Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1892-12-09
A NARROW ESCAPE.

~ N.lllIlyN LASNlIAl lIs
''Cnmc home at once. Urgent busi-
ness"
So ran the telegram which re-
ccivcd at the Crown Hotel, Man
CHESTER from my father, Il Liverpool
merchant. l had just completed a
long days business, and had intended
to proceed to Oldham and several
other surrounding towns before re-
turning home. However, l made
what haste could, and reached
Liverpool about s ll I'll. | drove
rapidly home and found my father
in the dining-room pacing from one
end to the other, us was his habit
when anything troubled or pcrplcxcd
him.
III am glad to see you. lad," he cx-
claimed, greeting me i'm his hearty
affectonatc manner. 'sSomcthing
has happened in the Office which has
caused me the greatest uncasiness
Soon after you went away drew
from the bank about 600 i'm notes.
/ placed tins i'm the safe in my pri-
vate office, and locking it in. came
home. The next day, Thursday, l
opened the safe, and found, to my
astonishment. that not penny of
the money remained / informed
the police OF the affair, and it has
been placed i'm the hands of Il man
named Bingley. He seems Il shrcwd
fellow enough, but so far has reported
nothing To mc. expect him here
%1,s.. i, t,.,
loss OF the money that mind as the
fact that must have about the
office an Enthusiastically servant.
Who it is, must confess have not
the rcmote>t idea"
'But, surely, father, you took the
numbers of the notes." qucricd.
THAT did, he replied: but here
is one of the strangest parts OF the
whole affair. On referring to- my
pocket book the next day l found
this slip OF blank paper and he held
out to me a thin sheet of such paper
as / bad observed him using on pre-
vious occasions for the entry of the
numbers of bank notes.
''And who SAW you deposit the
money i'm the sate:'
'.There was no one i'm the roum cX-
cept old Richardson and TON Hall" :"
he answered. land to suspect either
of them seems impossible"
tWherc did YOU enter the num-
bers?" WAS my next question
''As sat at my writing table
son what did YOU place the papcr.'
s..is we'll us | can remember, ON
my pocket book" he answered.
'Stay, now call it to mind, there
wcsc several other pieces of paper ex-
actly like it lying uil my desk After
entering the nuinbe.S | doubled ,in
the paperand put t!ir nloney into ii
safe"
"Icavins your ,orlse;looiS on The
desk, i nesunc:"
'sYcS." he replied.
Then that is e.ir step gained. The
thief took the nl'ni.crs away aud n-
serted one of the l,i:lnh sheet, Of
paper"
"A sudden palior r;i::ir over my
fathers face. 10 accept the truth of
my inference WAS to l;e.ievc in what
he had declared impossible of ere
dencc.
''Who WAS ncarcs, the table," was
my next query" while you placed
that money i'm the satc?"
Tom Hall stood within about
three yards OF The Table. and Richar,i-
son was close 10 m.c whom | loci,eu the
safe answered my father in shaky
voice. "lt looks back for Hall. he
went on more slowly. II almost wish
I had not called in the police. |
would rather lose the money al
together than break his poor motlicl's
heart
Just at this moment Il stranger to
me was announced. and entered the
room. lit WAS Eing!cy. the detective.
lie was. indeed. n >hrcwd-loosing fcl-
low, and well known i'm hi, profession
as a skilful ,racker of criminals.
's.Anv news" asked my father. when
the detective was seated
"ic cs." he answered. 81 must com
fess it was rather IL puz2lin. case. hut
it is clear enough now. ~ you placed
the matter in our iid ..ds, witi instrur'
tions to prosecute. have arrested
Tom Hail. aud he is now IN I,al,
street safe enough
"Iou must he mistaken. BUGGY.
said my father. HAL c,innDl have
done such thing. 1t VIII Kill hi
mother"
"Untortunately, sir" the detective
replied. 'sthc evidence is only To,
strong; and as to his mother = well
criminals arc not given to thinking o
the feelings of their relatives till th
crime has been discovered.
begged my father to lie seated
that we might hear fully what tn
evidence was upon which the dc
tective had arrested Hall.
..It added to the difficulty OF IN