The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-08-03
wHRELINe DAILY MTEILIGENoER sATVRNAY MORNING, AUGUST 8 1889

desire 10 spend the next eiRhtand a half
years In jail. / will makeyou q propos-
ition, II you will sign a bond not 70
prosecute me, and publish in the daily
papers q set Of resolutions setting forth
that whereas your valued and trusted
employe, John Smith, by the receipt oil
Q legacy from q deceased relative, has
been relieved Of the necessity OF further
service, resolved, that you part with him
with extreme regret, etc,-lt you do
this | will bring back $1,000 and con-
tent myself with theothsr $4,000. The
interest will make up a good part OF the
loss 10 me-"
II was hard to give up SIPS, 900 and
hitch to 1t q set Of resolutions compile
menting the thief but It was a choice
between getting half the loaf or nothing,
Was the satisfaction Of. sending him TO
prison for eight and a-halt years worth
worth $4,000 a year to themP They
figured on II and agreed that 1t wasn't,
They accepted his proposition, drew up
the bond, and signed it..
"You can get the resolutions in shape
by tomorrow, he said, "and have them
ready when l bring the money, II
would scarcely be delicate for me to be
present when they are adopted"
Wouldn't you bring It to-day, Mr.,
Smith ?" asked the president in a per-
spiration.
"No, haven't time TO go after it, The
work at my desk always keeps me busy
until the hour for closing the bank, You
will have to trusti In me TILL tomorrow,
and as by signing this bond you have
committed yourselves to the compound
ing Of q felony, / guess l can trust YOU
even as q purely business affair"
They were all on hand early next day,
Smith, the cashier said mot without
some surprise at hearing the president
inquire for him as NMr," smith,, had
gone out To get his lunch. He was asked
Tor half o dozen times before he came,
Every few minutes the door OF the d.
rectorsl room would open, q perspirlng
face would be thrust out, and Smith
would be inquired for, Then the face
would DO withdrawn, and the directors
would fall 10 discussing whether, after
all, Smith hadn't taken their bond and
given them the slip. At the stroke OF IL
the door opened, and Smith walked In,
He picked up the resolutions, read them
with approval, and with a "Thank you,
gentlemen this Is handsome" he hand.
ed q package to the president, saying;-
"Here Is your money"
Then he took his former stand by the
mantel.plece, and watched their eager
faces while they bent over 10 count II,
A hundred crisp $1,000 bills-then $685..
600. some OF II In small denominations
$4,000 more yet-and then, to their
amazement, another 100 $1,000 bills.
"Why, It's all here-you've broughtit
all back"
II never meant to steal it." said
Smith, coolly. II made you believe /
did merely TO convince you that you
wereconductlng %yourbank onthe wrong
principle, In keeping man on a starva'
ton salary with a fortune within his
grasp. ! wanted TO make you under.
stand that there Is something more In
the relations between a bank and It's
trusted employees than cold business. l
suppose you have no further use for me,
| am ready to turn oyer my books as
suOh 10 WV hauiu ~ euLScboVA' A4V
will then find them all right. Good
day."
lie walked back to bis desk. Pretty
soon they called him In again, and the
President made a little speech. He said
the lesson had been an unpleasant one,
but they were disposed TO take 1t in the
spirit In which 1t was given. Perhaps
he was right. They had no desire to
punish him, but-and here he hesiAted
and stammered a little-they were also
unwilling, that Is to say, they had no de-
sire to keep a tlnancier OF his capacity in
the humble place in which he had
hitherto been employed. Therefore,
one Of their number, Mr.. wilkins, who
was the agent OF an insurance company,
at q salary of$4,OOOa year, had decided 10
resign that position, and would have
Mr.. Smith appointed his successor.
Meanwhile, Mr.. Smith could take a vaca.
ton Of two weeks.