Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-03-27
The Sturu Teller.
ALMOST A THIEF.
The Story of a Cashier Who Robbed
the Bank.

The Story of a Cashier Who Robbed
the Bank.
Our bank was the First National
bank of Scottsville, town having
of about 10000. There
were two or three private banks, but
no other institution having the capital
and dignity we carried. The stock
holders numbered nearly 80 people,
and all were residents of the city and
county. Among them were four or
five widows, and quite number of
minors and orphans were also repre-
sented. At that date was young
man of % and acting as cashier and
bookkeeper for a manufacturing con-
cern. had $4,000 in cash, and with
this bought stock in the new bank.
The organization had been completed
and the institution was ready to open
when the president sent for me and
said:
"James, I have. known you for the
past three or four years. Everybody
in the town seems to speak well of you.
Your employers tell me they have the
utmost confidence in your integrity,
and each one of our executive board
has spoken in your favor. I have pur-
chased $4,000 worth of stock in your
name to bring your holding up to $5,-
900, and am authorized to offer you
the position of cashier"
Yes, 1 had many friends. I was
ambitious and industrious. was also
honest. No man could say had ever
wronged him in any manner. / don't
mean to convey the idea that I was an
exception. There has never been any
scarcity of thoroughly reliable young
men, nor will there ever be. I accept
ed the position with feeling of graf
itude toward those who had rendered
it, and l made up my mind to prove
myself competent and worthy in every
particular.
In one year we had grasped half the
business of the county. In two years
there was only one private bank left.
We had any amount of money to lend
on easy terms, and whenever an ex-
tension was wanted it was cheerfully
granted. l had done more than any
other man to bring about this state of
affairs. l say so because all the off,
GERS and stock holders said so. In two
years my salary was advanced three
different times. No man could have
been more fully trusted than was.
My advice was sought and invariably
followed, and everybody compliment
ed the bank on its sagacity in securing
my services. / had been with the
bank two years and four months when
a singular incident happened. One
evening as sat reading in my room
the thought came to me like a flash to
rob the bank and escape to foreign
country. I pledge you my word / was
frightened for moment. 1t was as if
a voice had whispered in my ears,
"Rob the bank !" Why, 1 would chop
off a finger sooner than embezzle a
penny! What could have given birth
to such a thought? l was upset and
indignant, and yet I could not shake
off the idea. TO my alarm l found
myself beginning to reason and specu-
late. 1t was as if I had double and
the double said to me:
"You are working like slave to
enrich others. You are getting fair
salary, but it should be double what it
is. Why slave away for years to get
a few thousand ahead when you can
lay your hand on fortune any day?
1t would be stealing, but then we all
steal. You are young and full of
energy and ambition. With $4,000
to back you you can 60 to some for
eign country and make millions and
become a nabob in few years."
Ishould have trampled such thoughts
under foot on the instant. No man in
a trusted position turns thief in a
day. 1t is only after he has fought
with temptation and been overcome
himself to be overcome. l
made an effort to rid myself of the
thought, and it would have vanished
but for silly action on my part. A
week later, as I smiled in contempt at
the idea of my turning robber, allow
ed myself to speculate on what would
happen in case did. That is, I Won
dered how much I could get hold of,
what country I should 90 to, and so
forth and so on. When I suddenly
found myself greatly interested 1
jumped up in shame and confusion, but
half an hour later was deep in imagi-
nation again.
1t seemed as if the evil one did
everything in his power to aid me
after I had finally determined on my
course. / had the "luck" TO meet an
who had just returned from
South America. He mentioned sew
eral sure things in the way of specula-
tion, and painted such a glowing
picture of the country that | was
excited and impatient. The bank had
large deposits that fall, and on the 18th
day of September we had nearly
$4,000 of what was called outside
This was cash temporarily
deposited by the county treasurer and
by the cashiers of three or four manu-
establishments. had been
waiting for such an opportunity. l
could have taken from $4,000 to
s35, 900 almost any day, but had
planned to practically clean out the
Between the 4th and 18th of Septem.
Der planned the details of my flight.
L., q; ho Il