Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-06-11

That. in tearing out the last chscy he
naa drawn the day before, he had torn
u two by mistake. folded them nm.
ana sent them off together. This
would, of course, account for +ho am'
Pearance OF the check-book. He deter
mined to write at once to Marshall &
Company, merchants in Liyerpool tn
whom he had sent his last check. and
ask whether a blank check had not haan
sent to them by mistake.
lhen the question arose-should bo
mention the circumstance to M
Mason? On consideration Mr.. Crnmn
tnought that it was not necessary to do
SO. MI. Mason was rather a hard man
TO deal with. and a confession would
rum the character for carefulness which
the cashier had SO long enjoyed. Aud
u fully expected that in two DAYS at
most he would get q letter from LIVER
pool inclosing tho slip of paper which
had cost him SO much anxiety. The
next day was a Tuesday; and according
to his invariable custom on that day Of
the week, MIR. Livescy made his D
ance in the Office. Business had not
long commenced, when every body in
the establishment was aware that some
firing unusual had happened. Mr..
Mason was closeted with his partner
for a few minutes, and then went
hurriedly out of the Office, return
ing shortly aftcrward with Mr.. Jeffreys.
the manager Of the London and
Lancashire Bank, at which the firm
kept their account. Then Mr.. Jeffreys
left, and came back accompanied by one
ofhis cashiers. Thon q bell was Jung
and MIR. Crump was sent for, With
a beating heart and q cold sweat on his
brow the cashier obcyed the m ons.
"Bring Your check-book, Mr..
Crnmp," said the senior partner.
This was done, and 4 tall man, whom
Mr.. Crump had not noticed up to that
time, stepped up to the table and
glanced at the check-book along with
Mr.. Livesey.
~ thought so," exclaimed the old
gentleman. "Here's the place from
which the check was taken. Here is
the counterfeit. The numbers cores
pond. What made you do it, Crump?
You are the last man in the world from
whom l would have expected such con
duct"
"Do what, sir?' family uttered Mr..
Crump.
"Do what" echoed his employer
with a contemptuous smile. '.VVho
for youp"
AS he spoke Mr.. Livescy tossed a
check across the table. Mr.. Crump
took it up and read: s'The London and
Lincolnshire Bank. Pay Jos. Beck
man, Esq, or order, three thousand one
hundred and seventy-two pounds fif-
teen shillings.-Livesey and Mason"
He looked up bewildered. The tall
man in the frock-coat watched him mar
rowly.
"Who is this Beckman?" asked Mr..
Livcscy.
81 don't know SIR"
"You don't know? You see tn at the
check has come from your bookp'
Eyes, sir"
"Did you give it to any one?"
"No. SIR"
"Did you miss itP"
Eyes, sir. l missed il yesterday; and
I wrote to Messrs. Marshall, to whom l
had sent the one before that, thinking
that l Ind torn out two by mistake"
"That rather pointst to his innocence"
whispered Mr.. Livesey to the tall mar
at his elbow.
cit may be only a clever plant, SIR"
returned the other.
the others to be copied in the letter.
book" put in Mr.. Mason.
Crump hung his head.
sin the check" he began, after a
pause.
"Of course it is forged" answered
Mr.. Livcsey.
"And was it paid?"
eyes; it was paid yesterday"
Mr.. Crump %shuddored, took a long
breath. and waited.
"Now, Crump, you had better make
a clean breast of it," said Mr.. Livesey
after a few moments silence. 'sTell us
who this man Beckman is; tell us where
the money has gone-it can't be all
spent already-and it will be none the
worse for YOU"
MI. Crump felt a choking sensation
in his throat; but he plucked up courage
enough to say: Il have told you al
ready, sir, that 1 know nothing about
it. 1t was only yesterday morning that
l noticed that a check had been taken
from the book"
'Why did you not mention it?" asked
MI. Mason.
II thought I had orr it out myself
along with the one / sent to MI. Mar
shall.'
"But it may have been torn out by
any one in the Office during the day
before?'
Eyes, SIR" replied Crump. II don't
see how any n could have got at the
books, for I am very careful, but it is
possible"
1.-The thief has probably got a profess
sional forger to copy the signature from
| an old letter. said MI. Mason, taking
up the slip of paper. st is beautifully
initiated. 1 would not have detected it
myself"
...It is plain that the thief must have
been some one in the Office, though prob
ably he had an accomplice outside"
said Mr.. Jef1reys. ga stranger would
not have known that the firm had so
large a balance at the moment. Is there
any n of your follow-clerks whom you
think may have had o hand in it?' he