The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-09-29

ne owed the Dank. Inen Cnatnam suggest.
ed that it would be wiser to let the Sec
ond overdraft come from another ac-
count. Wtthers agreed with him and stated
that the check could be made in the name
of Henry Seymour, a relative of his, who
had recently opened a small account with
the Knickerbocker bank. I strongly OBJ
jected to sharing the secret of my infamy
with any others; but finally allowed my
self to be overruled by the plausible seoun.
drels into whose clutches had fallen.
1.-The next day I took my first step in
crime, by making such entries as would
insure the honoring of Seymour's check.
After that was completely in the power of
these two men. 1t was not long before
discovered that had been their dupe.
Chatham's acccomplice was not the true
Withers; for this man, few days later.
made large deposit, which more than
covered his previous overdraft The false
Withers was Henry Seymour himself.
LAS soon as had committed felony, It
became unnecessary for Seymour to keep
up any further pretense of desire to re-
fund the money had helped him to steal.
! was now in the meshes of crime as deep
ly as my accomplices; and. from that time
to this they have forced me to act as their
cats-paw. During this period of two years
the bank has been robbed in this way of
over s25O,0OO, every cent of which has
gone to Chatham and Seymour.
You can perhaps imagine what hell
my life has been during that time. With
prison and disgrace staring me in the face:
and with the absolute conviction that ex-
posure must inevitably come sooner or
later, I have suffered the torture of the
damned. At the bank, have been in q
perpetual state of suspense. have start
ed at every word spoken to me; have
seen suspicion in every glance which has
met mine; l have trembled and paled at
every approach of one of the officers of tho
bank. And yet have not dared to alb
sent myself from my desk for an hour, lest
an examination of my books during my
absence should reveal my crime. have
been the first to reach the bank in the
morning, and the last to leave 1t at night:
I have not even taken the few minutes
during the day which would have-been re-
CURED to enable me to obtain hurried
meal On one pretext or another. during
the last two years, have had to forego my
annual vacation. l have dragged myself
TO my post when l was SO i'll that could
hardly stand. because l could not afford
to have anyone take charge of my books
for even an hour. And all that time, with
full realization Of my degradation and
infamy, I have been forced to continue my
frauds, knowing that each one brought
me nearer to the inevitable final exposure;
but knowing equally well that a refusal
on my part to continue my stealing would
result in an instant betrayal by my ac-
completes.
''At last further concealnent became i'm
possible. A week ago the yearly examina-
ton of the books took place. The expert
accountant employed was, as usual, Thomas
Chatham, and of course, as usual, his re-
port was entirely sa satisfactory. 1t seemed.
therefore, as though discovery could be
postponed a little longer; when suddenly,
this morning, we were informed that q
change in the system of bookkeeping would
be adopted after the LIST of January. saw at
once that all was over. The discovery Of
my crime is now a matter of hours. must
be out Of the way before the crash comes
or I am doomed. l can already see the
felon's stripes upon my back: the clang Of
the prison gates ring In my ears.
Il am too dazed to think; but feel that
my only escape is in death. And yet cling
to life. know that the happy days Of the
past are gone forever; and yet feel sort
Of numb relief at the thought that the
worst is now certain to come, and to come
at once.
II have carefully prepared my flight, 30
that shall have plenty Of time to reach
q place of safety. Once there. shall be
free from pursuit; but l shall be an exile.
and I shall'carry with me to the grave the
burden of my sin.
''The most bitter pang in my remorse 10
caused by the thought Of the great wrong
! have done you, dear wife. You will now
be forced to face the world not only un-
protected by the one whose duty and whose
desire it was to smooth the way for you:
but, what Is worse, oppressed by the bur-
den Of his sin.
What little money have left in the saw
ings bank have transferred to your name,
You may use it all with a clear conscience:
for every dollar of it was honestly mine.
swear have never had single cent of the
money have stolen. 1t has all been draw
by Henry Seymour, and used I know not
how.
las soon as 1 am settled in the place to
which l am going shall try, as far as lies
in my power. to redeem my past by life OF
honest labor; and hope to be able to con-
tribute to your support in the near future.
ooh! my wife! my darling wife! Would
that the past could be blotted out, and that
I could once more place my hand in yours,
hard to forgive me now. perhaps In time
you may be able to think gently of him who
through all his crime and degradation has
remained
"Your devoted husband,
JOHN w. ARBOGAST.
my safety depends upon your keeping
the contents of this letter secret for al
least three days. After that time. please
send to Mr.. Dunlap, president of the Knick
erbockef bank, the Enclosed papers, which
will reveal to him the full extent of my de-
falcations.
80 u do not hesitate to betray chatham an(
y. Seymour; they did not scruple to ruin me
= have sent for Chatham, and shall Civ
him warning Of my intended flight. II h,
sees fit, he can take such steps as he maj
= choose to escape his own richly deserved
punishment"
While Sturgis was reading Arbogast'
letter, Dunlap, restlessly pacing tn
room, had observed him furtively.
"Well7" he now inquired, stoppin,
before the reporter, what do you thinl
Of that?"
Poor woman!" exclaimed Sturgia
feelingly; sit is terrible to think 0
the suffering brought upon her by he
husbands guilt. I ought to be hard
ened to q situation like this; for /
is the inevitable sequel of almost ever,
crime that is ever committed. But
am moved every time by the patheti
expiration of the innocent for tn
guilty"
Eyes, yes; / know" said Dunlap, in
differently; "that it not what I meanl
Did you note the amount which thi
3scoundrel confesses he and his accom-
\ plices have stolen from the bank 2?
eyes; It II q large sum"
Tyo hundred and fifty thousan
dp1larsi Why, man. 4 that il true. !
Il + enough q cripple the bank-No. no