Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-11-16
TRUE TO MS OATH.


rRuK TO MS OATH.
pnc morning about twelve years ago.
the Partisan public were made aware 81
thc lnc, that the confidential clerk OF
Monsieur Iaurin. "A we'll known banker,
had alsrundcd with the sum oi nearly
600 600 francs Large payments were
due that day hy the banker to meet
which hr had been relying upon tins
sum \ run upon the bank followed.
AMI that evening his name was among
the list OF hankrupts. Detectives. had.
81 course instantly been placed upon
the track of the abscnnding clerk, and
just ~ lac was stepping on the boat at
Calais. to cross the channel, he was
arrested ani conveyed back To- Paris.
When arrested he seemed Mortified at
the charge against him, and earnestly
protested his innocence. This was hut
natural under the circumstances, and
did not have the least impression on the
officers hut one thing that did puzzle
them was the fact that no trace Of the
money he had stolen could he found.
AT his trial the evidence against him
was too strong To admit any doubt Of his
guilt The banker .swore that the pre-
vious day hc had given the clerk several
orders ON the treasury amounting in all
o. hetaren pOn 900 aud 900 900 francs,
with instructions that after getting them
cashch Ia return a. the bank and deposit
the money IN the vauli. of which he
alone, besides the banker himself. knew
the combination.
Evidence was forthcoming from the
Treasury Department that lac had re-
ccived the money. but the evidence Of
the other employees was definite that
he hal not returned tn the bank during
business hours, while the janitor was
conaden, that he had not done so after
ward This taken altogether, and added
"a the Tact Of his sudden flight. seemed
CONCLUSIVE a. the judges that he was
guilty. The prisoners defence took the
form ol an accusation against his en-
ploycr. lie acknowledged having re-
ccivcd the orders, and also getting them
cashed, but denied having been ordered
10 dcpn-it the money in the vault. In
stead he averrrd that the banker had
desired him Ia keep IL in his own pos
session until evening. when he was To
admit himself by key into the bankers
house and deliver the amount into his
employers own hands. This the pris-
oner said he had done, when the bank
or, nl,cking a drawer Ia his private
desk, took out a large envelope and told
the clerk Ia address II Ia well-known
banking firm In Icadcnhall street.
London.
Having done as he had desired. his
employer took a folded paper from the
drawer and placed IL in the envelope.
sealed II securely and passed II into his
hands. telling him that he wanted him
a. start Immediately Ia London to de-
liver u Ia the firm 90 which IL was adj
dressed and receive In return some se-
curitie- II value laying in their hands.
As he had on more than one former oc
his employer, he thought there was
nothing strange In the request. and set
ting out in less than hall an hour had
travelled all nigh, to Calais, had arrived
lust In time "a reach the boat and was
Just stepping ON when he was arrested
and brought back to Paris charged with
q crime II which lac had never dreamed.
The officers testified Ia have found the
cnvelot,e ON him addressed M he had
stated hut on opening II IL was found
to bc nothing more than several sheets
~ blank paper. Ills story. though told
with earue~tness II the truth and con
sriou- Innocence, seemed so widely far
fetched and improbable that II only
served Ia influence the judges still more
strongly In favor II his guilt. To be
sure. the main proof against him was
the bankers word. hut the whole chain
~ circumstances favored his assertions.
Where or In what manner the clerk had
hidden the money was certainly an I'M
explained mystery. but the supposition
was natural that he had laid his plans
well beforehand, and made arrange
ments M that II would yet he secure in
caac be was arrested before he made
good his escape. Weighing the evidence
carefully. though not perhaps without
taking into consideration the high social
position the banker had always occu-
pied. H.. Judges announced the clerk
guilty, and sentenced him to the galleys
for term III twenty years.
When the prisoner heard his doom.
to which even death would have been
preferable. lis head fell upon his breast.
aud an understandable wall of agony
broke from his lips. The following day
he was sent Ia the galleys at Toulouse
-Four years passed away. during which
time he (thc hankcr) had resumed his
business, and had reached even higher
social position than before. His only
hid, a daughter ~ more than ordinary
beauty and sweetness II disposition,
had blorsoncd into womanhood The
wealthy young Marquis pc Beaunois
was smittcn by her charms, and ambi
tious hopes were beginning Ia dawn
upon his mind that through her he
might enter yet higher social circle.
and become associated with the nobility.
He could now afford to laugh at the
threat Of vengeance uttered four years
ago by convict whose rivctcd chains
were clankins IN the galleys at Toulouse
He did not even know il he were dead
ar alive.
Had anyone told him ar had he hap
tened Ia read. that one 81 those galley
slaves Who was not even allowed a
name hu, was known ~ 3ll. had es-
capped from Toulouse. il would have
passed ont 81 his mind at once. Con
yicts often cscapc-it was nothing Ia
him.
Time passed On, and the marriage of
thc bankers daughter was fixed Ia take
ulacn with nm nlnnance TINT Mns In sur-