The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-08-24

SthllnE Ilo nature or MS hNSlaCSg with me.
His name was Thomas Chatham: he was
an expert accountant, who had been em-
ployed as the KnickoIbockcr bank to eN-
anime the books, and he coollv Informed
me that he had Just discovered a serious
error In my bookstore that had enabled
a depositor to ovordraw his account by
a large amount. At first | refused to be-
lieve him, although he submitted copies
from the books showing exactly how the
blundcr had been made When he iutimated
that II only rested with me whether the
error should Ice reported to the bank ]
indignantly refused e. listen to him. He
remained perfectly urunlcd during our
Interview and lcft me at last with the
statement that he would wait ~ hours be-
fore handing in his report to the presi-
dent
MY first step on reaching the bank
heueXt day was to verify Chltham's estate
mcuts Alus' they were only too true. There
was the terrible blundyr staring me I'm the
face. / could net understand how had
come to make it. but there II was. and
nothing could explain 10 away. had hoped
against hope up to this time; now ] saw
clearly that ! was a ruined man.
There was only one honorable course
o0cn To- iuc-to frankly confess my rosp0n-
si5ility for the bluudcr and tal,c the con-
sequences, whatever they might be.
hesitated. ana I was lost
81 hositatcd because felt that my posi-
ton was at stake Would not my error
appear ineNcusable TO the officers of the
bank, since / could find no palliation for II
In my own eyes? / was so years old
snr1nk from the necessity of beginning
again az the foot Of the ladder which /
had g" lahorious'y climbed after lifetime
OF CONSCIENTIOUS piuddng. 1t would be
no easy matter for me TO find another po-
sition.
The more ! thought the matter over the
more became convinced that there might
De hn"'her way out OF my trouble. Was
u not prppanlr that the dcpositur who had
prohtcd by my mistake mad done SO inno-
c'ntiN' II so, would he not bc willing to
repay luv amount oNcfdraWhf Al the
worst u ne ShouId refuse TO do this, might
u Lot pe p"sslnI' Tor me 1" scrape together
ana borrow enough 10 make good the de-
hCl'u'N IN TINS way couId correct the
uIuhutT anu no one WouIu bc inc wiser Tor
IT, but what OF that man chatham? Would
not ms report TIE Tray me- ! recalled hts
lhumad oh mat the nature OF his report
depended upon myself nat did he mean
ny lht, it"h'hIE ne would set a price
upon ms silence inns would add consid-
oiapIN 70 lht amount should nave to
TalS'' uut Noulu not inns ne better a.ter all,
tldN w. 4pNS OF NY position Al any rate
shou'u NOT he any inc worse OF for l.s-
teNlhS TO ms proposal Whatever 1t might
De
Ihat afternoon, as soon is the bank had
closed called at the ADDRESS Chatham had
given me lie evidently expected me.
lth MN was a man whom he introduced
us james winners, the dcpositor In whose
favor my blunder had been made. Had
not been lahoring under great excite
mtht' II Is likely that my suspicious would
nave been aroused by the strHngcness of
Nlthers' presence In ChathGm's room. Tho
received no
alleged Nlthers' even before could breach
the subject expressed his regret at hear
ing OF the error which had been commit
ted, and assured me of his willingness to
reimburse the bank; but-ah! there was an
omlnous put. He was short Of ready
money Just then; everything he had was
ueu up IN a promising enterprise which
was bound to bring In a magnificent profit
IN the course OF a few days II only he could
RAISE "a Few paltry hundreds to enable him
10 hoId out a little longer. II he failed
10 scrape together this small amount, all
would be lost. lnsidiouGly and relentless
ly they drove me toward the trap they had
prepared, and / was weak enough to fall
INTO IL. Before the interview was over,
! had consented to allow Withers to still
further oVerdraw his account, and had
received MS solemn promise to refund, be-
fore the end of the week. the entire amount
ne owed the bank. Then Chatham suggest
ed that IL would be wiser TO let the sec
o0d oVerdratt come from another &C
count. Nithers agreed with MIN and stated
mat the check could be made In the name
or Henry seymour a relative OF his who
had recently opened small account with
the knickerbocker bank | strongly OBJ
Jerted to sharing the secret of my infamy
with any others bur finally allowed my
ser TO pe oNerrulcd 10y the plausible sCOuu-
drels INTO whose clutches had fallen,
me next day l took my first step I'm
Crlhe' by making such entries as would
insure the honorins of Scymour's check.
Alter mat was completely In the power OF
llleSe Two men II was not long before /
is'nNrred ihat l mad been their dupc.
.ua IMAM "cccompuce was not the true
W llhtrsi Tor TINS man, a few days later.
made large deposit, which more than
covered ms previous overdraft. The false
winners was Henry Seymour himself.
AS soon as had committed "a felony, II
became unnecessary for Seymour TO keep
~ any lurthor prctensc of desire to re-
una the money ! had helped him to steal
was now IN the mcshcs of crime as deep
y as my accompliccs; and, from that time
% TINS they haNe forced me TO act as their
'at s-paW, During this period of two years
me bank has been robbed in this way of
over $=oO'OD every cent Of which has