Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-12-25


ipon an innocent boy. He offered to
ind the boy and give him a better sitl'-
alton than ho had before, end then he
began pleading for the good name OF
his own family. asked him how he,
a comparatively rich man, could bring
himself to steal IS, 900, and he told me
that he did Il under . momentory inn
pulse, and that subsequently he would
gladly have returned the money
could he have dOnc so without COM
himself. lie said that toe
laid the package down on his
desk and went away. Tho package
there unnoticed until after
banking hours, when he tore one end OF
hc wrapper and saw what Il contained.
Nobody else in the bank had seen tho
notes. and he Slipped It into his drawer
with the idea that he might us well keep
it. as no person would be any the wiser.
got my money, with interest, :" con-
oluded the speaker, "and 1t was owing
to my knowledge OF his dishonesty that
Mr. - soon aftorwarl retired from tho
presidency Of the bank"
"Whnt became Of the boyP" asked
one of the bankers.
.'He is ono Of the most trusted clerks
iu my banking house"
THAT Is curious story" remarked an
elderly member OF tho party. "a heard
good one. however, in which Russell
Sage was concerned. The incident
happened only few months ago, and
It was in financial institution in which
Mr.. Sage Is a director. After the rou.
tine business Of n direstors' meeting had
been disposed of one morning. the direo-
tors at Mr.. Sage's request sent for tho
President Of the institution. MIR. -
questioned Russell, what is the amount
OF tho bond that our cashier
gives us? The President replied
that, as is usual in most banks, the
cashiers bond was purely nominal.
The amount was 5000. i see that
two or three bank cashiers aud tellers
in this city have run away lately, said
Mr.. Sage. 4 think we had better in'
crease the amount Of our cashiers
bond to $4,000. You please talk with
him about it and let US know what be
says
'The Directors went away 2nd the
President with much diflideGce ap
preached the Cashier on the subject
The Cashier flushed up at once ant
manifested some indignation. He re
minded the President that he has
served the bank for sixteen years ant
handled more than $500, 900. 900 during
that time. Yes, | know said tn
President, apologetically. 'Nobedl
doubts your honesty for moment, bu
you kuey how queer Mr.. Sage is, an
It won't trouble you any more to give
$4,000 bond than to give d bond 70
$1,000.
- That is true, answered the Cashier
calmly. Now let me illustrate the mat
tor from my standpoint Hero is
package Of greenbacks taking a slcn
der package ont Of compartment o
tho vault near which tho Prcsidsut an
himself were standing]. How mucl
do YOU think there is in his little pack
ageF
~ do not know and can not guess,
answered the President
There are SSOO,000 in good Unitet
States currency. Now will slip thi
into my trousers pocket suiting tn
action 10 tho world, and after button
ing my coat you would not notice an
bulging OF my pockets. What there
fore. Is to preyent my walking out 0
this bank some afternoon with $500, 900
or even Sl,Q0009Op would be i
Canada before you would ever'suspec
that | had stolen anything.p
"But you are net thinking Of doin
such thing. are you?" asked the Presl
dent, With deep concern,
"No, am no thief" said the cash
ier, with dignity, ihut q bond for SIG,
900 certainly would not stop mo II
was dishonest
1.-THE President assured the cashie
that he appreciated the significance {
the illustration. The next day tn
President described ms interview t
Mr. Sage and some Of the other direC
tors, He suggested that the director
would gain nbthing BY requiring tn
cashier 10 increase tho amount Of hi
bond,
"'I don't know about thatl l don'
know about thatl' said Russell Sage, i
his quick, nervous way, as he stoope
to pick up o pin off the carpet; 'mone
is money nowadays. l think you ha
better got good bond for $4,000 fror
our Cashier. Then ii he does run avn
with s0mo Of our funds we will hay
$4,000 INSTEAD Of 5000. That is
diflerence Of $4,000, and you know this
$4,000 is not to be sneezed at in the:
days.
The three sociable bankers laughe
heartily at this story. They all kne
Mr.. Sage, and they could appreciat
the point Of the narrative, After bril
ppuse, the banker who had told n
story said "a oan tell you q true stor
Of young brokers' clerk who. frol
! deliberate honesty, threw away an o.
portunity to steal 100000. when |
,, knew that he would never DO dptectei
When George |. Seney was speoulatin
! heavily In railroad securities he had
large amount OF bonds hypothecatC
with q flrst-class Wall street firm, II
bonds bore intercst-paylng coupon
and under the terms Of the hypothec
ton Mr.. Seuey's clerk WI
to'have acess to them every siy mott
for the purpose OF clipping the coupon
The clerk was known to tho broker
firm. One day when he dropped IN
, Sut off some coupons the hypothecatt
, secuptles vere handed to him and
was left alone in one compartment
: tho Offices. The firm, of course, +
! taiucd in its possession a List Of all
!, tho hypothedgted securities, which
I was accustomed to con, pare with 4
: securities returned by the clerk. {
: this particular occasion tho elepk fogl
| iNfolled IN Mr.. Soneyfs package 9th
i, good negotiable bonds Of the value
, 100000, They had evidently g
! mixed up with MI. Sepey's seoilrlti
. through Que Of those uuexplainahle NJ
takes that happen very raroly In bro
, ers offices.
A "The clerk cut oil the coupons tn
!. he had come after and restored t
!. package of securities to represent
: live lfths firm Tho extra Sl00, 900
q bonds had been slipped into the clorl
q Coat pocket Mr.. Seney's securiti
"a we're compared one by one with t
a check list and found to be All right"
q "Is eyerytAing thereof sSesd
!. ON aNh. yes said the broker, as