Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-09-06
clRcUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE.
Why the Bank President viii Never
Take AIRY stock in II.

convict 4 man On CirCumStaut:al evi
ience. no matter how strong it may
De. The speaker. who was presi.
lent of lea ling bank, took p,ili ~
lis cigar. and settling bach IL the
0arior car chair. continued Il nave
known of two eases within the past
month that wcnld ordinarily haze ccE.
ricted. and they have provei 20 ne
hat you can't count on civCumstant,al
evidence.
Several weeks ago a young mar
who keeps an account in cur bank
came in with the bank book of his
mother. who also keeps an account
here. and LETT it 20 be balanced
Soon afterward his mctaa. received
word that her account was overdrawn
The son answered the notice and was
iery indignant. He Gained that when
Se left the bank book he deposited a
check for $l25. which had not been
credited To his mothers account. and
ne was so hot about il that he accused
he teller OF pocketing the money.
It seemed such serious case that
me young man was promptly brought
to my private Office, where he re
peated his charges.
That is very serious charge you
are making, young man-you are ac-
susing one of our trusted employees
with theft said.
THAT is just what do ne replied
for viii swear that | deposited that
check on the third of May, and
mothers account is not credited with
it.
What kind of a check was it?
asked.
"A dividend check Of the National
Car Wheel Company for $i25.'
'''On what bank
1.-The Park National Bank of New
York.
:. called UP the Park National
Bank on the telephone. gave them the
name. date and amount and all the
particulars. The reply came in a
very few minutes that the check was
:here-it had been paid to the bank
across the street from ours. where it
had been deposited by the proprie
tors of 4 big downtown department
store, where the check had been orig
nally Endorsed and cashei. IL had
never been near our bank. Further
investigation developed the fact that
.he young man had deposited sim.
liar check to his own account a month
previous. and had got it mixed with
his mothers account
IF tnat mad been money instead o!
n check that young man would al
ways have believed our teller to be
thief"
WAS he convinced of his mistaken"
asked listener
Convinced. | should say he was.
Turning to me with tears in his eyes.
he said, Please send for that teller.
end when Mr. came in anSwe" %
my summons he said to him: Mr..
-. accused you of stealing. Now
want to go down on my knees be
fore these gentlemen and humbly beg
your pardon And he did"
What was the other case?" asked
another listener.
We'll. that seemed to be a clear
case. too. A bell boy from one OF
the leading hotels came in and laid a
Lepositor's bank book on the desk
and went out The teller thought. as
nothing accompanied it. that it was to
be balanced, and turned 1t over to the
proper clerk. In a few minutes the
coiored boy returned and asked for
the book.
Not ready yet was the reply.
" 1t don't take that long 70 make a
deposit. does it?' asked the boy.
=" no. but you didn't deposit any
Thing
Deed did. There was hundred
dollar bill pinned to paper in that
book. sent by Mr.. - of our hotel.
Nothing in the book sternly re-
piled the official
The boy seemed to be in earnest
and began TO cry. but those who had
heard the details had come to the con
illusion that the messenger was dis
honest. Just then the telephone
cang and the bank was informed that
deposit blank of our bank. with a
800 bill pinned to it. nad been picked
Up in drug store a couple or blocks
away.
''Of course that explained the whole
hing. The boy hal dropped the de
post. but if an honest man had not
picked it up, that boy would have
come pretty near being proved guilty
IN circumstantial evidence. 1t seems
to me that there are two pretty clear
cases knocked sky high"