The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-12-08
A Few Bank.NOte Stories.

man of wealth and of unlmpeachablt
honor, bought an estate for E30,O00
and for convenience sake obtained
note for that amount. On returning
home, just as he was about to put i
under lock and key, he was callec
out of the room, and placed the
note on the mantel-piece. On coming
back, few minutes later. no note was
to be SEEN No one had entered The
room in his absence, and, after ar
anxious search, he came to the conclu
sion that the precious bit of paper had
fallen into the fire and been consumed.
Hurrying off to Threadneedle Street he
told his colleagues what had happened,
and they gave him second note upon
his undertaking to restore the lost one
if it should come again into his hands,
and, in case of its being presented by
anybody else, repay the amount to the
bank.
Thirty years afterward, when he had
long been dead and his estate distribu-
ted among his heirs, the supposed non
existent note turned up at the bank
counter, where twas presented forpay-
ment. All explanation of the circum-
stances connected with it were lost upon
the presentee--the note had come to
him from abroad in the course of bust
ness, and it must be honored without
| delay. There being no help for it, he
was paid the ESQ, 600. Application was
made to the representatives of the de-
funct Director to refund the money, but
they promptly disclaimed their liability,
and the bank perforce had to put up
with the loss. The story goes that it
was discovered chow or when we are
not informe0 that the builder employed
to pull down the dead mans house,
preparatory to rearing anew one on the
site had found the note in a crevice of
the chimney, and kept it and his own
counsel until he thought it was safe to
reap the reward of his patience and I'M
scrHpulousness, and so become a rich
man at a stroke.
The executors of Sir Robert Burdett
found no less than G270,000 worth of
bank notes scattered here and there
about his house, some slipped into
bundles of old papers, some between
the leaves of books, without memo
randum anywhere to appraise them of
the existence of such valuables, much
less of their whereabouts. A little better
advised were the executors of the gentle
man who left behind him scrap of
paper marked, "Seven hundred pounds
in TILL" although they failed to inter-
pref its meaning until they had dis
posed of all the dead mans belongings.
Then one of them recollected that his
library had contained folio edition of
Tillotson's Sermons, and wondered if
''Till' had any reference to it. The
books had been sold to bookseller,
who luckily had not found customer
for them, although he had sent them on
approval to gentleman at Cambridge,
who had returned them as not answer
ing his expectations. The executor
bought the Tillotson back again, and
going carefully through the volume,
recovered notes to the amount of 50, 800.
The Waterman of factory at New
Haven, America, afforded the admins
traitors of his estate no clew whatever
as to the hiding-place of the savings of
which they believed him to have died
possessed, Overhauling his clothes pre-
paratory to selling them by auction,
one of them threw an old overcoat
aside, when dirty piece of cloth
dropped out of one of the pockets On
examination this was found to be
. wrapped around q large cartridge
shell within which lay notes of 81, 800
value, which, but for mere chance,
might Unexpectedly have enriched q
purchaser of secondhand clothing.
Some sixty years since Bank of En-
gland G5 note was paid into Liver
pool merchants Office in the ordinary
course of business. On holding it up
to the light to test its genuineness the
cashier saw some faint red marks upon
it. Examining them closely, he traced
some half-ef1aced words between the
printed lines and upon the margin of
the note, written apparently with blood.
After long and minute scrutiny he
made out the words: eff this note
should fall into the hands of John Dean,
of Longhill, near Carlisle, he will learn
hereby that his brother is languishino
a prisoner in Al gierS." The merchant
Immediately communicated with Mr..
Dean, and he lost no time in bringing
the matter before the Government. In
quiries were set on foot, and the unfor-
tunate man discovered and ransomed.
He had been slave to the Dey of AL
giers for eleven years when the mes
sage he had traced with q splinter of
wood dipped in his own blood reached
the Liverpool counting-hou Liberty,
however, came too late; the privations
and hardships of the galleys had Slapped
his strength, and although he was
brought home to England, it was but to
die.-AU the Year R0uad
"A curious story comes from Brent
ford, England. "A servant of DR.. Terry