The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-03-10

scandal from the newspapers. Within
| twenty-four hours the world was in
! formed that Allan Wentworth, most
promising business and society young
man of San Francisco, was thief ana
fugitive from justice, Some of the
writer's mentioned his noble traits
others had no recollection of his good
| qualities, Notwithstanding he had
many. They We're not at all surprised
that the crash had come. They had
| been expecting it with. Journalistic
| prescience.
| Before the end of another day run
was made on the bank Men who had
prospered had large sums at stake;
sad-eyed women had trusted their all
to it; the Widows mite was in its
hands-lnen of all grades, conditions
and nations, women from the highest
rank of society to the lowest grade Of
pitifully paid, plodding drudgery-all,
all were there at the banks doors clam
oring for their money crying aloud for
their all and cursing the dishonest
cashier.
Behind the doors were white faces
busy, nervous fingers and overwrought
brains, deiving and diving in the
banks books, adding, figuring, hunt
ing and searching for some deficit
some sign. some inkling Of Wentworth's
dishonesty.
II never saw tracks SO adroitly
covered was the verdict of the sew
eral experts after three days of useless
search,
The banks resources were large, and,
with timely assistance, all pressing
demands We're slowly met. The direc-
tors were fighting for time to discover
how large was the defalcation. They
We're cropping the dark, fearful that any
moment would make certain the great
extent of the robbery,
In the meantime Sylvia and Allan re-
NAMED in hiding in their uninviting
quarters.
Allan's fear of arrest grew more per-
ceptible each day, and kept him almost
continually indoors. His hunted look,
his logged actions were pitiable to be-
hold, Yet in all things else, Allan
Wentworth was no coward.
When the third day was drawing to
close an all-absorbing thought took
possession of his brain, 1t dominated
it with the "reminiscences of a tyrant:
Il must have money! 1t urged, IF
/ can't make 1t l must get it-anyhow
Enough to take Sylvia and me away
from this accused place! I have but
one life to live! Must live it like a
dog, lodging the police everywhere?
Must l see my young wife waste her
;,, =, 4 l.,
For hours he sat brooding, and at
night he could not sleep; a terrible
scheme was connecting whereby he
could gain that which he wanted II
can do it; I will do it; nothing easier
1t has been done before-why not now?
The Southern Pacific train reaches this
place at 1850 in the morning. just after
midnight, when even the railroad off,
cials are drowsy eyed I'll climb to
the top of the car, lie fiat upon it's
roof; when the train pulls out and
gets between stations, I'll drop down
upon the engineer; he'll not be armed:
my revolver will be most effective; Ill
hold up the train, take the express
matter and I'll have money enough for
Sylvia and me-
How 1t all flashed instinctively
through his working brainl How easy
it seemed. In fancy he had already
clutched the bags of needed gold,
He crept from his bed and stealthily
left the room. Soon after Sylvia was
aroused from her sleep by loud talking
outside. She raised her window. The
glare from an electric light fell full
upon the crowd Of men in. the street
Just below. and she saw Allan, hatless
and coatless. wildly gesticulating in the
center of the crowd. Hurriedly she
threw a long wrap about her and
rushed to his side.
II have robbed the express train"
he said, excitedly. II am a criminal
Why do you all doubt me! 1 never lied
in all my life. l am thief,
tell you, theft"
Yes, I am Allan Wentworth he
said to a bystander Il suppose you
are going TO arrest me, Well, arrest
away. l ought to be arrested, for |
am a scouudrel You don't believe |
In an exultant tone. as If to prove the |
truth of his statement was of more
worth in his eyes than anything else |
Look at the blood where the bullet |
broke my arm and almost prevented |
me-" He held up his arm and stared |
at the imaginary blood upon |
1is shirt sleeve
Hes as crazy as a June bug" said |
4 man in the crowd carelessly
That same night Sylvia obtained as
'istance and started with her husband
or San Francisco. BY morning they
we're surrounded by anxious but happy
friends. Allan's accounts had been
thoroughly exported, and showed that
hey were as straight as string His
physicians said it was an attack of |
lcute mania caused by overwork, and !