The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-11-10
ODD BANK VISITORS.

Many are the uses and the schemes
that are devised for the purpose of
beating the paying tellers in banks,
and the cranks are as much to be fear
ed as the crooks.
"That old man who has just left the
bank" said the teller as he ran his
fingers quickly over the new bills,
"has been coming to this place every
day for the past two years calling for
money. He comes in every morning
exactly at II O clock and asks quiet
ly if his check has arrived. l always
have to tell him no, and he thanks me
graciously and gees away. I was
new at the bank when he came in the
first time, bnt I saw at glance that
he had something the matter with his
headgear. When he asked about his
money, I told him that he had moth
ing, and he looked greatly surprised
and worried. He asked many ques-
tions and then left. He returned the
next morning and the next, and he
has been coming ever since. One
day he failed to show himself, and I
thought he had given up the hunt as
a bad thing. For a month he kept
away, but by and by he bobbed up
serenely again.
I've been sick, he said, and
hope l have not caused you any in
convenience in holding my money.
No money here? What? That is
strange.
"With this he thanked me and
went away. He will be here again
in the morning, and he'll keep COM
ing day after day until death sends
him to bigger bank. The man is
just sample Of what we get every
day, although he is the most regular
chap of the kind l have ever seen.
The boys around the bank feel rather
IN, and in gamble that black porter
yonder will quit his job the very first
time that old man fails to make his
daily visit.
The teller leaned on the counter.
EYES," he went on, 'it would sur
prise you to know how many people
come here day after day to get money
when they have absolutely no reason
for coming. They have no papers
on which money can be secured, but
they just come right along, hoping,
guess, that some day they will hit
the bank. Now, last week big fell
low who had evidently been drinking
rushed in and yelled to me that he
wanted $1,000. had never seen
him before, and he made no pretense
of handing up any papers. He said
he was in big rush. realized at
once that he was crazy, and l acted
quickly. Reaching back to my draw
er, 1 put my hand on my revolver
and waited. He did not see the
weapon. The vault is closed, l said,
and you cannot get any money to-
day. With that he reached his hand
to his hip pocket, but 1 did not move.
1 looked him squarely in the eye and
waited. He stood there for 20 Sec
onds, with his hand on his hip and
his eyes on me, and then he cowed.
Without word he turned his back
to me and walked out. l tried to
find out who the man was, but failed,
and he never came back to repeat the
demand.
Another time had really dan
qero1s crazy man to handle, but |
acted like flash and possibly saved
my skin. 1t was about O'Clock one
summer day when the weather was
sitting. The front and side doors
were proped open to let in the breeze,
and l was looking over the books
when big fellow ran in the front
door screaming. I looked up and
saw him flourish a big butcher knife,
which fairly glistened in the light.
Where did he go with that money!
he called at the top of his voice as he
halted and looked at me. Right out
that door, said quickly, and in a
moment the man had dashed through
the door and went sailing down the
alley. A policeman was called, but
the man was not seen afterward.
am sure would have felt the edge OF
his dangerous knife if l had not sent
him out that door.
"Another strange thing happened
once while was working as clerk
in another bank. / was standing by
the teller's counter when nicely
dressed young man came in, walking
rather awkwardly. He managed to
reach the teller and present paper.
Will you please cash this for meF
he said. The teller took the paper
mechanically and looked at the stran-
ger. why, this is no good, he said.
This is only piece of white paper.
What kind of game are you trying to
work?' The young man gasped.
why, it is a check, he called quick
1y. Not much, said the teller, hand
ing it back. The man looked at 1t.
Good God p he cried. Then / am
blind 2 They took him away, and
he died at the hospital before he had
a chance to explain. The doctors
said it was mystery, and the mans
body was kept for six months. FL
nally it was sent to Kansas on the or
der Of a woman who wired descrip-
ton and said it was her SON =