The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-20

| your credit of $780,, 0o0 That will last al
| least"
..But have not got $4,000. I have
| only got 27.000i'
''But We counted SS77. coo"
"When?'
| YESTERDAY"
"Yesterday-yes. But not this morn,
ing"
Great God!" cried Stuart. thrusting
himself forwnrd, what" He liked his
| no further. His arms fell down by his
sides, and he began to tremble. He did
not have sufficient courage to ask the
| question. Somebody else did.
What has become of it?"
THAT L shall not tell you'll" returned
Fields, looking deAantly at one director
| after another.
But it is gomez" cried the chorus. Many
OF the faces that confronted Fields had be-
| come waxen. The little group was per-
meated with tremor.
Yes, 1t Is gone; | have taken 1t.
You have taken iti'' You have taken
it, You hare taken it!f'
| The directors, overwhelmed and con-
| founded, retreated from Fields as II they
We're in personal danger from him.
I'm heavens name, Fields! exclaimed
the president, 'speak outi Tell US! What
| where the money! Come, man!
| You had better lock the door" said the
teller; some one will be coming IN.
| One of the most feeble and aged of the
! board turned around and fastened, as fast
as his infrm limbs would permit him, and
threw the bolt with feverlsh haste, and
then ran back again to hear.
| Yes" said Fields, with federation, "I
have taken the money. / have carried il
| away and hidden 1t where no one can lay
hands upon II put myself.
| ''Then-then, sir, you have stolen lt"'
| EiaidS haUed have stolen -
But you have ruined us'
Possibly"
And you have ruined yourself!"
| 81 am not SO sure of that.
sStop this useless talkI'' cried a gentle
| man, who had heretofore been silent. He
| bent upon Fields a look of great dignity.
make ii clear, sir. what you have done. "
Certainly. When left the bank last
| night put into my pockets $4,000 in
greenbacks OF the 1900 denomination,
| 100000 in national currency notes Of the
| Sl00 denomination, and 100000 in gold
certificates. | left to the credit of my ac-
count 81, So and some odd cents. Eight
| thousand of these have been already
drawn this morning. 1t is not unlikely
| that the whole of what is left may be
| drawn within the next five minutes, and
| the next draft upon you will lind you in
| solvent. If the balance is against you at
the clearinghouse, you will undoubtedly
De obliged to stop payment before L
o'clock"
Fields interlocutor turned sharply
around and sank into his seat. At this
| three of the young members of the board
-Slayin, a wool dealer; Debritt. a silk i'm
| porter, and Sayille, an insurance actuary-
| made violent onslaught upon the teller.
| but others lnterposed.
What was to be said? What was to be
done? Somebody cried for a policeman,
and would have thrown up a window and
| called into the street. But the act was
prevented. 1t was denounced as childish
| After moment, everybody but Fields had
seated himself in his accustomed place,
| overcome with agitation. Those who
| could see devoured the teller with their
eyes. Two others wept with puerile fear
and anger. They began TO realize the
| plight they were in. 1t began 10 dawn
| upon them that an immense disaster was
| hanging over their heads. How were they
| to escape from it? Which way were they
| TO turn TO lind relief? 1t was no time for
| brawling and denunciation they were in
| the hands of an INSCRIPTIONS man, who,
| at this crucial moment, was as cool and
| impiacable as an iceberg. They watched
| him carelessly draw and redraw his hand
| kerchief through his fingers; he was I'M
| moved, and entirely at ease.
Can 1t be possible!' said tall and
| aged director, rising from his chair and
4 =
| mpressiveness-"can 1T be possible that it
Is our upright and stainless clerk who con-
! fesses to such stupendous villainy as
| this? Can IL be that one who has earned
| so much true esteem from his felloW-men
| thus turns upon them and"
| Yes, yes, yesi" replied Fields, impa-
| tiently, that is all true; but it Is all sem
| timent. Let US descend to business. |
| know the extent of my wickedness better
| than you do. l have taken for my own
use from your bank. l have robbed you of
| between quarter and a half million of
| dollars. | am a pure robber. That is the
| worst you can say of me- The worst YOU
| can do with me is TO throw me into prison
| for ten years. By the national currency
| act OF 1865 section 30, you will see that for
| this offense against you | may be incar-
| cerated from nve to ten years-not more
than ten. If you imprison me for ten
| years, you do your worst. During those
ten years shall have ample time to per-
| feet myself IN at least three languages, and
| to read extensively, and shall leave the
| Jail at 40 polished and learned man, in
| the prime OF life, and possessed of enor-
| nous wealth. There will be no pleasure
| that cannot purchase. l shall become
| good-natured cynic; | shall freely admit
| that have disturbed the ordinary rela-
| latlons of labor and compensation but I
| shall so treat the matter that | shall be-
| come the subject of a standardization
| that Will relieve me from social ostracIsm.
| have carefully reviewed the ground. /
| shall go 10 jail, pass through my trial, re-
| ceive my sentence. put on my prisoners
suit. begin my daily tasks, and all with as
much equanimity as l possess at present.
| There W I'll he no contritlon and no shame.
DO not nope TO recover a dollar of your
money. l have been careful TO secrete it
so that the most ingenious detectives and
the largest rewards will not be able to OBJ
tam hlntot its whereabouts. Ii is en-
tirely beyond your reach"
Fields was now an entire master of the
situation. The board was filled with con-
sternatiOn; its members conferred together
III frightened whispers.
''But," pursued Fields, ''do you prop
! erly understand g0ur situation? Nv desk
is virtually without money. My assistant
at TINS instant may discover that he has
not sufficient funds 10 pay the check he
has In MS hand. In moment more the
street may oe III possession OF the facts.
Besides the present danger, have you for
gotten the COntroller?" Nothing more
could now add to the alarm that filled the
room.
What shall We do, Fields? We cannot
go under; We cannot"
Il Will tell you
The room became silent again. All
leaned forward to listen. Some placed
their hands behind their ears.
Il do not think that the drafts upon us
| today will amount TO $4,000 You might
draw that sum from the receiving teller.
but that would occasion remark. | adj
wise You to draw from your private ac-
counts elsewhere 100000, and quietly
place II upon my counter. | would do it
without an lnstant's delay"
but what guarantee have we that you
L..