St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-03-04
CDD AFFAIR IN BANKING.
Peculiar Manner In Which q Chicago
DepositOr INDUCED In
Charity. -fH

"There isn't a great deal of romance
in my business" remarked a prominent
Chicago banker, but row and them
something turns up out of the ordinary
and makes us wonder ut the peculiari-
ties of those who have dealings with us.
] recall an instance just now which is
as yet not explained, and will never he,
l fancy, us the chief actor in IL was
killed some time ago in railway acci-
dent. Inever knew the man personally,
but he was a 'depositor in our bank,
whose account was a personal one to
the extent of $4,000. He carried that
much as a rule. and the few checks that
he made against it never indicated what
his business was. He was about 81
years of age. and very rarely came to
the bank. Naturally never gave him
a thought. for $4,000 is not n large de-
posit in Chicago. and beyond his de-
posit had no interest in him.
II happened, therefore. that when
one day ] received a personal letter
from cur deposiior was bit sur
prised. and was still more so when
read it. do not recall the exact word
ing. but it was to the effect that within
day or two woman would present
check drawn by him for $1,000, and that
as she was unknown he wished me 10
see that she received the money with
out trouble, and that she would bring
with her means of Identification in
the person of little girl, who would
answer correctly the questions must
ask her, as directed in his letter, with
the answers rs he gave them. These
questions were simple enough, being
only the child's full name, her age to
the month. where born. the full name
or her mother, and her father, ard of a
little brother who was dead. Five
thousand dollars was good deal of
money to let &c on that kind OF evi-
dence, but that VAS ali l had, and the
ieposito: was in California, SO that
could not see him personally.
THE next day the paying teller came
to me with his eyes bulging, saying that
sbout rs hard a looking case of beggar
woman as he had ever seen was at his
, window with a check drawn TO the or
Ser OF Mrs. Blank by Mr.. - and that
IS he did not know the woman and the
woman did not know how she was to
get the money, he had come to ask me
about it. sent for her to come into my
private office. which she did. bringing
little girl with her who was no less
! picture OF abjcct poverty than the
mother was. All she could say was that
she had received the check by mail from
man whose name was not familiar to
her. with instructions TO present II Mt
:he bank and the money would be paid
10 her, il she would take her little girl
xith her. l asked the child the ques-
tions had been requested TO ask and
she answered correctly each one. which
relieved me of further responsibility,
and ordered the check to be cashed.
! The woman did not seem to be greatly
overcome by her good fortune, and as
could tell her nothing Of the man who
had given the money to her she didn't
seem to have any further use for me and
went back to the paying teller's win
dow. She asked for the money in $50
pills and, wrapping it up in an old news
paper, went out of the bank without q
word to anybody.
..She was no longer at the address she
gave when sent a messenger there 10
make inquiries. and her benefactor
never saw again. for he met his death
on his way east from California.
fancy he would not have told me the
story of his life, but shall always won
der il the name we carried on our books
| was the one he had carried in his
| youth. Chicago Inter Ocean.