The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-06-02

stout, elderly gentleman who carried on
the business of butter merchant in a
small country town in the south Of Ire
land The person to whom he adj
dressed himself was a young constable
of police named O'Ruark.
Let us go over the matter again
briefly" said the policeman. Il will
read you my notes to save time. State
ment of William Bodliin: Last evening,
Friday. a bout six O'Clock / handed to
my buyer, Andrew Hartigan, two hun
dred and sixty pounds in bank notes of
various denominations to enable the
said Hartigan to pay for butter to be
purchased on my account this morning,
Saturday, in the local market. About
eight o'clock this morning Hartigan
called at my private residence and in
formed me that he had lost the money
He confessed that he had on the previ-
Gus evening while the money was in
his possession broken 4 total absti-
nence pledge of five years standing.
He stated he had a vague recollection
of meeting on his way at night-prob-
ably between ten and eleven o'clock
two strange men, who accosted him
and iostled him. He remembered moth
ing further until he awoke at FIVE
o'clock this morning and discovered
that the bank notes were gone.
That is a very correct statement Of
the case" said Mr.. Bodkin, as Consta-
BILE O'Ruarl ceased to read from his
note book.
How long is Hartigan in your en-
ploy:nent2" inquired O'Ruarl1.
Fifteen or sixteen years"
''Quite trustworthy"
Perfectly. Now what do you think
is the best thing to be done? l own
am fairly at a loss to make any sug-
gestion."
The first thing, I should say, is to
stop the payment of the stolen notes"
Unfortunately that is impossible, :"
explained the butter merchant. The
bulk OF them are notes of all sorts
which received here from time to time
during the week. / can only trace sew
enty pounds worth of them, and these
are seven ten-pound notes that l drew
from my bank yesterday. l have been
to the bank about these, but it isn't
likely the thieves viii attempt to cash
them in the neighborhooa. 1t is. as l
have already said, most serious mat
ter for me. l know | ha We the name of
money but-of course, | am speaking
in the strictest confdeu ce--it so hap
pens I am quite in tight corner now,
. T ~
Monday I'll be in a deuce of an ugly
hole"
Have you any suspicion Of Harti-
gah?" the policeman not unnaturally
inquired
Not the slightest. The unfortunate
man is as much upset about the matter
as myself He has had the handling Of
thousands of mine during the past half
dozen years. During the fifteen or six
teen years he has been in my employ
ment he has never been a penny piece
astray. He's as honest as the sun"
What salary has hep
Not an over grand one. but have
been promising him rise for some
time. pay him thirty shiIlings Week
standing salary, and he can make
another ten shillings on commission in
a busy week.
Il should like to have a private in
terview with him before l commence
operations"
'Certainly. He IS at the back Of the
store now. expecting to be called. I'll
send MIN in to you at once"
Constable O'Ruark knew Andrew
Hartigan by sight. and had no very
lofty opinion of him. The butter buyer
was n burly dark-haired, sour-visaged.
sour-tongued man about forty years Of
age. He was soon face 70 face with the
policeman il Nr. Bodllins private Of
fee; and in quiet, but greatly dis
tressed and penitent manner. he told
over again the story he had told to his
employer.
From the beginning Constable
O'Ruarl distrusted the man. and
doubted his round. unvarniShed tale
Hartigan had a peculiar type Of cold,
blue eye, which O'Ruarll invariably.
and sometimes incorrectly. associated
with craftineSS.
our own opinion IS then that vou
We're robbed on the way home from
bempsey,s public-house last nickt?"
SAID the policeman. gazing at the but
ter-buyer's boots.
Of course. What else can Thinker
lou had the notes il Deupsey's?~
! had Uncertain on that point"
And You have nc recollection Of the
faces or The build 81 those TWO strange
Elea. nor the exact spot where Joy met
thc51?-