The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1895-12-19

once, ana be would pay tor them on de-
livery. He could not come himself, as
Re was in consultation with the execu-
tors of the estate
In the meantime check for the full
value Of the bonds, $24O, 900, had been
made out. It was drawn on the Chem
ical bank and was, in fact, similar to
those always given between bankers on
bond transactions
Brea had drawn his own check for
$24O, and had it in his hatband along
with the $24O, 900 dummy check. The
plan is palpable enough. When the mes
senger brought the bonds, Brea, or New
man, was going to say: "All right, I
have the check here. Bring the bonds,
and we will go to the Chemical bank
and get them to certify my check. !"
Then when at the bank he would take
out both checks, letting the messenger
only get glimpse of one, and that one
would be the small $40 one, which
Brea would pass in through the window
with request to have it certified. This
would be done, and when handed out of
course Brea was to change it and hand
the messenger the big one of home man.
ufacture
The night before the expected coup
we met James for final full dress re-
hearsal for the morrow, and after every
thing was settled adjourned to the up
town Delmonico's for supper. It so hap
pened that Detective George Elder was
there. He had some acquaintance with
me, but the rest Of the party were
strangers did not see him at the time,
but it would seem he was curious, even
suspicious, from some scraps Of CONVEX
sation he overheard. However, neither
his curiosity nor suspicion would have
been of any consequence or concern to
us had it not been that in going out
Brea left on the table with some papers
the memorandum or pro forma bill of
the bonds given him the day before by
the bankers. Strangely enough, the body
of the bill alone was intact. The head
ing bearing the name of the firm and
purchaser had been torn off and de-
stroyed.
Elder picked it up, and having some
vague suspicious Of plot somewhere he
determined to go around among the
hundred or more bankers and brokers
in and around Wall street and investi.
gate quietly, without making any re-
port to his superiors, his immediate su.
perior being of course our honest friend,
the worthy chief of the detective force,
who was anAiously looking for his per.
centage of the DEAL The whole force
was split up into cliques, each intensely
jealous of every other, each with its OWL
stamping grounds, and each strictly pro.
tecting his own preserves.
At 9:3O the next morning Elder start
ed around, carrying the fragment Of the
memorandum he had picked up from
bank to bank and from one broker tt
the other. He had spent over an hou1
making inquiries and walked into Jay
Cooke & Co. s Office just as the mes
senger was leaving with the bonds fol
James office. Fifteen minutes more
and the game was ours. Elder produced
the memorandum, and they at once rec
ognized it as their own. Elder asked
them if they knew their man and were
sure it was all right.
They said it was perfectly right, tina,
Mr.. Newman" had been introduced by
the head of the firm in Philadelphia ant
was also client of Edwin James, but
then it was strange the bill should bt
mutilated. Elder averred his belief thai
a fraud was intended and suggested thai
he and the manager should accompany
the messenger with the bonds. This
alarmed the manager, and he directed
Elder and the messenger to await hi
return. Selling his hat, he started fo1
James Office to investigate. James wa