The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1890-10-09
!. m be back in a very short

his predecessor, Capt. Lane had always
kept the recruiting funds in the First
National bank. His own private funds
he preferred to keep in an entirely differ
ent eNtablishment-the Merchants Ex-
change.
The cab whirled him rapidly to the
building indicated, anil. although it
lacked half an hour Of the time Of open
ing, he made his way into the ONCE and
aAl1ed to see the paying teller.
"Will you Kindly tell me II any checks
on the recruiting fund have lately been
presented forpaymentl" he eagerly asked.
The captain was referred to the book
keeper, and that ohiciAl called him with
In the railing.
mo less than four checks were brought
here yesterday for payment, and they
came between half past . and 8 O'Clock
In the afternoon" was the bookkeeper's
| report. "There seemed to rs something
wrong in the simultaneous presentation
Of the four, and ! was on the point Of ad-
dressing . note to you this morning to
ASk you to come down to the bank.
Everything about It appears in proper
shape and form, except that three Of the
checks have been indorSed payable to
your clerk, William Taintor, who came
In peEson and drew the money"
'Let me ZEE the checks, II you please, :"
said the captain.
They were speedily produced. Lane
took them to the window and closely ex-
amined them.
"Icould not tell them, he said, from
my own handwriting; and yet those three
checks are forgeries. ! believe that the
Endorsements on the back are equally
forgeries. Now, can l take these with
me to the Office Of the chief Of police, or
do you desire that the detectives should
be sent here2 Taintor deserted last
night, and all traces have been lost.
What Is the amount that he has drawnY'
Zone check, payable to the order Of
William Hayden for board furnished to
the recruiting party, is to the amount Of
t46.60. The second, payable to James
Freeman, and indorsed by him to Will
lam Taintor, as was the first, is for the
rent Of the building occupied by the re-
cruiting rendezvous, precisely similar in
form and amount to the previous checks,
for the sum of go The third check is
payable to William Taintor himself,
marked for extra duty pay as clerk at
the recruiting Office for the past six
months' The fourth is made payable to
the order Of Sergt. James Burns, extra
duty pay as non-commissioned officer in
charge Of the party for the six months
beginning Jan. and ending Juno 3O.'"
This check, too, had been indorsed
payable to the order Of William Taintor.
All four checks, amounting in all to the
sum Of about one hundred and sixty dol
lars, had been paid to the deserting clerk
during the afternoon Of the previous day.
Had you no suspicion Of anything
wrongT said Lane.
II knew nothing about it." said the
bookkeeper. "They were presented to
the paying teller at the deslI, and 1t was
not until after bank was closed, when
We came to balance up cash, that the
matter excited comment and then sus-
picion. Taintor has frequently come
here before with drafts and checlrs, and
II you remainder, sir, on one or two 90
casions he has been sent for new check
boolD when the old ones had run out"
"That's very true" said Lane. "He
has been employed here in this render
vous for the blast ten yeazs, and has borne,
up to within my knowledge Of him, an
unimpeachAble character. II any more
checks come In stop payment on them
until you Zee me, and, II possible, detain
the person who presents them"
Half an hour afterwards the captain
was back In his o6lce, and there, true to
bis appointment, was Lisutsnsnt Noel. T"
T have had . strange and unpleasant
experience, Noel" said Lane. Most Of
my papers have been fanltily made out
Ny clerk deserted last night and has
turned out to be most expert forger.
he has stolen half . dozen checks from
my book, made them out to the order Of
various parties, forged the Endorsements
himself, got the money yesterday after
noon, and, cleared out, no one knows
where"
"Great Scott, old mani that IL hard
luckI How much has he let you in forT'
asked Noel, in the slang Of the period
"Only . hundred and Sxty dollars,
fortunately; and l have made that good
this morning placed my own check to
the credit Of the recruiting fund In the
First National bank, 90 that In turning
over the funds to you there viii be no
loss. We have to make new papers for
the clothing account; but a. quickly a.
possible win have them ready for your
signature and mine"
"There is no hurry whatever, old fel-
low," answered Noel, cheerily. 1--we
come back from the regiment . little
short Of money, and want to have q
nest egg In the bank TO begin with. It's
. good thing to have fat cousin, isn't
itI He has always been very liberal and
hind to me. and, luckily, I've only drawn
on him twice. So I'll hurry along"
Five minutes after Noel left, a district
messenger entered with q note for Capt
Lane. It was addressed to him in the
handwriting Of Mr.. Vincent. he opened
1t with trembling hand. It contained
merely these words;
~ am obliged to leave for New York
this afternoon. Can you come to my
Office ct 1 o'clock We can then talk
without interruption; and much desire
to see you. "T. L. ""
As the big ben on the city hall had
struck one, Capt. Lane appeared at the
once Of Vincent, Clark q Co., and was
shown without delay into the private
room Of the senior partner. Mr.. VIM
cont, looking even older and grayer in the
wan light at the rear Of the massive
building. was soAted ut his deSk and bus
ny occupied with book Of memoranda