The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-01-05

kind of one, a man who killed his faith
er. and who if it were proved against
him would. up to this time have pre-
tended that it was an accident. He's
Bond.
REASON FOR RECKLESSNESS
1T explains why he has been so reck-
less lately. he wanted to be killed Mat
ter of conscience, you see He whisper
ed 1t all to me, asked me to write home,
saying that he was dead and had PASSED
away forgiving every one and revealing
the secret. His name isn't Bond, but
I'm under pledge not to tell what It is.
He asked me to write without waiting
for him to die actually, and he wanted
me to get him reported dead, so that II
would cabled home; said his friends
would recognize him under the assumed
name It's a mighty sad story
Bond told me that he came from
Ohio. His father was bank president
and was found murdered in the bank
vault two years ago. Robbers had killed
him and had made their escape He had
evidently surprised them Young Bond
was the real murderer He was just I'M
der n. He had been stealing from his
fathers private business for more than
a year so as to keep on gambling with
fast set of young fellows whom a sharp
er got together regularly, and was plum
dering right along. On Bonds twenty
first birthday there had to be a settle
ment of the books for his father in
tended to take him into business part
nership. Bond had to have not less thar
$4,000 to make good his stealtngs. There
was no other way left to him than to
steal It he knew all about the bank,
the combinations to the locks, the ways
of the Waterman, and all that, and he
had studied up Knockout drops. He
LETT some liquor that had been doctored
with drugs for the Waterman to drink
knowing the mans weakness, and the
rest was easy. He entered the bank
from the rear stealthily, having made
sure that the watchman was uncon-
scious, had just got into the inner vault,
when he heard a noise and saw a dim
light in the outer room. He knew he
could not be the Waterman and he once
raised his revolver for action ard
crouched to one side. Then he heard
voice, saying: My GodI I must have
killed him I didn't know it was so
powerful Wake up, Mike!'
MEETING IN BANK VAULT
There was no response, and Bond
says he recognized the voice as that of
his father just in time, for he intended
to shoot and escape in a rush if posi-
Bile. Then Bond became conscious of his
own danger His father might shoot
him. The afther soon saw the open doors
Of the vault What does this mean2
he said Mike, you didn't do this; you
couldn't! Who is there? Speak, or I'll
shoot. Quickl' Then it was that Bond
saw he had no show, and he shouted to
his father not to shoot, and revealed his
own identity.
Then there followed a strange scene
in that bank vault There were the
father the son, and the unconscious
of the morning. What does this mean
son2 said the father, sternly. Has it
come to this-ny son a bank robber?'
Young Bond said he was game ana he
replied, What are you doing here:
Are You a bank robber yourself? Who
put Mike in this condition. You see
he had overheard his father make that
exclamation about Mike. and he took
chances. Explain your position on the
inside Of that vault said the father
Explain what you said about not know
ing that something was SO powerful
when you saw Mike said the son And
and the son went to pieces, and each
thinking that Mike was about to die
confessed to the other. The father had
been specializing in the eastern markets.
had used up a lot of trust funds in his
charge and the only way for him to
get out was to rob his own bank. He
had also left some knockout drops for
the Waterman, and it was the combined
dose that made father and son think
that the man would die. The son owned
up to the father, and then followed
discussion as to what was best to be
done.
"They agreed that the bank must be
robbed; that was their only salvation
They agreed also that it would be best
for one of them to appear to be defend
ing the banks treasure It was finally
decided that it would be best for the
son to wound his father slightly in the
side take enough money to suit their
be discovered in the morning The old
man said he was so desperate that he
would take chances, and he would tell
story about feeling uneasy in his
dreams as to the condition of affairs
at the bank, and of getting up in the
night and going down there to sse if
all was right, of encountering a robher
or set OF robbers, OF having q mighty
struggle with them, ending, so far as
he could recol1ect, with a revolver shot
which made him unconscious He had
no fear as to Mike. IF Mike recovered
he would be so ashamed of being drunk
that he would invent some story Of be-
ing gagged, especially as father and son
had arranged to bind him with a gag
and tie his hands.
Then father and son planned the de-
tails of the shooting, disarranged the
furniture, bound and gagged the watch
man, took the money and broke the
locks, and the father lay down after
tearing his clothing and had the son
give him what he supposed was only
a slight flesh wound in the side. The
old man was full of nerve. and after
the shooting was over hurried the son
away and told him how to act when the
discovery was made in the morning
They had wounded the Waterman Also
Bond says he went home and to bed
and acted his part thoroughly when
they reused him to tell him of the
dreadful accident to his father. 1t
turned out really to be a dreadful affair
for both the father and the Waterman
were found dead and the bank robbed
Young Bond says he made good his
gambling debts and enlisted in the army
SO as to get away from the storm that
arose when it was found that his father
was insolvent
It soon became the general theory IN
the town that the elder Bond had gone
there to rob the bank and had been
killed by real bank robber. and there
were those who thought they could re-
member the exact looks Of certain mys-
terious strangers that had been seen
about town.
CONSCIENCE MADE HIM ENLIST. /
Bonds conscience could stand it no
longer, he says, and he went to kan
sas and enlisted and came out here,
hoping secretly that he would be killed.