Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-06-27
CHAPTER x.
p1Ec1Ne THE EVIDENCE,

tSAA
CHAPTER x.
PIECING THE EVIDENCE.
Sturgis was still busy with his dia-
gram. He spoke without looking. up
from his work.
"Who besides yourself has key to
the drawer in which this revolver is
kept?"
"The cashier has one and the head
bookkeeper has another"
"You mean the bookkeeper who sits
at the desk at the extreme right in the
bookkeepers' department?
"Yes," replied Dunlap, shat is Mr..
Arbogast's desk. Do you know him?"
mo. What did you say the gentle
mans name ISL" The reporter looked
up and prepared to make note of it.
John w. Arbogast."
"a man something over so years of
age, quite bald, with a fringe of gray
hair; wears heavy mustache and side
whiskers; and had on yesterday after
noon, when you last saw him, pepper
and-salt business suit" said Sturgis,
writing down the name in his note
book.
Dunlap stared at the reporter in
amazement. Sturgis smiled slightly.
II met the gentleman yesterday aft
ernoon," he explained.
"Oh, that accounts for it'll" exclaimed
the banker. II see-but-but, then,
how comes it that you did not know his
name?"
HE did not tell me his name," said
Sturgis, gravely, "and did not know
until just now that he was employed in
the Knickerbocker bank. How long
has he been with you?"
Nearly 20 years; but only for the
last five years as head bookkeeper."
81 suppose you have every confidence
in his honestly" asked the reporter,
looking critically at the diagram be-
fore him.
"of course. Such position is not
given to man unless his record is ex-
cellent."
"And yet" observed the reporter, re-
fectively, opportunity sometimes
makes the thief"
True; but the duty of bank presi-
dent is to reduce such opportunities
to minimum" said Dunlap, somewhat
pompously.
"Quite So" assented sturgis, land
this you accomplish by"
by having the books examined pc
riodically," answered the banker, rub
bling his hands together with calm sat
isfaction.
81 see," said the reporter, who had
now finished his sketch. do the en-
ployes of the bank know when an exam
ination of this kind is to be made?"
'They do not even know that such
examinations are made. No one but
the accountant and myself are in the
secret; for the overhauling of the books
is done entirely at night, after the bank
!, is closed"
Have the books been recently ex-
amined?' asked Sturgis, carelessly.
"Yes; only last week."
"Well?"
"rhey were found to be all right, as
usual"
MAY 1 ask by whom?"
by Murray & Scott, the expert &C.
countants."
"Was the examination conducted by
Mr.. Murray or by Mr.. Scott?"
by neither. For many years the
work was done by one OF the other of
the members of the firm; but since
their business has grown to its present
proportions Messrs. Murray and Scott
interchangeable togiyepersonal atten-
ton to their customers. For the last
two years they have sent us II trusted
employee, Mr.. Chatham-ThomasC Chat
ham,"
"Yes," said Sturgis, who was appar-
entity wool-gathering.
A silence of several minutes followed,
during which the reporter thought
fully inspected his collection of micro
scopic odds and ends, while Dunlap
beat the devils tattoo upon the desk.
Presently the reporter spoke again:
"Do you know young man, about
five feet eight inches tall, with fiery red
hair, who affects somewhat loud
clothes?"
"Why, that is Thomas Chatham. You
know him, then?"
IL? No; 1 never heard of him be-
fore"
"Then, how on earth do you
know"
'He has been here recently"
"Yes; told you he had been here last
week; but"
mo; mean he was here yesterday
afternoon" interrupted the reporter.
mot to my knowledge" said Dunlap
incredulously.
81 thought as much" Sturgis replied
quietly; "but he was here, for all that
The banker looked perpieXed.
"Now, another thing" continued
Sturgis. II notice in the boolskeepers
department an announcement to the
effect that on January 2-.that is tc
,, say, to-morrow-a new system of book
keeping will be adopted. Would this
be such us to bring to light any If.
Irregularities that might exist in the
books?"
'sfes; it involves the transfer of each
bookkeeper every month to different
set of books. But fail to see the drift
of your questions"
"You will see it presently. Have 20,
examined the safes this morningP"
"Yes; one of the first things did
after you allowed me to move at all
| was to examine the cash safe"
"Ah, yes; the cash safe. And yor
/ found its contents intactP"
Perfectly" said the banker. tri
umphlptly, :. -