Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1900-09-27
the drawer in which thi. revolver i.

W ucdu Tue DOOAhCC1tE " ~ SlIS
at the desk at the extreme right in the
bookkeepers' department?
"Yes," replied Dunlap, that is Mr..
Arbogast's desk. Do you know him."
mo. What did you say the gentle
mans name is?" The reporter looked
up and prepared to make note Oft.
John w. Arbogast."
"A man something over so years of
age, quite bald, with a fringe of gray
hair; wears heavy mustache and side
whiskers; anG had On yesterday after
noon, when you last saw him, a pepper
and-salt business suit" said Sturgis.
writing down the name in his note
book.
Dunlap stared at the reporter in
amazement. Sturgis smiled slightly.
II met the gentleman yesterday aft
ernoon," he explained.
ooh, that accounts for it," exclaimed
the banker. II see-but-but, then,
how comes it that you did not know his
| name?"
"He did not tell me his NAME" said
Sturgis, gravely, land 1 did not know
until just now that he Was employed in
the Knickerbocker bank. How long
has he been with your"
"Nearly 20 years; but only for the
last five years as head bookkeeper."
II suppose you have every confidence
in his honesty?" asked the reporter,
looking critically at the diagram be-
fore him.
"Of course. Such position is not
given to a man unless his record is ex-
| cellent.'
'And yet" observed the reporter, re-
flectively, opportunity sometimes
makes the thief"
"True; but the duty of bank presj-
dent is to reduce such opportunities
| to minimum" said Dunlap, somewhat
pompously.
"Quite So" assented Sturgis, land
| this you accomplish by"
'By having the books examined Pc
riodically," answered the banker, rub
bling his hands together with calm sat-
isfaction.
Il see," said the reporter, who had
now finished his sketch. do the en-
ployes Of the bank know when an exam
ination of this kind is to be made?"
"They do not even know that such
examinations are made. No one but
the accountant and myself are in the
| secret; for the overhauling of the books
| is done entirely at night, after the bank
| is closed"
"Have the books been recently ex-
amined?" asked Sturgis, carelessly.
"Yes; only last week"
"Well?"
"They were found to he all right, %
| usual"
MAY 1 ask by whom?"
"By Murray & Scott, the expert ac-
countants."
"Was the examination conducted by
Mr.. Murray or by Mr.. Scott?"
''By neither. For many years the
! work was done by one or the Other Of
the members of the firm; but sloce
their business has grown to its present
proportions Messrs. Murray and Sc"tt
arenolonger able to givepersonal att IN
ton to their customers. For the last
two years they have sent us trusted
employe, Mr.. Chatham-Thomas Chat
| ham,"
eyes," said Sturgis, who was appae-
emily wool-gathering.
A silence of several minutes followed,
during which the reporter thought
fully inspected his collection of micro
scopic odds and ends, while Dunlap
beat the devils tattoo upon the desk.
| Presently the reporter spoke again:
"Do you know a young man, about
five feet eight inches tall, with fiery red
hair, who affects somewhat loud
clothes?"
"Why. that is Thomas Chatham. You
know him, then?''
Il? No; l never heard of him be-
FORE"
"Then, how on earth do you
| know--?'
"He has been here recently"
"Yes; told you he had been here last
| week; but
'No; mean he was here yesterday
afternoon" interrupted the reporter.
"Not to my knowledge" said Dunlap,
incredulously.
81 thought as much,' Sturgis replied,
quietly; "but he was here, for all that"
The banker looked perplexed.
'Now, another thing" continued
Sturgis. 81 notice in the bookkeepers'
| department an announcement to the
effect that OH January 2-that is to
say, to-morrow-a new system of book
keeping will be adopted. Would this
be such as to bring to light any ir-
Irregularities that might exist in the
books?"
"Yes; it involves the transfer of each
bookkeeper every month to different
set of books. But fail to see the drift
of your questions.
"You will see it presently. Have you
examined the safes this morning."
eyes; one of the first things did,
after you allowed me to move at all,
was to examine the cash SAFE"
"Ah, yes; the cash safe. And you
found it's contents intact?'
Perfectly" said the banker, tri
umpnanlly.
"But there is also safe in the book
keepers department"
'It contains nothing but the books,
which of course would have no value
to anyone but ourselves
"You have not examined this safer
"Why, no; +"
eff you have no objection, should
like to see the interior Of that safe. ]
suppose, of course, you know the com
bination of that as well as that of the