The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1902-07-18
THE STORY
OF A THIEF
GcOpyrisht. lso2. by c. 3. Lewis.I


appointed bookkeeper and cashier of
large factory. and after the president
Of the company had Informed me Of
the fact he added:
"James, you have been elected to q
very responsible position. and 1t is usu-
al In such cases to exact q bond. You
come from an honest family. All Of us
believe you to be an honest, straight
forward young man. There are dozen
men In town willing to go on your
bond, and for these reasons we feel Sc
cure without any. We shall trust you
implicitly. All Of US have known you
from childhood. and we. have no fear
that you will 60 wrong"
For three years all went well In the
factory. As matter Of fact. l did de-
velop talent for nnanciering. and
those who had predicted well for me
were not disappointed After the nrst
year the capacity was Increased three
times. and at the end Of the third year
we were able to declare a dividend of
II per cent That jumped our stock
away above par. In the three years my
salary was increased three times. and
the semiannual examination Of my
books and accounts proved right to .
cent At the beginning OF the fourth
year. when there was another issue OF
stock. I was presented with 5000
worth and the thanks Of the board 0f
directors for my untiring vigilance and
sterling honesty. Wasn't that 3 thing
to be proud Off had social standing
second to none. and during the last
month Of the third year was engaged
10 the beautiful and accomplished
daughter OF our president
The beginning OF my downward ca
reer was q very simple circumstances,
OF. rather, two circumstances in one.
In looking over the safe one day
came across q package Of $500 which
had been mislaid by my assistant. II
was just after an examination OF my
books. and the examination had been
so much q matter Of form that this
money, paid In weeks before. had not
been missed. You may say we had
rather q loose system. admit it.
Find me q place where the cashier IL
not under bonds and Is implicitly trust
ed. and I'll show you the same careless
system Things are careless because
he is strictly honest or because be II
dishonest and wants to cover mp short
ages. The finding OF that money was
| no temptation to me. I'D have chop
ped q hand or before embezzling It.
On that very day. however. one OF our
| best customers in New York. who had
happened that way almost by accident.
paid the factory q visit He had just
cleared $4,000 in a pork deal and
| naturally wanted to talk about It Il
had kept clear Of all sorts Of specula-
tion. but when this man explained his
deal to me and told me of other spec
ulations In which be had cleared
handsome sums be started the fever
which proved my destruction. He did
not advise me one way or the other.
and I never blamed him
I did not wait to think the matter
over. I had invested my savings in
real estate. and Of course I could not
sell my stock without questions being
asked I would take the $500 I have
referred to. It never entered my mind
that I might lose It. should win. ol
course. and the money would be re
turned to the cash account called 1t 9
temporary loan from the factory. AfteI
had Invested It had twinges OF con
science 1t wasn't exactly dishonest
but IL was a breach Of trust. and tel
degraded For the first time In my life
! found It an effort to look other mel
squarely In the face. That should ha "
been the turning point. I should have
replaced the money and taken warn
Ing. I believe II was the worst thini
that could have happened to me that
that $500 made me $1,000 within q
fortnight. Didn't ! stop theref o.
| course not. The fact that I had hit 4
right satisfied the that I had the neces
sary nerve and acunen. and reinveSt
ed. I made 81 800 on the next deal. bu
on the third was wiped out You cal
| guess what followed I managed 4
dispose Of my stock without suspicion
0 nd II was swallowed almost at gulp
Up to the LIST day OF June on my fourtl
| year ! had pmhezzled $4,000 Of tn
company. Ny books would be examiu
ed on the LIST OF July and the shortag
discovered.
Il II Is wonderful how rapidly the rui
! of a man can be effected under wha
may be termed favorable circumstau
| ces. In the course OF four or nv
. | months my degradation was compiett
One night toward the last OF June
, having paved the way for week o
I more. I robbed the safe OF $4,000 an
ded. I made for New York and 20
aboard sailing vessel hound for Eng
land About half of the money too
belonged to outsiders who had II In th
safe 70. security. ruinrd grocer.
a jeweler and n builder. all honest. uI
Z | right men roi,l,ed nm orphan child Q
n n legacy took the hast dollar belong
4 Ing to a widow with ave fatherles
( | children. My father gave up his Q
!. and then drowned himself. The youn
A lady to whom was to be marie
r lived out the rest OF her days In an Il
$ sane asylum. crippled the bushes
o Of the factory and r-nt its stock dow
n to faD and ruined two or three Of u
n | i+st friends.
am an old man. II Is nearly thiri
a | years since my flight. All this time
ID have been an outlaw from my countr
a | ! have never been able TO secure p
II | sition OF trust. II has seemed as IL e
s cry mans hand was against me.
s aavs. been compelled to labor at Il
8 most slavish pursuits to earn my dai
z bread. ami have never made frier
.. who did not suspect me In time to
It guilt. Of worse than my crime. I ha'
. wandered over the face OF the ear'
r pennIIess. frieudIess a man without
j country Or q home. n. QUAD.