Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1900-08-23

to speak with him in private; and, as
this did not present itself during the
course of the evening, he had timed
his departure so that it should coin
eide with that of Dunlap. DR.. Thurs
ton had followed his friends lead,
''Are you going down to the bank
this evening, Mr.. Dunlap" asked
Sturgis, as the trio faced the bleak
wind.
"I? No. Why should -" inquired
the banker. in apparent surprise.
Il see no particular reason why
you should" replied the reporter. IF
to-day were a banking day, there
would be no time to lose. But since
it is New Years day, there is little,
if any, chance of the trail being dis
turbed; and it will be much easier
to find it in broad daylight than by
gaslight Our friends of the central
office are usually pretty clever in dis
covering at least the more evident
clews in a case of this sort even when
they have not the ability to correct
ly interpret them. And since they
have completely failed in their search
tonight, we must anticipate more
than ordinarily difficult puzzle"
"Why, Mr.. Sturgis," said Dunlap,
somewhat anXiously. "Iou talk as
though you really believed that some
mysterious crime has been committed
at the bank"
Il do not know enough about the
of 70 a1yanpn rnSitiup
belief in the matter" said Sturgis;
''but if we assume as correct the cir
cumstances related in the article
which DR.. Murdock read to us this
evening, they certainly present an
extraordinary aspect"
Dunlap reflected for an instant,
"Still, the fact that our cashier
found everything in good order at the
bank is in itself completely reassur-
ing" he said, musingly.
"Very likely" assented Sturgis. at
is quite possible that from a bankers
point of view the problem is wholly
devoid of interest; but from a de-
tective's standpoint it appears to be
full of promising features. There
fore, whether or not you intend to
look farther into the matter yourself,
| beg you will at least authorize me
to make a survey of the field by day
light in the morning"
Dunlap looked anything but pleased
as the reporter spoke these words.
He thought before replying.
Frankly. Mr.. Sturgis," he said, at
length, with studied courtesy. Il will
not conceal the fact that what you
ask places me in rather awkward
position. You are friend of my
friend Sprague, and my personal in
tercourse with you this evening has
been pleasant enough to make me
hope that, in the future, | may be
so fortunate as to include you in my
own circle of acquaintances. There
fore, on personal grounds, it would
give me great pleasure to grant your
request. But, on the other hand, you
are a journalist and | am banker;
and it is with banks as with nations
happy that which has no history.
Capital is proverbially timid, you
know"
Il see" said Sturgis; "you fear that
the reputation of the Knickerbocker
bank may suffer if the mystery of
the pistol shots is solved"
"No, no, my dear sir; not at all,
not at all You quite misunderstood
me-" replied the banker. with just a
shade of warmth. at is not a ques-
tion of the banks credit exactly,
since there has been neither robbery
nor defalcation; but depositors do not
like to see the name of their bank
mentioned in the newspapers; they
take fright at once. Depositors are
most unreasonable beings, Mr.. Stur-
gis; they are liable to become panic
stricken on the most insignificant prov
ocation; and then they run amuck
like mad sheep. The Knickerbocker
bank does not fear any run that
might ever be made upon it. Its
credit stands on too secure a founda
tion for that. But vertheless a run
on a bank is expensive, Mr.. Sturgis,
very expensive
The banks affairs being in so sat-
isfaCtory a condition." observed the
reporter, "it seems to me that what
ever harm publicity is likely to do
has already been done. The magma
tions of your depositors are now at
work sapping the foundation of the
Knickerbocker bank. If the truth
cannot injure it's credit, it can only
strengthen it; and to withhold the
truth under the circumstances is to
| invite suspicion.'
Dunlap did not appear to like the
| turn the conversation was taking.
He walked along in silence for few
minutes, irresolute. At length he
seemed to make up his mind.
perhaps you are right after all,
| Mr.. Sturgis. At any rate we have
| nothing to conceal from the public
If you will be at the bank tomorrow