aud ftoIl four o'clock till mid
night, LITTLE by little, tbs story OF his crime
vas confessed till be hai Acknowledged
having stolen $4,000 during the nine
months he was emoi Eyed by Ramsey. and
agreed to o. ake restitution OF that amount
1t was tedious work getting the acknowl
edgemcnt, though. Once he stuck al
/ $3.50 declaring that it was every penny
he had taken, and agaia Il: abou, double
that sum he was positive he had account
ed for al! Bat being confronted with
! sob e1aies Of his II )aay AMI securities, as
he presented them him self, and asked 10
account for sueh AMI such sums, the re-
] suit was d12t k0owiedS 3nsat aud
D restitution of the sum stated-an average
OF SIS per day that he had stolen while il
) Ramsey's employ. The pecuiiarity OF his
. crime lies in the fact that no incentiv:
! existed in his case such as animatss
. thieves ordinarily. He was not expensive
! in his style of living. had no bad habits
apparently, and was so situated financially
that be needed none of the money taken
Another queer incident of the case is tina
he took most of his money right across the
street and deposited it in the bank. ane
when discovered had a good share of il
{ loaned out to perfectly responsible parties
That he was conducting his thieviug opera
Ings with coolness and deliberation can be-
Inferred from the fact that he had proposed
to buy Ramsey outwhen that gentleman
was pretty near discouraged with his poor
business. CloUse is Young man who
has almost been raised hsre He belongs
to family second to none ia the COM
: munity in probity and respsctability. His
!. teachings and surroundings have all been
: of character calculated to guard one
, from such q course as be has taken. and
! up to the time of the exposure CT his
crime he moved in the bast circles OF So
7 eiety. So far as he is individually con-
earned not one word can be said in excuse
or palliatiop of his conduct. 1t has been
cold blooded and Villainous transaction;
r one that richly merits the severest penalty
of the law. But 10 behalf of his young
- -. -ad mother, and his large circle
e a.o,.aa r.t..;uas ~hoss satfsriugs
must be ten times greater than his o' ps'
there will probably be no desire to see him
punished further than his confession, res
titution and subsequent feelings will pun
ish him. However it may be learned
from the result of his crime that sooner or
later wrong doors must pay the penalty OF
their acts It is reported that Clouse has
! left town since the story Of his crime has
} been made known.
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