The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-07-18

"
over my letter, remarked: perhaps
your question here might not be liked
By Mr.. -. However. let it go.n l
mailed the letter. We heard nothing
more about it for month. Then there
came tortuous letter from the man.
'His account was wrong" he wrote.
"Maybe he had come across some
money he could not exactly account
for" He did not state how much
money it was, or how it happened. 1t
was mean shamble on his part. I
knew that He had pricks of conscience;
that was certain of. The firm con-
suited with me what they should do. /
made up my mind that more money had
been paid the man on the check than he
was entitled to. went at once to the
teller of the bank. I found him i'll,
nervous and tremulous. eyes" he
said. my accounts were wrong
There had been a big deficit. Ihave not
slept for months. / am afraid / have
overpaid some one. But thank God I
have made it up. I mortgaged my
house and passed the amount short to
the credit Of the bank. | must have
made blunder somewhere. But the
strain on my mind has been killing me.
| feel as if | weretno longer fit for the
place" He seemed to me to have mo-
ments of doubt and uncertainty. II
still cling to my place" he said. "Of
course have no recollection of having
ever paid that check of $456." I said
to him ''that l had hopes of getting
some Of the money back" but l did not
like to tell him how. But what I did
do was to go that evening to the Presi-
dent of the bank and state the case to
him. AS it had been through him that
| owed my position in the firm he had
every confidence in me-. My advice
was asked. I was forced to declare
that thought che paying teller had
better be given another and lighter po-
sition. Next day, when went to the
bank, the old teller had been apparent
ly relieved. He was casting up some
accounts in the ledger. When [ spoke
to him across the railing he did not
seem to recognize me. Next day I
was shocked to learn, through the Pres
ident of the bank, that such positive
indications of mental trouble had been
shown by the teller that his friends had
thought it wiser to confne him in his
house. His accounts had been at once
vigorously examined, and were found to
be correct 1t was perfectly true that
he had mortgaged his house, and had
paid the amount received into the bank.
He had concealed the loss for three
months or more from the bank, which
was mistake on his part, but he had
been punctilious enough to even add
the interest for some ninety days.
Now, | felt absolutely certain that
the man to whom the check had been
paid must be a rascal. If he had Of
fered restitution it came late-very
much too late. My firm gave me my
carte blanche to manage the matter as
/ pleased. I could not have him ar
rested. As he lived in an isolated part
| of the country, no efficient summons
could reach him. If had been aggres-
sive before probably not cent would
have been returned. / wrote now a
sharp letter. | said that "a very large
amount of money must have been paid
him over and above the face of the last
check given him, which was $456." I
stated that II knew exactly how much
twas" must confess outright that
this was bluff. | was not sure that
the teller had not made other mistakes
besides this one. wrote that ''unless
the money was at once restored I would
blast his reputation. If he was inclined
to be honest, even at this late date, let
him do all he could and send back the
whole amount" thought it wiser not
to let him know the mental condition of
the teller. | was quite certain that if
he knew the teller was out of his mind
not one penny would he return. [ wrote
to him that he ''must be in hurry
about it. That only the teller and
knew of it, and that my firm were as
yet in ignorance.
At once, by return mail, / had let
ter. The sum was not, as he said, what
/ represented it to be. He made some
| specious arguments about man find
ing purse, and the description of it
not tallying with the actual purse lost
/ or the amount in it. Under such cir
cumstanceS was man bound to re-
turn it9 If could prove that he had
been overpaid | ought to state exactly
what was the amount. He might, he
added, ''never have written me word
about it, and no one would have been
the wiser. But he had conscience, y
so he said. I replied with vigorous
letter. confuted his arguments. t'He
knew" ! said. s'the moment he had the
bank-notes passed over to him that he
had been overpaid." A man might
find a piece of gold in the dust of the
road and could never tell who dropped
it there. But there was no analogy be-
tween the two cases. / cried '.for inn
mediate restoration, or there would be
an exposure" His answer did not
come for ten days. II was mistaken, =
he said. ''He was not aware that he
had been overpaid until he got home.
Then he did not know of it for week
afterward. 1t came out then in his ac-
counts" knew this to be wicked
lie, but it contained at least the written
acknowledgment Chat he had been over
paid. His letter concluded as follows:
'SIhe matter has worried me considera-
bly,; has taken up great deal of my
time, and time for me is money Don't
you think there should be compensation
allowed me, or, in other words, can't
we make a COMPROMISED ooh, the
! blackguardD elf such thing could
be arranged will come to the city and
pay over to you the money. am not
afraid of the bank. | consider that my
transactions have been with your firm. .
The money overpaid by the teller had
been some 81, 900. and he had probably
counted out $4,5 $50 instead of 1856. /
hated to do it. but offered the scoun-
drel his travelling expenses. His reply
came promptly. To leave his business
was worth great deal more than that.
Then, again, he thought of bringing his
wife on with him and enjoying them
selves. = The UP and down OF it was
that must offer him certain amount.
"My temptations, you remember, have
been very great / offered him $500.
| was disguised. I felt like going to
his place and tackling him myself.
This is my ultimatum,s I said. Eli
| do not hear from you in ten days ]
viii disclose the whole matter, and you
viii be dishonored." His letter came
bo Ar ,1x.ox,,,>AY~r ~ i