The morning call., 1893-04-13
AVAILABLE VALISE

Returning from New York City by the
E railroad few years ago, bought of
the trainboy q copy of Cincinnati paper.
in which Tread long account of the rob-
berry of the City National Bank Of L,
KY, and the sudden disappearance of its
teller, Harry w. Swope. As usual in such
cases, be had been a trusted empIoye.
member of the church and q society young
man. The robbery was a particularly cool
one, the gentleman having quietly slipped
$4,000 in D nOtes into valise on the previous
Saturday afternoon after bank hours, aud
walked out into the cold world. That was
the last seen of him. and 1t was not until
aftHr the bank opened on Monday morning
tbRt any one suspected anything wrong.
The affair created an immense sensation;
'socieiy" was shocked, the church scandal
lied and the bank directors furious The
newspapers printed long stories of the DR..
Jekyll-and- Mr.. Hyde sort of existence the
young man had led for a number of years,
ard numerous friends of the lately de-
parted" knowingly shook their heads as
they told the reporters that they knew
something like that was sure 10 happen
soon.
This sensation so interested me that when
reached Cincinnati l scarcely realized the
express was, as usual, an hour behind time,
and had failed 10 make connection with the
train to l. | should therefore be COM
PEELED TO take the last train going west that
night, which would cause me TO stop over
night in a one-horse town in Indiana that
did not contain single comfortable hotel.
knew Mr.. Swope by sight, having come
10 contact with him on number of Occa-
si0ns while doing business with the bank of
which he was teller. The l. papers l
bought IN the Union depot gave further de-
tails of the affair. and contained also the
announcement that the bank directors had
offered reward of $1,000 for Swope's cap
tuTe and 10 per cent OF the cash returned,
which would make total of $4,000 if the
rascal was caught before he got rid of his
booty.
After ealing an unsatisfactory lunch l
took seat in the general waiting-room Of
the depot and Tuefully awaited my train.
As did SO | noticed young man approach
my seat, and, placing his valise on the floor
alongside my own, 10 which it bore strong
resemblance, sit down while he looked
cautiously around at the clock on the wall
ard then al The officials moving about.
How long he sat beside me l do not re-
member, but after time lie slowly arose
and walked over to the telegraph tffce at
the further end OF the room. Before lie
came back strong-lunged individual in
uniform stepped up to ME and bawled out
the names of the towns to which the train
about to start was bound for. HurriedIy
picking up my valise / made straight for the
gaze and was soon aboard my train for the
West
1U6 Journey was DaO6 WIN Ll6 usual
discomfort and moDOtony. The depot at
N Y, Ind, here l had to stop over
from 10 p. NJ. until the next morning had
been rebuilt since my last visit TO that
town, and, remembering too well my hotel
experience there a year before, | resolved
to spend the night in the depot waiting
room, with q few other passengers who
shared my misfortune.
All that night the face of the stranger
who had occupied seat beside me ID the
- q . han kaA
something about him that reminded me of
Teller Swope-he was just his size and
built; his mustache, 10 be sure, was want
ing, but that he should shave of this ap-
pendage was to be considered matter of
course The gold spectacles he wore very
much Tesembled those l had associated with
the face of the intellectual-iooking teller
and l had observed on his fingers number
OF rings, jewery that Mr.. Swope was said
to be very partial to. AS turned the mat
ter over IN my mind the more convinced l
felt that l had lost a splendid chance of
capturing the thief and securing $4,000
reward.
When 8 o'clock at last came round
boarded the train for l., not in the best
Of humor, and two hours later arrived at
home feeling very blue. After taking a
slight breakfast l went down to the Office.
where the big robbery was still the talk of
The clerks. Each of them had a theory of
his own as to where the thief had gone and
doletully TecOunted my experienced of the
previous evening. OF course they unani-
mously agreed with me that had very fool
ishly allowed the fugitive teller to slip out
Of my fingers.
just before going out 10 lunch a messeu-
ger-boy languidly entered the Office and
handed me note from my wife. Thinking
II was the usual commission to get yard or
two Of goods like the sample inclosed." 1
thrust 1t into my pocket and started out to
dinner. had not gone far before sud-
denly stopped and took out the envelope
the boy had given me, opened 1t and read it.
AT nrst could not understand what il all
meant. Then l turned 1t over and went
through it again. 1t ran as follows:
Dear George: Come home at once. In
opening your valise to get your soiled linen
TO send 1t to the laundry i discovered it
packed with banknotesl What does 1t
once
My first thought was TO hasten home, but
upon reflection | resolved to step around to
the bank and aeQuaint the officials there of
my discovery. found the president of the
Oank In his private office engaged with sew
erallynx-eyed individuals whom l suspected
from their appearance to be, as it turned out
they were, detectives
When was granted an interview and ex-
plalned my discovery it created, very natu-
rally sensation. At first the old gentle
man was inclined to regard me as a crank
but when l asked him to allow clerk to
accompany me nome, he seemed TO be salts
fed was in earnest He consented to NV
proposal. but after a moments thought he
said an escort was unnecessary, thinking
doubtless that the handsome reward would
be sufficient lnducement TO insure the safe
delivery OF the precious valise.
As | left the bank and turned M the
street In the direction Of home was Joined
by young man who came running Gut of
the bank after me, hat in hand. He said
''the old man" had reeonsidered the matter,
and sent him to accompany me back with
the money. This seemed TO me to be quite
satisfactory. and as the fellow was very
genial young man We immediately fell 10
discussing the robbery Of his bank. He con-
graduated me on my good fortune, and
knowingly limited that ''the old gentleman"
would treat me eieverly in the way Of re-
ward.
said this young man was a very genial
fellow, but somehow ] soon began to feel
an insticntye distrust in him. j piled him
with questions concerning the habits and
business Methods of the missing teller, but
he returned eYasve anewers. In one or
two little things he cenIradicted himself.
and finally, when Unexpectedly asked him
how long he had been employed in the
bank, ne replied. after looking at me in a