Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-04-20
BANK ROBBERY.

The bank had been robbed! Such was the
discovery made by Mr.. Ebenezer Grubb, late
one Saturday night, and tie information
was obtained in this wise: Frank jackson, a
Junior clerk, who lodged ON the opposite side
OF the street, a little distance down, was sit
ting that evening at his window. He fingered
over quiet pipe, listlessly watching the
passers by, and dusk crept on unnoticed by
him. He was about to draw the blinds and
light the gas when two men passed on the
other side, one of them pausing and looking
up toward his window, while the other went
on TO the bank and knocked at the private
door. The young mans curiosity was aroused
upon seeing the one who remained enter a
doorway as If for concealment; so standing
behind a curtain he watched them.
The dull, gray front of the bank was lit by
street lamp and as the man who knocked
turned round while waiting jackson recoS-
nized Mark Seeley. the senior cashier. After
little delay the door was opened by the res
fdent porter, and he and Seeley 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 sooner had the man turned a corner than
Seeley again went In and his companion hur-
ried toward the bank. AS the lamplight fell
upon him Frank recognized another of the
clerks, an intimate of Seeley's, named Will
Jams They reappeared in two or three min
utes, and Williams, carrying in each hand a
small Gladstone bag, FASTENED down IA by
street and was out of sight before the porter
returned. Then, after u 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 a 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 to their staff
1t was only few days before that one of
the clerks, CHANGING through an evening pa
per, cried: "Hallol Eel Dorados' are gone
down to nothing; the affair Is complete
Enashl BY Jove, l know "a fellow who had
some of Them jackson noticed Seeley turn
white; the hand that held the pen shook, and
he turned round to speak i'll whisper to
Williams. who listened with "a dazed look on
his face
Frank felt uneasy. He knew nothing GER
tain, and it 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.. EbeueZer Grub.
Hardly knowing what result to hope for /:
dreading Mr.. Grubbs annoyance, ON the one
hand, If his suspicious were wrong and fear
ing robbery, on the other, Frank accom-
panied the principal TO the bank Mr. Eben-
e1er walked straight to the strong room and
opened 1t with his 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 recesses of the safe, and showed
the banker some parcels of bonds, a small pile
OF silver and copper, and nothing more
The chief clerk, an old man, who, as
well as the porter, lived on the premises. was
by this time OH the spot, and held open a
cash book.
There should be there, he said, in an agi-
tated voice, in reply to MIR. Grubb's question,
''thirty-one thousand six hundred and seven
teen pounds, eight shilliDgs and ninepence"
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. Seeley often
borrowed it during business hours With
The porter returned to say that Mr.. Seeley
was not expected home until Monday morn
ing; and the man explained that the cashier
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 culprits; 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 il so,
what effect 1t would have on a certain cher
tshed scheme of his
Six or eight months before he had met at
picnic Mary Grub, the junior partners
daughter, a fair, winsome little thing, with
dimpled cheeks and eyes soft as those of a
fawn. She had just returned from school,
and before Frank knew who she was he ad-
mired her. Upon learning that she was Mr..
Ebenezer's only child, he was keenly disap-
pointed, for the daughter of the wealthy
banker was, he feared, beyond his reach. In
spite Of this his attentions were not dimin-
ished, and before the day was at an end he
adored her She received his little services
with marked favor, he thought, and even So
Der reflection could not prevent him from en-
PERTAINING hopes which any one but a lover
would have considered wild.
Mary often drove down for her father, and
It generally fell to Franks lot to take a mes
age out, asking her to wait, OF to call again,
which furnished opportunities for pressure
Of the hand and few words. He was not
endowed with an undue amount of vanity
but he could not help seeing that on these oc-
casions her eye frightened and a vivid blush
sprang to her cheek; and he could not help
thinking that, if his happiness depended on
her, it would not be long deferred. But the
social gulf between them kept his lips sealed.
The events of the evening would probably
bring him promotion, and no wondered if
they would bring him nearer to Mary. His
thoughts new from her to the robbery, and
back again, until sleep deserted him, and his
brain grew dizzy.
Suddenly a thought flashed through his
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, remark of
Seeley's, uttered months before.
Some Of the clerks were discussing the ar
rest of a dishonest bank clerk, and Seeley
said, laughingly: "If fellows will do that
kind Of thing, they ought at least to show
some common sense in their method of es-
cape. II he had gone to some quiet seaport,
hired or bought a yacht, and sailed quietly
of, he would now be enjoying himself in
safety"
The tone, the cynical laugh rang in Franks
ears, and 1t occurred to him that Seeley
would probably adopt some such course.
Twenty miles away, on branch line, stood
Northport, yachting center, and Williams
might easily, ON the previous day, have ar
ranged for their flight.
Early on Sunday morning he called on
MIR. Grubb to inform him of this idea, which,
by being dwelt upon, had become convic-
ton. As Frank entered the bankers study
Mary left it, her face pale and her eyes red,
and Mr. Ebenezer himself sat listlessly in a