Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-10-21

though he took his wheel with him and
doubtless is here, there and everywhere"
How long has he been in the banks
employW
Nearly four yeaYs, if 1 am not mis-
taken"
'To hold the position so long he must
have an excellent character" she OBJ
served inquiringly.
He has conducted himself in a COM
mendable manner during this period"
DO you know whether or not he was
ever a telegraph operator"
II should think you were-or were play
ing the part OLA detective" laughingly
rejoined her uncle, 80 like those which
/ heard the detective ask are your ques-
tons"
please answer my last one, and |
promise to ask you no more"
well, / have understood that he was"
II now have a favor to ask Of you,
which hope you will grant me without
the slightest hesitation. l wish to see
the cashier without delay; to be con-
Quoted into his presence or have him
conducted into mine"
PRESUMABLY he is at home this even
ing, and it will take us but a few mo-
ments to 30 there"
A few minutes later she had been intro
duced to the cashier, was seated near
him and said:
MIR. Barton, il the detective in your
employ has failed to discover any clew
to the person or persons who burglarized
your bank, strange as it may seem to
you, | think that without the least ex-
perience in hunting down criminals-can
furnish you with one"
"You doT" fell from the cashiers lips
in a one Of indescribable amazement,
while her uncle stared at her.
my uncle informed me that the COM
safe is 's-a-u-f.'"
st is"
"Was not the one just previously used
and presumably known only to yourself
and your bookkeeper 'd-a-w-nY"
sit was" replied the cashier, whose
amazement was evidently greater than
before, as her uncle's.
"Your bookkeeper was once a telegraph
operator, my uncle thinks"
"He was"
II am not a professional operator, but
! am sufficiently acquainted with teleg-
raphy to enable me to transmit and re-
ceive messages.
"For two days last week, in order that
he might visit his sick sister l did the
telegraphic work of the station agent in
the village where I live.
Late in the afternoon of the first day
that / was thus employed | heard
Wednesday, probably dawn, but pos
sibly SAUL transmitted over the wire
the only wire passing through our sta
ton.
''The cali or 'sine'-terms that | will
not take time to explain-did not repre-
sent any Office or operator on the line, I
was certain-and later assured by our
station agent-and the message seemed
to me very singular.
"As s-a-u-f is your present 'combina.
ton and your bookkeeper was once an
operator. l Think
'"That he is responsible for the crime"
Mr.. Barton broke in. $50 do I, as I had
informed him that when l changed the
combination l intended it to be what it
is. I think you have offered me the nee
essary clew, and in that event you shall
be handsomely rewarded"
With this Miss King and Mr.. Barton
babe each other good morning, and she
left his presence.
To abbreviate, the burglary was found
to have been perpetrated by one Of the
operators in the local Western Union Of
flee. the Information necessary to the easy
accomplishment Of the deed having been
furnished him by the bookkeeper. And
Wednesday night was chosen for the
burglary because the operator was sup
posedly then far away from the town
where it was perpetrated.
The suspects under arrest frankly con.
fessed that they were guilty, said that
they desired a large sum Of money in or
der to carry on a business In which they
were secretly engaged and eventually in
tended to make good to the bank its loss.
AS every cent of the "spoils" was re.
turned to the bank. the criminals were
subjected to no punishment other than
to be discharged from the positions they
held.
Miss King was the recipient of $500
from the bank, which enabled her to &C.
complish her grand eld-free her home
from it's incumbrance. And she persists
that her unexpected good luck" was due
to her having accommodated another
Chicago News.