New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-10-27

The countcrfoils for what amounts the checks |
had recently signed had been filed up. Again and
again looked at the last four counterfos. looked
at the other cOuntcrioils. to satisfy myself that
it was nv own and not some other checi-book
that We, before me- Locked again AT the last four
councrfoilS, sat and looked and wondered.
Before me. in the handwriting OF Mr. Temp.
kinS were these last four entries:
Thomas Prce...-.....-.......- 1914 1855 1od
James Graham .....-.........-... 2JJ IA
T y,Ii %om M s,S. ~ 1873 1895 3
Eight hundred and eighty eight pounds eight
shillings. and ten pence i'll all! What on earth
could it mean | wondered. How could Tompkins
have drawn such checks, Was he mad or drunk
or was it all hoax. or a mistake?
The pass-bOolS. which had been sent TO the bank
to be made up the DAY before. was lying i'll the
drawer. having been brought back by somebody.
Tompllins probably, that afternoon. ! took 1T
our, and opened 1t with trembling hands, feeling
that something unexpected had happened. When
| came to the last entry on the credit side i sat
still for time. looking blanky at it. On the
credit side, and dated that very day, was this
entry:
Cash $4,000
Cash four thousand pounds! Cash. four
thousand pounds / kept repeating to myself
for seconds wondering all the time whether or
not was in q dream. AT first could hardly credit
the evidence of my own eyes; but there was the
entry in black and white. and. at last. / could
only conclude that Tomplns must have made
1000 pounds in some way or other. and have
credited il tC the firm IN tins manner. 50 as 10
give me II pleasant surprise
IIalloa Tompllins." exclaimed. a. he came
into the ROOM where on earth has all this money
come from? What mischief have you been up
to. old mall ?"
WAS the reply as he stumbled into bis seat. !
noticed almost uncOnsciousy, that he did not
speak with hi, usual citation. and that there was
q strange, logged, ShceplSh expression ABOUT MS
voice AMI manner.
Yes 50 Won have said Otter enough, and now
You seem to have done It, replied " what Is
this trump card You have been keeping up your
seeVc?'
L have not been keeping any trump card up
my sleeve" said Iompluns. without taking his
eyes from the desk.
Then, what does it mean? Whence has this
money come >" / asked gain.
There a moments pause and then, speak
ing solemnly. or. ] should rather say, stubbornN,
and without raising his eyes from the desk be.
tween us; ne SAID
"NcS ?1 | exclaimed.
New Zulu Bonds dropped point this even
ing. but they will be 20 per cent higher by the
middle of January-l opened 100000 pounds more
iivercd himself OF this dictum in voice that was
almost sepuchrnl. Mr.. TOmpklnS addressed himself
to some pa perS that were lying before him
For a moment l looked at him in spcechless
wonder. At last exclaimed. pointing TO the PAS
The devil you have-but that's not an answer
TO my question. What has any future rise In
New Iulus to do with these four thousand
| pounds p
Well make four thousand out of them, and
good deal more with those | bought since |
cured the money" said TCmpkins doggcdly..
But how did you secure the money? That's
what | want TO know was my eXaSHerated re-
joinder,
Again there was u pause during which. with the
object probably Of collecting his thoughts Mr..
Tompliins pretended 10 b. writing a letter AT
last ne leaned back in lis clair, and looking AT
for the first time since he came into the room, said
in a grave. almost parental, tone: You know
our position wa>. Not 10 speak of Graham and
Miiward and others, owe over 800 pound, il
the House, and were sale to have been declared
next week if had not secured those 4.OG0 pounds
Here he paused again. ana sat looking at me- rs
though he deemed II advisable to see what CilcC0
his words produced before he proceeded any fur
thpr.
