The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-04-30
NOr AN EMBEZZLER.
Brother Gardner. OF the Lime-kiin
Club, Under Suspicion for
q Brief Period.

q BF1eT BeFiOu.
Detroit Free Press.
A majority of the members were con-
siderably astonished to see Sir Isaac
walpole take the chair as the meeting
opened, and as soon as Paradise hall
grew quiet he said:
"Our respected president am not heah
to night. A day or two ago he took a
run down to Elyria, Ohio, to organize a
brarch lodge an deliver a Iecktur. an
up to dis hour he has not bin heard of
by any Of his friends in de city. His
ole woman has had three fits an a con
gestive chill, an de huh nayburhood in
which he Ibis am out at de gate a-watch-
in. What has delayed him l kin not
imagine, but am hourly in hopes of his
arrival.
The Hon. Clawhammer Potts had been
noticed kitching around in an uneasy
manner for some time, and he now secur-
ed the floor to make suggestion. OF
course, he would be the last man in the
club to cast breath of suspicion, but
these We're strange times. Bank presi-
dents who had lived above reproach for
hfty years were every day coming to the
front as embezzlers and defaulters.
Trusted advisers could no longer be trust
ed. Wouldn't it be well, all things con-
sidered, for the chairman to appoint a
committee Toto?
'Brudder Potts, has you sunthin' on
yer mind r asked Sir isaac.
Yes, sab. Wouldn't it be well to see
If de club funds am all safe? Brudder
Gardner wouldn't tech de fust red cont,
of course, but he am mysteriously absent,
an it am our dooty to see dat our funds
am all correct. I move that we inyesti-
gate,
No one seconded the motion. Every
body seemed paralyzed for a moment,
and it was during this interval that
Brudder Gardner walked in the hall. He
was besplashed with mud-one coat tail
gone-three buttons of his vest and his
plug hat caved in, but his face wore its
usual serene aspect as he limped up the
isle and assembled the platform. While
he was doing this the Hon. Clawhammer
Potts was sliding for the door, and he
shot out of it like a man expecting to
feel sole-leather.
My friends, said the president, as
he raped for order, while 1 wa watin'
ut Elyria to take de train for hum a
stranger axed me to change a $40 bill fur
him I complied When l went to buy
my ticket de bill was spotted fur coun-
terfeit. / rode as fur as l could on a
dollar an n half, an den took de dirt
road de rest Of de way.
Let me say to you: Have confidence
in human natur', but doan' sell yourself
too Icheap. Regard all men as truthful,
hut hold yer hat ready tn catch a lie.
Believe all men honest, but carry yer
money whar' a thief can't nab it. Be
courteous to strangers, but doan' let EN-
trabble at your expense"
While the president was looking over
the minutes of the evening the secretary
notified him of the utterauces of the
Hon. Clawhammer Potts. Some Of the
members expected to see the fur fly, but
they were disappointed. After disposing
of half an hours routine business Brud-
der Gardner said:
Il has no hard feelings agin' Brudder
Potts. It has got so dat county treas
urer can't go rabbit huntin' widout some
body starts de report dat he am de
fraulter to dc amount of $4,000 Brud-
der Potts was simply leetls too prevus.
lie forgot dat de funds Of dis club am de.
posted in de bank in SIGH a way dat il
takes three signatures an two individ
uals to draw chen a shillin'. Let us
wind up.