The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-14

Never before had the town received
such a shock as on the morning when
# was discovered that the, First Ma
tional Bank had been robbed and the
cashier found senseless and bleeding
in the alley back of the building. Our
frn represented the bank legally. and
we were notified at our homes.
The injured cashier had been carried
N the directors room and laid on the
lounge. All he had to say was that he
had been detained at the bank late the
night before trying to find an obsti-
nate error in the balance sheet. 1t
was after midnight when he had COM
Melted his task. AS he was about to
lock the vault he was startled by a
noise behind him, and, turning, found
himself face to face with a masked
man who had him covered with re-
volver. Realizing his disadvantage, he
had determined on desperate course
presidents room, only a few feet away,
slamming the door behind him, un-
barred the iron shutters of a. window
and jumped into the alley, intent upon
giving an alarm. But the robber was
equally quick, and no sooner had the
cashier landed on the earth than his
assailant was on top of him. Then en-
sued a desperate struggle, in which the
robber, fearing to fire his revolver, had
used a knife. The result was that the
cashier sank unconscious and there re-
NAMED for some two hours until he
was found by the night Waterman.
This was the story told incoherentIy
by James Morris, the cashier, and his
blood stained garments and jagged
wounds bespoke it's truth, as did also
the damp ground in the alley, which
showed plain signs of a hard struggle.
The missing money amounted to $780,
900, and Mr.. Guilford, the president,
was frantic. AS the hours wore on and
the police appeared to be accomplishing
nothing, Guilford summoned my part
ners and myself to a conference. No
body could offer a suggestion. All at
once an idea flashed across my mind.
l remembered Daniel Draper and his
singular success in ferreting out the
mystery of Simon Gilbert's WILL and it
occurred to me that it might be worth
While to call in this peculiar young
man.. With some trepidation, being the
youngest member of the firm, l made
with much enthusiasm, but Guilford
was ready to grasp at straws, and in
the absence of any other plan asked
me to find Draper, who appeared to be
a private detective. ,.-
He was the same shock headed, star
ng-eyed, dull-looking, loosely dressed
individual l remembered, and insooth
l was somewhat ashamed of him as /
took him into the bank. With pa
thence and elaboration which amount
ed almost to stupidity, he went over
all the ground we had gone over be-
fore asked innumerable q questions
about all sorts of matters having no
apparent connection with, the case,
roamed over the bank in a desultory
manner which made Guilford suspi-
cOus that he was looking for a chance
to purloin something himself, talked
with everybody in sight clerks, police
men, watchmen, reporters, bank Off
Gals and doctors, and finally dropped
himself into the alley and got down
on all fours and measured the foot
prints, procured one of Morris shoes,
then. the other, and fitted them to
prints in the earth; tried to fit other
shoes to them; went back to the doc
tor who had dressed Morris wounds
and asked him for a minute statement
of the injuries; went again into the
bank and talked long and earnestly
with the employees: then went to the
corner, bought an apple, returned and
sat in a dark corner of the presidents
room for fully half an hour. Finally he
arose, shuf1led over to where I was
talking with the president and said:
viii you go with me? 1 think you
can help me-
''Where?" / asked.
TO arrest the thieves" he replied,
mildly tossing the apple core in spit
toon. at is time to act. and act
promptly, if we wish to save the
money. Will you come, sir?"
l followed him. Once outside, he
said:
II desire. to get a search warrant
for a certain house and a warrant for
the arrest of certain person from
some justice who will keep it quiet I'M
til we finish our work. Else we will
miss one of the birds. Can you. ar
range it?"
Il cam" I replied, but you know
this is dangerous business. You can't
go on fishing expeditions with war
rants"
Il am going on no fishing expedi-
ton" he replied, quietly. II am going
to get the stolen money. If you do
not care to help me, all right. l will
ne able to get along alone, I daresay."
Impressed by his confidence, de-
cided to go with him. had no diff
Guilty in having the justice issue the
warrants. The name Draper gave was
that of woman, Myrtle Perry. Pro-
curing a cab; we drove to respecta-
Die part of the residence district,
ahghted at corner and sought the