/ began TO suspect that something wrong was
COMING but thought il best not t. runle HIM until
the truth WAS ou;, 50 | said in cOncliatory tone
" Yes, you ri ght there, we'd have been de
clnrcd next week; but with this money to help US
tie account, and the risr there il sue TO be
in XuluS. we ought 10 do we'll
Encouraged by my remark TompkinS proceeded
ftfuly and furtiyely TO unbo,om himself OF tn
truth. Though the story he had 10 tell was OF
exceeding simplicity. it took him long tine {,
unfold il, and would have taken him much longer
if had not mOmcntarily checked tn" innumcrab!e
digrcSsons into VIII he would fam have wan
dcrcd. At last, however, the truth WIS before IL,
in all itS hdcOUs 1lIrducNs, and / sank back III
nay chair. pale and trcmbins in every ilmn.
The bank had advanced the 1000 pounds
acainst : 1000 pounds worth Of United States Gov
ernmont bonds which belonged 10 n client OF eur
firm. In unwtinaly dr'wing against tleSr bonds !
bad been made to cnbcZzic $50 pounds. me ger
may think. perhaps that had nothing 10 fear; 49,
| was innocent 50 many an innocent man has
thought until hn has discovered his mistake IN IA"
dock of criminal court. ! knew enough, now
ever about law to know that trial al law IL an
artificial method Of discovering the trith, IN which
the court decides such facts alone aN are proved
BIZ sworn evidence. The circumstances under
which ! signed The checks could not he 50 proved;
they would rest merely on my statement, Whcl, a.
a mere prisoners statement would carry but niue
weight, while the undOubtel facts that would be
established at trial such rs would bear
heavily against me.
At half-past II o'clock that morning captain
Beaumont. the owner Of i!le bonds, gave tlcm TO
Mr. IOmpkinS to keep for him on bcmH OF the
firm. as ne Captain Beaumont was GONG abr
shortly with his regiment. At about lHI-last /!
o'clock Mr. Tompkins who could be proved 10
have had communication with me III The III me,
tool; these bonds TO the bank, and obi1ncd an
advance Of 1000 pounds on them Tor Ilc u'e o.
the firm Having don, this, he bought ior INC
firm co. 600 pounds New /uiu TOruS. htl IN,
advance was obtained we were quite lnSolvrht ana
unable 10 meet our liabilities EciWech ana
o'clock, four checks, gned by me. were pre- cli'eL
at the bank With these checks $50 pounds OF
the money advanced WAS drawn, ana tnus our
outside liabilities were discharged AT lew mih-
utcs before o'clock News Zulu Bonds lel rer
cent, representing fresh loss OF llUo po"hG> Oh
the lao COO hounds we had open for the rlSt mus,
with The 1,5G0 pounds, or more, 'h'I We n"u
previously lost, should owe upward o. -'o'V
pounds at The scttl ,mcnt. 50 that, WIN ie nlo''
We had paid away that day, thc 4OOO Pouhu'
for which the bonds had been pedeed were ~. u
tlcaily lost. IL only then-Only alt'r ulr I1'I
had taken place, When, in short, thc PurPossLt ~
which the money was borrowed had failed, tha'
dscaimcd any knOwlcds. of the bonds or OF tne
way in which Mr.. fompliins had dean WIN MN.
Then, ought not have been more than Q" pouhls
10 my credit when | signed the four checKs ~
which SIS pounds were drawn. II DeIe'cu iI.t
there were only rs pounds at the bank, no" M"S ~
that | signed not one. or two, but four cheeks ~
which nearly twelve times that amount WIS drawn
within couple of hour, aitcrward Tor MI; ion-
kins had given open checks, winch hnd ~ p''l
ple, ,nted aud cashed | have told tie reader no"
J came 10 do 50. but would any Judge or Jury We,
ieve such story? Would il not he said tnnt
connived in the action of Mr. TompkinS until was
frightened by the fall which took place IN New
Xulu Bonds: and that | only disavOwed the trans
action when our position had become Desperate
aud detection imminent. This at least. IS wl"l
the world would say, and however prosecution