Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-12-11

nat was the WllQest night 4 ever
put in. We had box at theatre for a
little while, then got carriage and took
in the town, spending our money like
crazy men. l left him at six in the
morning, at the Hoffman house, where he
said he was stopping.
81 was late at the bank that morning
and when I got there was told that the
cashier wanted me. l., of course, ex-
pected reprimand for being late, and ]
had concocted a yarn about a sick friend,
but when went in | saw that he had
W. d : check in his ha,d.
"'Mr. Jones, did you pay this check !?
"Ye,, sir
"Nas the party identified to you by
any one"
"'No, sir knew him. He was in
my company during the war
"Was i, Mr.. Weed himself, then,
tina, you paid the money!
"'Yes, sir
"'H.m-m. This is very strange.
Have you ever seen him since you left
the army"
"'Not until yesterday
"'Did you not know that he was
supposed to have been killed in the
army
"Yes, sir-,hat is, | thought he was
killed at Antetam.'
"'Were you not there at the time =
"Yes, sir, | was struck by the same
shot
"'That will do, Mr.. Jones. This re-
quires looking into. You will consider
yourself suspended for the present, and |
would not advise you to attemp, to leave
the city
- was horribly indignant at his i'm
piled suspicion, and went out in speech
less rage, hurrying off to the Hoffman
house to find Weed and take him to the
bank and ,riumphantly clear myself of
any accusation Of dishonesty.
my boy, they told me there was no
such man there. Almost paralyzed by
the scrape in which | found myself, |
spent the three next days in securing the
city for Lin, but he had disappeared and
left no trace. The hackmen and other
people who had seen us on that cursed
night could not remember him distinctly
enough to think they would know him
again.
"On the fourth day was summoned
to the bank. and found the directors
all assembled in the bank parlor. | was
given a seat and the President addressed
me:
"'Mr. Jones, very grave charge has
been made against you, and, after due
investigation, we find the evidence strong
ly in support of it. On Monday last,
YOU claim 10 have paid this check to John
p. Weed. We learn from the War De-
partment, and from some of his many
comrades, that Weed was killed at the
battle of Antietam. He has never been
seen alive since, and his back pay has
never been claimed from the government.
You were his commanding officer, were
familiar with his signature and knew he
left no heirs. We have had your habits
of life Investigated, and we find that you
have been addicted to gambling and evil
associations, that you are in debt, and
have been living beyond your means.
We find that on Monday evening you
paid Mr.. Stone quite sum Of money
which you owed him, although on that
day you had told him that you were un-
able to pay the debt. You were not seen
to pay this check, although all the other
clerks were in the bank as usual until
after you left on Monday. Mr.. Jones,
there is only one conclusion that we can
draw; unless 20 can bring Nh. Weed
himself before US, we shall believe that.
yielding to what we hope was a moment
ary temptation, you forged this check to
provide means for the indulgence of your
vicious propensities. Have you anything
to say"
"What could say, l couldn't pro-
duce Weed, and the temptation to get
some one to personate him was quickly
put aside, for discovery would have been
certain. | told them the whole story,
but they did not believe me-and don't
know that blame them 1'he President
said that out of consideration for my
friends they would not prosecute me.
gave me some kindly advice about my
future life, and went out of the bank a
disgraced man. My bondsmen paid the
money and came West and went to
engineering. l heard, afterwards, that
Stone was also discharged for playing
poker"
Poor old chief! He was killed soon af.
tsrward by border ruffi,n in North
Platte. Was it the ghost of Weed,
wonder, or: l don't like to speculate