Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-06-06

least resistance was offered. i sent for
the president, and he came to fiud the
fellows handcufEed, the Watehman help
less, and a burglars hit laid out for
work. There was SIS0,000 In cash in
the big safe, and the burglars would
have secured every dollar Of ii had
! not dropped to the scheme. Each
one Of the robbers got long sentence
to prison, but there was sorrow mixed
with our elation. CosgrOve had to go,
Of course, but on the very next day
after giving his testimony in court he
committed suicide by hanging.
One other adventure met with while
holding my place had queer inception
and tragic ending. In those days the
cashier of bank carried the key to the
safe or vault, and he alone. In the
Farmers and Mechanics bank, Keller,
the cashier, often remained to fix up
his accounts after all Others had de-
parted. He was quiet, reserved man,
very gentle in his speech and actions,
and had been with the Institution
seventeen years. While he was mar.
ried, he was never seen in society, and
1t wasn't once in five years that he took
q holiday He did not smoke, chew,
gamble, bet, drink, or swear, and he
appeared utterly insensible to the
charms of the female sex. He was held
up as model of excellence and para
gon of virtue, and the man who would
dare suspect him of even a failing
would have been put down pretty
quick. While l quietly investigated
the doiDgs of some of the other respon-
Isible employees, I gave Keller no
thought. The board of directors would
have felt insulted had shadowed him.
/ had been in the employ of the syn
dicate about year and half when,
one afternoon as was going to supper
/ saw Keller on the street half q square
ahead of me. l was hurryipg up to
overtake him, when woman turned
in from q side street and almost halted
as they met. stepped into doorway
and saw him look after her sharply
When she came along to me was sur
prlsed to see how hOmely she was in
face and figure. She was coarse in
facial expression, had a squat figure,
and looked more like scrub woman
out for an airing than lady. 1t wasn't
like Keller to notice woman on the
street, and his actions aroused my curl
osity. was at, the same place at the
same hour next day, and this time the
woman certainly bowed to him. He
seemed Illustrated and confused, and
finally came to a dead halt and looked
after her. When he resumed his walk
/ followed the woman to second-class
hotel and found her to be a border
there under the name of Mrs. Ransom
Pierce, widow. She had been there a
month, seemed to have plenty of mon
ey, and was respectable so far as any
one knew. What was there between
her and the cashier. . .
They met on the third afternoon,
each bowling. On the fourth they stop
ped and chatted a moment and on the
fifth they turned off the street togeth-
er and walked five or six squares in
company. Next day a note came to
Keller in business hours, and he read it
and smiled as if greatly pleased. In
about ten daysI solved the problem.
What do you think the problem was?
IL was Irritation, atmash !n We gods !!
Our old and trusted caShier-a man
supposed to be of adamant, a husband
with wife as handsome as picture
''mashed" on woman built for the
hay field instead of the parlorl I re-
fused to believe in myself at first, and l
felt that 1 deserved to be kicked for my
suspicious, but within a month every
suspicion had become a fact. They
were writing to each other daily, and
their meetings were frequent. In a
quiet way I found that he was absent
ing himself from home three or four
evenings a week, and soon settled it
that he was in the woman's company.
Keller acted so queerly about the bank
that looked to see the others notice it.
A man with half an eye could see that
great change had come over him, but
no comments were made, and neither
did dare 60 to any Of the officials
with my story. g a.a a=g'. .11
A climax comes to all such affairs
sooner or later. made up my mind
what course to pursue, and one day,
when the woman packed up and de-
parted for the east, I believed the eli
max at. hand. That same afternoon
all the employees were out of the bank
by 5 O'Clock; all except Keller and the
janitor. / was watching from a door
way across the street, and. when he ap
peared at $50 with a satchel i'm his
hand and headed for the depot follow
ed him. ! let him buy a ticket to New
York, get aboard the train, and then
arrested him. He had scarcely word
to say, seeming like one dazed by a
blow. He was taken to the police sta
tion and the president sent for. When
that satchef was opened the contents
proved to be $67 500 in greenbacks. all
the currency the, bank had on hand.
Keller was leaving wife, home, reputa-
ton, and everything to enjoy life in
Europe with woman who could not
compare with his own kitchen girl. He
had no excuse to urge, no explanation
to make. IA We honestly believed him
crazy, and it was arranged that he
should be taken home and nothing
done or said. about the matter. He was
informed of this decision, but while
waiting for q carriage to arrive he drew
a pistol from his pocket and Blew his
brains out. -.I5 .~..ss ...y.
/ THSe