The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1893-01-27
THE UP STAIRS TENANT.

''Venangon part OF the title had been in
herited from another bank, which had gone
int,a liquidation years before, and referred
70 some land speculation in connection
with banking.
Our building was plain two story brick,
standing at corner, and the interior was
plainly furnished, as was the rule In those
days.
1t was simply u long room divided by a
railing In the center Behind the railing
were our desks, and at the rear end was
the vault. The second floor was scarcely
more intricate.
There WIS front room and two rear
rooms, with hall the length OF these lat
ter. One room was exactly over the vault,
and this lends me to tell you how the vault
was built. II was Of brick, and two feet
thick, and at the top the joists Of the sec
ond floor were covered with boiler plates
The spaces between the ioists were filled in
with cement. On top of the second floor
joists, before laying the floor. we laid other
plates OF iron, and when the bank was
opened for business we had little fear OF
our cash being stolen by any tenant OF the
up stairs rooms
The idea was TO rent the rooms to law
yers or doctors, but the first caller decided
to take all three, and to pay one years rent
in advance. He was stranger TO all, but
gave his name as Samuel Goldwaithe, and
explained that he was an inventor, and
was then seeking to perfect certain tools
for the use Of miners. One OF his ideas was
drill to be worked by turning wheel.
The man had frank, open face, a smooth
tongue, and when be offered TO put down a
whole year's rent in advance 1t would not
have been business TO keep him out. While
Mr.. Desnoyers my partner, was perfectly
satisfied us to our up stairs man, was not.
. There wasn't the slightest reason to sus-
pect that he was not what he claimed 20
be, or that he had amy designs against us,
but somehow felt myself suspecting him
from the first moment Isaw his face. he
hadn't got settled in his rooms when !
planned that he would enter our vault by
way az the back room, or at least make an
attempt to do so, and this idea was never
out Of my mind thereafter was laughed
at by my partner, but this only made me
the more obstinate in clinging to my idea,
Goldwaithe furnished the front room as
reception room and Office, the second as
bedroom and the third as his workshop.
Exactly over the vault he had a carpenter
put up heavy framework Of beams, and
among the stuff moved in were chisels
hammers, augurs, bits, drills, files, sawt
and many other carpenters and mechan
ics' tools. ! could say nothing, as he made
use Of all these as an inventor, but my sus
picions regarding his final object were con
tinually strengthened.
For three months our man up Stair
scarcely entered the bank below or spok'
To one of us, except as met him at thu
hotel where we both boarded, He was ~
quiet and easy spoken that everybody had
good word for him, and he invited manl
of the townspeople TO visit his rooms ant
examine his work AT the end Of sil
months be was universally liked and re
spected. and If he had wanted couple o
hundred dollars at our bank dozen busi
ness men would have backed his note
While ! had become ashamed to longe
mention my suspicious, they had by M
means left me. We had no watchman, AM
the safe In che vault was one Of the oil
pattern which was neither fire nor burgla
nroof. NY chief dependence was on th
strength OF the vault, / made all sorts 0
estimates, but finally decided that Gold
waithe could not cut his way down int
the vault and open the safe in less tina
,,t l,n
aud appliances Of that day were very crud
compared to the modern.
The man up stairs had been with us hal
a wear, and no one could find the least faul
with his conduct. when he seemed to max
special effort to win my friendship. y
to this time he had passed the evenings !
his rooms. Without saying word to m
partner had passed my evenings In IL
bank, never leaving until about 10 o'cloci
1 did this to shorten Goldwaithe's tim
proyidiRg he intended TO enter the vault.
was Always at the bank at half-past
the morning, and this would give him onl
nine and half hours TO work, where ha
figured il would take him twelve.
One evening something was said abot
cards. and he so managed it that invite
him up to my room In the hotel to play
few games. As long as he was there ! a.
urehended no danger, and 80 it finally can
about that we used TO spend almost ever
evening in company. Sometimes wei
TO his room, and sometimes he went
mine, and he never exhibited the slighte
curiosity regarding our business in Il
ha nnt va n