Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-04-10
BANK ROBBERY.

NM lie was ntDut 10 ara" the otiIus anu
light the gas when two men passed on the
other SIDE, one Of them pausing and looking
up toward bis window, while the other went
on TO the hank and knocked at the private
door The young mans curiosity was aroused
upon seeing the one who remained enter
doorway as If for concealnent, 50 standing
behind a curtain be watched them
The dull, gray front of the bank was lit by
a street lamp, and As the man who knocked
turned round while waiting Jackson recog-
nizsi Mark Seeley tho senior cashier. After
a little delay the door was opened by the res
ident porter. and he and Seeey entered the
building In a minute or two they came out
again and the porter went toward cross
street, while the cashier stood at the door
apparently waiting his return However,
no = louer had the man turned u corner than
Seelsy again went In and his companion bur
ried toward the bank As the iamplight fell
upon him Frank recognized another of the
clerks. an intimate Of 5eeley's, named Will
iaTls. They reappeared IN two or three min
utss, and Williams, carrying in each hand n
small Gladstone bag, FASTENED down by
street and was out If sight before the porter
returned Then, after minute, the cashier
took the same direction.
jackson was puzzled to explain these move
ments especially as Williams had a couple Of
days leave, and was supposed to be- far from
Oretown Seeley was high and well paid
officer. possessing the entire confidence of his
employers Frank sometimes thought that
confidence misplaced AT all events he had
reason to believe that both men specialized IN
stocks, practice which the partners strictly
forbade Ia their staff
Il was only few DAYS before that one Of
per. cried "uallol IA Dorados' are gone
down u nothing, the affair Is complete
smash BY Jove, | know a fellow who had
some Of them" Jackson noticed Seeey turn
while the hand that held the pen shook and
he turned round 10 speak IN whisper to
Williams. who listened with a 'lazed look on
his face,
Frank felt uneasy lie knew nothing GER
tain, and 1t was an unpleasant task to men
ton his suspicious to his employers however,
he determined to do SO, and at once set off to
seek Mr. Ehenezer Grubb
Hardly knowing what result to hope for,
dreadlng MIR. Grubb's annoyance, on tine one
hand. II his suspicious were wrong, and fear
ing robbery, on the other, Frank accom-
panied the principal to the bank Mr. Eben-
ezer walked straight To the strong room, and
opened 1t with bus private KEYS, and then
throwing open the chest in which the cash
was kept, proceeded to examine its contents.
a gas JET Just above them threw a bright
light into the retesses of the safe and showed
the banker some parcels of bonds, small pile
of silver and copper. and nothing more.
The chief clerk an old man who, as
well rs the porter, lived on the premises was
by this time the spot. and held open a
cash book
There should be there - he said, in all agi-
tatcl voice, IN reply to Mr. Grubb's question,
"thl'ty-one thousand six hundred and seven.
teen pounds, eisht shllings and Eincpence"
There was no sign of force having been
used. and the chief clerk produced his kew,
which he averred had NOT left his hands since
the safe was locked that afternoon, when the
money was certainly there Mr. Se>ley often
borrowed it during business hours With
thai exception he never lost sight of it,
The porter returned to say that Mr. Seeley
was not expected home until Monday morn
ing. and the man explained that the cashe r
called that evening for something he forgot
in his desk. and sent him on an errand which
occupied perhaps ten minutes
There hardly remained a doubt that the
two clerks were the culprts, and Mr. Grub
at once placed the matter in the hands of the
police.
Frank Jackson long lay awake that night,
wondering whether the events of the last few
hours would bring him promotion, and ii SO,
what effect it would have on certain cher
ished scheme of his
Six or eight months before he had met a.
picnic Mary Grub. the junior partners
daughter, a fair, wnsome little thing, with
dmpled cheeks and eyes soft as those OF a
fawn She had just returned from school,
and before Frank knew who she was he adj
mired her Upon learning that she was Mr.
Ehene1ers only child, he was keenly disap
pointed, for the daughter Of the wealsly
banker was, he feared. beyond his reach. In
spite Of this his attentions were not dinn-
ishei, and Defore the day was at end he
a.iorei her She received his little services
with marke favor, he thought, and even So
Der reflection could not prevent him from Ell
tertaining hopes which any Que but lover
would have considered wild
Mary often drove down for her father, and
it generally fell to Franks lot to take a mes
sage out asking her to wait, or to call again,
which Furnished opportunities for pressure
Of the hand and a few words He was not
endowed with an undue amount of vanity;
but he could not help seeing that on these &C
casions her eye frightened and a vivid blush
sprang To her cheek and be could not help
thinking that, If his happiness depended on
her, 1t would not be long deferred But the
social gulf t,etween them kept his lips sealed.
The event. Of the evening would probably
bring him promotion. and he wondered il
they you'd bring him nearer to Mary. His
thoughts flew from, her TO the robbery. and
back again, until sleep deserted him, and his
brain grew dizzy.
IA naJ
mind, and, in the midst of the dark room. on
the walls. on the ceiling, there appeared be-
fore him, as in letters of fire, r-mark of
Seeleys, uttered months before
Some Of the clerks were discussing the ar
rest Of a dishonest bank clerk and Seelev
said laughinglv. If fellows will do that
kind of thing, they ought at least to show
sssine common sense in their method of est
cape. II hs had gone to some quiet seaport,
hired or bought yacht, Dnd sailed quietly
off, he would now be enjoying himself in
safety"
The tone, the cynical laugh rang in Franks
eaEs, and 1t occurred to him that Seeley
would probably adopt some such course.
Twenty miles away, on branch line, stood
NerthpoFt, yachting center. and Williams
might easily, on the previous day, have az
ranged for their flight
Early on Sunday morning he called on
Mr.. Grub TO inform him Of this idea which,
by oetng h~eit upon, had becomea cnnvic-
tioa- As Frank eptsssi the bankers study
Mary left il, her face pale and ssy syes red,
and Mr.. Ehenezer himself sat Eties~iy " .
easy chair looking haGgari-
above all" sali the latter, when jackson
bad finished what be went there to say. 81
lence about this wretched affaiE = accessory
for the present. ] do not rlird telling ySS
that 1t has occurred at rather unfortunate
moment, as we shall be Obliged to set accom-
mediation, and to pay heavy price for it:
and If the story Of the robbery leaks out 30
matuyeiy, we Fsay be ruinedn
The young man was fatterei by the cons
deuce, ana, as he looked al this weary face
and heavy eyes, eloquent of anxiety and
sleeplesziess, AID remembered Mary troy
bled features. feeling OF wrath ayain.i th0se
who caused all this grief possessed him
After short siisrsas Mr.. Grub said:
perhaps you would noe mind running
osef to Northport yourself and making is-
quirisa ! have faith III your shrewdneus,
md shall giSs yov letter to AZ Old friend It
ours, a magistrate theFs, who will help you
II necessary Here is some money, and ~
member. my Lad, that time is Of vital tmpop-
tancer
The trust made Frank color with urida
His 6rst hope wss that fortune might mai,
him instrumsntal in nsinG bis smpacyuQ