The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-02-26
STORY OF A VALISE

I bought Of the trainboy a copy OF a
Cincinnati paper, in which l read a
long account OF the robbery OF the
city National Bank Of J., n.y.,
and the sudden disappearance or It's
teller, Harry w. Swope. AS usual IN
such cases, he had been a trusted en-
ploye, member Of the church and
society young man. The robbery was
a particularly cool one, the gentle-
man having quietly slipped $50. 900
in notes into a yalise on the pre-
vious Saturday Afternoon after oanK
hours and walked out into the
cold world. That was the last seen
Of him, and it was not until after the
bank opened on Monday morning that
anyone suspected anything wrong.
The affair created an immense scnsa-
,ion, ssociety" was shocked, the
church scandalized and the bank dt:
rectors furious. The newspapers
printed long stories Of the Dr. JeAyu-
ard-Mr. Hyde sort of existence the
young man had led for a number or
years, and Numerous friends OF the
'lately departed" knowingly shook
their heads as they told the reporters
that they knew something like that
vas sure to happen soon.
This sensation so interested me
chat when I reached Cincinnati L
scarcely realized the express was, as
usual, an hour behind time and had
failed to make connection with the
train to l.. I should therefore
be compelled to take the last train
going west that night, which would
cause me to stop over night in one
horse town in Indiana that did not
contain single comfortable MOTEL.
knew MIR. Swope by sight, having
come in contact with him on a num-
Der Of occasions while doing business
with the bank of which he was teller.
The l. papers I bought in the
Union Depot gave further details Of
the affair, and contained also the an
nouncement that the bank directors
had offered a reward Of 81, OC0 for
Swope's capture and 10 per cent Of
the cash returned, which would make
a total Of 500 if the rascal was
caught before be got rid of his booty.
After eating an unsatisfactory
lunch I took a seat in the general
waiting-room Of the depot and rue
fully awaited my train. As did so
l noticed a young man approach my
seat, and, placing his valise on the
floor alongside my own, to which 1t
bore resemb blance, sit down while
he looked cautiously around at the
clock on the wall and then at the
officials moving about.
How long he sat beside me [ don't
remember, but after time he slowly
arose and walked over to the tele-
graph office at the farther end of the
room. Before he came back strong
lunged individual IN uniform stepped
I'D to me and bawled out the names
of the towns to which the train
about to start was bound sor. Hur-
riedly picking up my yalise. I made
straight Tor the gate and was soon
aboard my train for the West
The journey was made with the
usual discomfort and monotonY. The
depot at n Y, Ind, where 1
had to stop over from 10 p N. till 5
the next morning had been rebuilt
since nv last visit to that town, and,
remembering zoo we'll my hotel eX-
perience there a year before, re-
solved to spend the right In the
depot waiting-room with few other
passengers who shared my misfortune.
All that night the face Of the
stranger who had occupied seat be-
side me in the Cincinnati depot
haunted me- There was something
about him that reminded me Of Tel
Ter Swope. He was just his size and
build; his mustache, to be sure. was
wanting, but that he could have
shaved of this appeEdage was to be
considered maUter Of course. The
gold spectacles he wore very much
resembled those I had associated
with the face Of the intellectual
looking teller, and I had observed on
his fingers number Of rings, jeweiry
that MIR. Swope was said to be very
partial to- AS I turned the matter
over in my mind the more convinced
] felt that l had lost a splendid
chance Of capturing the thief and Sc
curing sl0 coo reward
When 5 o'clock at last came round
! boarded the train for j., not III
the best Of humor, and two hours
later arrived at home feeling very
5lue. After taking slight break
fast I 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 when they ap-
pealcd to me for my opinion l dole.
1uly rccountcd my experiences OF the
previou>evening Of course they unan-
inously agreed with me that l had
very tonlishly allowed the fugitive
teller TO slip out of my fingers.
Just before going out to lunch a
messenger boy languidly entered the
office and handed me note from my
wife. Thinking 1T was the usual
commission to get yard or Two Of
':ruuds like the sample inclosed," /
thrust it into my pocket and started
,ut to dinner. I had not gone far
before Suuaenly stopped and took
u.!t the envelope the boy had given
Inc, opened it and read it. At first ]
could not understand what it !
meant: then I turGcd it over and
went through it again. 1t read as
follows:
DEAR GEoRGE:-Como home a: once.
IN opening your val;se to get your soiled
li.en to send it to the laundry I discovered
/. pa:Ee! with haak aoges, What does it