Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-11-29
SYNOPSIS.

- SIlAI 1-SCeue OIL story is III New
York city. Time. early evening. last day
of year. Gable train collides with cab.
throwing to ground cabman and passen-
ger also seated outside. Latter disappears;
dead is discovered. Sturgis. reporter. ex-
amines cab and surroundings.
CHAPTER II-Later that evening, at
stag dinner party, Sturgis. in impromptu
cumstantia! evidence. DIR. Murdoch, IA
nous chemist. wagers in reply S.. 900 to 800
that from any daily paper he can select an
unsolVable riddle Sturgis takes bet.
CHAPTER III-Case selected is of two
mysterious shots fired that afternoon in
or near Knickerbocker bank. Man had
been seen running from bank with valise.
and arrested. Man said he stole valise
from bank steps and was shot at. valise
contained nothing of interest
CHAPTER Iv-Sturgis secures appoint
ment with Dunlap, president of bank, to
visit scene of shooting early next morning,
then induces his friend Dr.. Thurston to
come to his rooms while he arranscs data
of the two strange cases.
CHAPTER V--From observations made
thus far and inductive reasoning thereon
cab was bookkeeper about 50 years old re-
ceiying good salary; l2) wound caused by
bullet fred at close quarters; (S) might
occurred in cab; IS right arm broken by
heavy instrument; and Coy cabman was
drugEed. and young man who escaped in
VOWED III some way IN crime. CAD mNS-
terry also noted as possible sequel to bank
mystery.
CHAPTER VT-Sturgis calls for Sprague,
artist friend, to get his company during In
vestigauon at bank, but artist has appoint
ment with some fair sitter whose portrait
he is making.
CHAPTER VII = Agnes Murdoch lin
charge of her fathers household since her
mothers death finds her father In his
study. She, in reply to a question concern
Ing attentions of a Thomas Chatham,
shows her dislike of the persistent sutton.
Her father intimates she shall not be fur
Their bothered.
CHAPTER vIII-Miss Murdocks final
sitting for portrait induces artist to ask
privilege of calling at her home, which she
Isady gT b Bel69y brings note for
ance, and she drops it, It remains forgot
ten when she leaves studio.
CHAPTER IX-Promptly at time agreed
Dunlap meets Sturgis. Reporter begins
long and careful examination in bank. Re-
volver in bookkeeper's desk shows two
empty cartridges.
CHAPTER determination completed,
Sturgis questions banker regarding relia-
announces Arbogast to be defaulter with
Chatham. accountant who has frequently
examined condition of books, as accom-
plice. Message Arbogast sent Chatham
deciphered from marks on a blotter.
CHAPTER XI-Reporter has now COM
pleted diagram showing movements of
Arbogast and Chatham and one other
whose identity is as yet completely yelled.
Arbogast at last moment had found note
which caused him to suspect his accom-
plice.. He fired wounding him in hand and
was about to fire again when unknown con-
snt,d rushed IN and struck his arm
making Arbogast shoot himself. Dunlap
Is incredulous, but verifies story in part by
later Identifying body of Arbogast at
morgue.
CHAPTER XII-Banker calls upon Mrs.
Arbogast. While with her she receives let
ter written by her husband telling of de-
faication and expected fight. He has by
mistake allowed a depositor to overdraw
account. Chatham has discovered mis-
take, and for fear of losing position Arbo-
CAST allows himself to be used by Chatham
and a Mr. Seymour. BY false entries Sey-
mour has drawn $3.50, 900. Change in method
of book keeping was about to expose the
matter. Arbogast tells his wife to give
Dunlap confession as soon as he has es-
capped.
The reporter drew the letter from its
envelope and read:
'"Fhe Knickerbocker Bank,
New York. Dec. 3D. 1896.
My Darling Wife: When you receive
this letter shall be far away-a dsgraced
criminal-and you will be worse than a
widow.
II dare not ask your forgiveness for the
trouble 1 am bringing upon you; for
realize all too clearly the extent of the
wrong have done you. But feel irresist-
IDLY impelied to lay before you in all their
nakedness, as do before my own conscience
the circumstances which have led to my
downfall. A knowledge of these may per-
haps enable you to understand, in a meas
ure, the temptation to which I have sue
cumbed; although / find it hard myself
now that all is over, to realize how came
to yield to it,
Perhaps you may remember the cele-
bration of my fiftieth anniversary We
were having most enjoyable evening in
the company of the friends whom you had
invited to participate in the festivities,
when caller was announced. was obliged
to leave our guests in order to receive him
in the library. This man lost no time in
stating the nature of his business with me.
His name was Thomas Chatham; he was
an expert accountant, who had been en-
ployed at the Knickerbocker bank to ex-
anime the books, and he coolly informed
me that he had just discovered a serious
error in my bookstore that had enabled
depositor to overdraw his account by
large amount. AT first / refused to be-
lieve him, although he submitted copies
from the books showing exactly how the
blunder had been made When he intimated
that 1t only rested with me whether the
Indignantly refused to listen to him. He
remained perfectly unruffied during our
interview and left me at last with the
statement that he would wait "a hours be-
fore handing in his report to the presi-
dent.
My first step on reaching the bank
the next day was to verify Chatham's state
ments. Alas! they We're only too true There
was the terrible blunder staring me in the
face. / could not understand how I had
come to make it; but there 1t was, and
nothing could explain 1T away. had hoped
against hope up to this time; now / saw
clearly that was ruined man.
"There was only one honorable course
open to me-to frankly confess my respon-
sibility for the blunder and take the con-
sequences, whatever they might be.
hesitated, and / was lost.
II hesitated because felt that my posi-
ton was at stake. Would not my error
appear inexcusable to the officers of the
bank, since could find no palliation for it
in my own eyes? was SO years old,
shrank from the necessity of beginning
again at the foot of the ladder which
had so laboriously climbed after q lifetime
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