Kootenai County Republican. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1899-1903, 1902-05-30


placed the cash In envelopes ana nanos
ID It over to heads Of departments
The quarry was two miles from town.
the mills q quarter Of mile farther.
and the trip was made In buggy. A
the country was opened and settled the
idea Of robbers was absurd. The mon
ey was always placed in q satchel at
the bank on the "a Of the month, pro-
yiding the date did not fall on Sunday.
and Bliss carried II to the mill 70 place
It In envelopes.
He had gone through this programme
three times and had driven out for the
fourth when q circumstance occurred
that shook the town Of Grafton to IT.
foundations. When he opened the
satchel ct the mill to take out the
Ibnney. he found nothing but newspa-
pers in 1t. He, naturally argued that
the cashier had made some biunder
and was not at all uneasy In bis mind
A. he drove back to have It rectifed.
To his amazement. however. Richards
insisted that the money had been In.
closed M usual. and almost ationce he
charged Bliss with trying to work .
game.
Protestafions availed nothing. Tho
money was not produced. and young
Bliss was arrested. The conclusion
was reached that he must have met
and passed the money to confederate.
Old Merely was satisfied that the
young man had yielded to temptation,
and the cashier was particularly bitter
against him. Before the day Of trial
came there appeared to be but one per
son In Grafton who doubted his guilt
That was old Morely's daughter.
Their acquaintance had not gone be.
you'd admiration on his side and esteem
on hers. but she gave him credit for
sterling qualities and was persistent In
his defense. When the trial finally
came OF, the cashier swore to having
deposited $8,45O In the satchel and
handing 1t to young Bliss. and the &C.
cuscd could only assert that when he
opened the satchel after reaching the
mill there was no money In 1t. This
WAS no defense.
Tho Jury was being charged, and
there was no doubt In any ones mind
a. to the verdict. when Joe. the idiot
arrived with q package under his arm.
The officers tried to put him out. but
Dc resisted vigorously and walked
straight up to the desk Of the judgs
and handed up his package.
tits the stolen money! exclaimed
his honor as he tore OF the wrapper.
There was instant excitement. and q
dozen men began to question the boy.
Joe stood with q smile and pointed
from the money to the cashier. who
was In court to hear the verdict. When
pressed to talk, he giggled and beckon-
ed the officers to follow him. He led
them into the dark alley on one side
OF the bank and into side door open
ing on room used for the storage Of
fuel. Then. thrusting his hands deer
into barrel Of straw, he made mo
tons that the money had been found
there. He went further. He made II
plain that he had been looking through
the barred window on the alley side
when James Richards hid the money
weeks before.
1t was all so clear. fool though M
was. that the cashier admitted hii
guilt. or course public opinion whip
ped about In no time ut oil. and young
Bliss walked out Of Jail with his char
acter cleared. but only three or foul
people could understand why the cash
Ter should have put up such Job t
ruin an innocent man. Bliss figured Il
out. old Merely caught on after bit
and the young lady In the case blush
ingly admitted that she half suspected
from tho first. The idiot owed on,
man debt OF gratitude and another
man debt Of hate. and he paid then
both ut once and caused people fol
years after TO shake their heads ant
say:
Eyes, Joe's a born fool nil RICH
enough. but don't you go to believing
that he hasn't got brains hidden dowI
the back OF his neck!"