Evening star., 1900-12-22
sHROUDED IN MYSTERY.
"A Check FOR a Large Sum and How 1t
Was CaShed.

There isn't great deal of romance in
my business" remarked prominent Chi
cago banker to writer for The Star the
other day but now and then something
| turns up out of the ordinary and makes us
wonder at the peculiarities of those who
have dealings with US. I recall an instance
Just now which is as yet not explained. and
Will never be. fancy, as the chief actor in
1t was killed some time ago in a railway
accident. never knew the man personally.
out he was depositor in our bank, whose
account was I personal one to the extent
OF $4,000. He carried that much as a rule,
ana the 1ew checks that he made against
1t never indicated what his business was.
ne was ABOUT nifty years Of age. and very
rarely came to the bank. Naturally I never
gave MIN thought, for $4,000 is not a
large deposit in Chicago, and beyond his
deposit had no interest in him.
1T happened, therefore, that when one
day received personal letter from our
ueposltor L was bit surprised, and WAS
sun more so when had read it. do not
recall the exact wording. but it was to the
eHect that within day or two a woman
would present check drawn by him for
So,OoO and that as she was unknown he
Wlshed me to see that she received the
money without trouble, and that she uo,,Jd
prlns with her her means of Identification
In the person of a little girl, who would an
sWer correctly the questions l must ask
ner, as directed in his letter. with the an
sWers as he gave them. These ouestions
were simple enough, being only the child's
iull name her age to the month where
porn the full name of her mother and her
daeher lam and ana OF little brother who was
dead Five thousand dollars was a good
deal OF money to let go on that kind of evil
dence, but that was all l had. and the de-
ot posiIoI M was was IN California, SO that l could
wen, the next day the paying teller
came to me with his eyes bulging' saving
haat about as hard looking case of a beg
gar woman as he had ever seen uos L3
window with a check drawn TO tho 3D. e
MIS-. Blank by Mr. -, and that as he did
llot know the woman and the woman did
tlot l Know now she was to get the money.
ne mad come to ask me about it. T sent for
her tc come INTO my private Office which
sne dld, bringing the little girl with her
VINO VINO was no -ess a picture Of abject poy,
say was that she had received the CHECK nv,
mail from man whose name was not 90
~ iliiar 10 her, with instructions to present
ia !. at tne bank and the money would be paid
her, II she would take her little girl wi+h
her. asked the child the questions 7 had
@ oeen requested to ask, and she answered
correctly each one. which relieved me of
.hecI r. iehsponslpility. ha and I ordered the
check 10 De cashed. The woman did NOT
seem 10 be greatly overcome by her good
Iortuhe, 70 ana as l could tell her nothing Of
,,e ,he sa, man VINO mad given the money to her
she didn't seem to have any furtber ne. e.
me, and went back to the pavine rs1Jar1s
Window She asked for the money In go
olils. and wrapping it up in an old news.
% anybody ou' "oru
she was no longer at the address she
gave rave, when l sent messenger there to
MAKE % q, INQUIRIES. and her benefactor l never
saw again, Tor he met his death on his
way east from California. fancy he would
n iot nave told me the story Of his life hut
'naii always wonder If the name we car-
lis youthf o "o Aiieo III