The record-union., 1894-12-01

into the habits, mode of living and char
acter of associates, of every person liable,
from the nature of things, to come under
suspicion in an affair of this nature.
1T is already three weeks since the
robbery occurred. More time will be
} lost in getting other men here. Will
you go on and make thorough investi-
gation?'
Yes; but not as a Dingleton detective
Ii you will give me full and complete au-
thority as special agent of your compa-
ny will do what can at once"
This was Immediately furnished; and
after writing Mr.. Dingleton information
as to the turn affairs had taken and secur-
ing his hearty approval, [ was soon speed
Ing out of Memphis toward the dingy
little hamlet Of Carrollton.
Here it required but a few hours to as
certain that the conSlgnor of the money
had forwarded the sum as the final pay
ment on large plantation he had pur-
chased; that the amount had been brought
10 tn agent, who was a general store
keeper in the village, by the consignor,
and that the latter had remained in his
company from the time the package had
been sealed until 1t had been delivered
at the station into the hands of the ex-
press messenger Of the north bound
train.
AS good fortune would have it that very
messenger was on the "up-run,n and [
boarded his car and rode with him to
Corlnth, studying carefully his methods
OF work, and disabusing his mind of any
notion that suspicion had fallen upon
Nun, for this is one of the foremost duties
OF detective, even where suspicion is
mostly strongly directed, while ever alert
Tor any possible object which might have
been used in stamping the false seals.
AT Corlnth, where l found that the
package had been checked out to the
local agent and checked back again to the
messenger of another railway, over which
1t was conveyed to Chattanooga, in so
brief space of time and in so public a
manner that tampering with it was a
physical imDosSibility, [ determined to
follow the route of the robbed package in
company with each messenger who had
handled it.
Nothing to excite suspicion occurred
until Chattanooga was reached. Here |
learned that the money package had laid
over one hour and twenty minutes in the
hands of the office cashier; that in this
time the cashier had left his Office for
dinner, and that this man had, since the
robbery, been married in rather an ex.
travagant manner, and had Immediately
thereafter requested transfer to an in
| ferior position in distant Georgia town
on the plea of desiring to reside among
his BRIDES people.
Immediately leaving the course the
package had taken, l subjected the affairs
of this employe to a most rigid investi-
CATION. lie was reasonable fellow, and
met every inquiry in so manful a way
while accounting readily for the most
trivial expense under his changed condi-
tions, that was able to proceed TO At
lanta with his acquittal fully established
in my own mind; though l had reserved
this case for further special examination
and had made fullest possible reports on
| "a nj
tunity where the theft could have oc-
Cured.
} l say the only opportunity, for I had
already demonstrated by experiments
that the method of the robbery required
| perfect quietude wherever it was done.
so far L had proven, at least to my own
satisfaction, that 1t could not have oc-
CURED IN messengers car, unless at a
time when the train had come to a stand
still at other places than at stations.
where messengers are overwhelmed with
eXertlonS, anG / had taken pains to learn
froIn railway engineers that, in each IN
stance, no such stops had been made by
any OF the trains bearing this particular
package.
From the detective standpoint, l found
an interesting condition of things at At
lanta. The office here was one of the
most important of the company's in the
entire South, and l was surprised to find
that the cashier in charge was an old
college chum of mine, a member of the
same Greek college fraternity to which |
! belonged.
Rather curious business for a lite
rary man to be in, Ralph ?" was his
, friendly taunt as l began my investiga-
ton OF his Office.
For the first time 1 was heartily
ashamed of my work, but mentally re-
solved to be, if possible, relentessly
: searching IN my inquiry at this point.
, Contrary to the accepted notion OF
things, 1t is strange principle OF human
nature to be more exacting with ones
5 friends, to hold them to a stricter ac-
| countability in matters of morals ana
ethics, and indeed TO quicker and more
! Extensively place them in the shadow OF
distrUst and suspicion, than total strang-
ers, toward whom we at first most hos
pitaDly and generously incline.
This was instantly my attitude toward
: Henry Brlce. L felt that be held a con-
} tempt for my vocation. | resented it Sc
cretly. and at once began weaving all
manner OF inimical DOUBTS about him.
: His splendid positions; his fine personal
, bearing; the elegance OF MS manner and
attire; the very nigh character of his as
socates; the very qualities and character
t iStics which stamped him as gentleman
by birth and inclination, and a business
man OF the hnest principle and habit, irrf-
, tated me and made me more determined
| not perhaps TO actually connect him with
the robbery, but to allow no act or fact i'm
his oiilce bearing on the mystery to ESCAPE
my attention.
This is a humiliating confession tc
make; but / make it to illustrate how
possible may be the ruin of characte,
2 through even an indefinable antaeonism
especially where the detective may not be
: over -scrupulous in his use of temporary
power, and TO particularly emphasize the
public necessity of most closely scrutin.
izing all detective evidence in criminal
: trials.
The official records at Atlanta showed
that the ritied package had arrived by the
night run over the West Atlanta Rail
way, on Saturday night. 1t had beer
l checked into the express office and de.
: posted in the office vault, with Other
7 valuable express matter, about midnight
, less than thirty minutes after the arriva
l of the train.
Atlanta on Sunday left at the hour o
4 noon or later; and it was the invariable
custom OF the express messengers whose
: runs terminated in that city to repair tc
i the office shortly before noon, each Sun.
day. TO check out all their express matter
into their separate ''pie boxes,n as theil
several iron safes were called.
: This particular package had, there.
1 fore, as shown by the office records and
the messengers books, laid in the vault
of the Atlanta office for fully twelve
9 hours.
] | Might it not have been withdrawn. any