Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1903-01-07
WHY He NEVER
WEARS AN OVERC0AT
lOriginal.l

wear an ONeTCOdls a llldl VI your dsc
certainly runs risk in not doing so,
especially during this January wealth
err"
Dinsmore shuddered. "An overcoat"
he said. 81 am perfectly comfortable
without one. Besides, overcoats are
unsafe. Let me tell you why.
"For many years had charge Of the
finances of Mathew Drew & Co., leath-
err men. One afternoon in winter / was
so busily engaged that did not notice
it was past 3 o'clock and l had not
made my deposit in bank. Opening
the safe, saw that had far greater
amount of cash on hand-over $4,000
than 1 ever kept there. We had no
vault, only a little, old fashioned safe
that several men could roll away and
rifle at their leisure Before leaving
the Office / took out the bills, rolled
them carefully in a piece of brown pa
per and stuffed them into my overcoat
pocket. l preferred to take them home
with me rather than leave them in the
afe.
"Just as 1 was about to lock up, John
rrimball, man who had large ac-
{ bunt with us, came In and insisted on
gping over it with me. By the time
VIE got through 1t was far past supper
time, and l had an arrangement with
my wife that when too late for the
evening meal was to get II at res
taurant before going home. After the
departure of the customer / took my
overccat off the hook where l had
hui & it, instinctively grasped the bun
die to make sure that 1t was all right,
then started for the restaurant. While
there left the coat hanging on hook
where could keep my eyes on it every
moment. There were about thirty Sec
onds, it is true, during which fire en-
gines were dashing past without and
turned my eyes on them, but when I
looked back to the coat it was still
there. When l had finished my sup
Der, went home and to bed.
That night folded M coat smooth
ly and placed it under my pillow. The
next morning l took it into breakfast
with me, placing it on chair where
could watch it. / wore it to the Of
fee, keeping my hand on the outside
of the pocket that contained the pack
age. When reached the office, l took
out the parcel, and the moment l saw
it started I had wrapped the bills
in brown paper. Now they were
wrapped in newspaper. With a hand
OF ice on my heart l hastily unrolled
the package. Under the newspaper
was tissue paper. Within the tissue
paper were dozen pairs of gloves /
sank into chair almost in faint.
The paralysis of my faculties lasted
but moment, when arose and went
over what had done. at once tele-
phoned my loss to the police and re-
ported 1t as doubtless having occurred
at the restaurant where it was quite
likely some light fingered rogue had
taken out one package and slipped in
another while / had been looking at
the fire engines. The coat must be
mine, for it fitted me perfectly, was
exactly of the same pattern and mate
rial as mine, and on the collar inside
was the name of the firm of whom l
had bought it.
That day was one of misery to me.
i reported the loss to the firm, who
certainly did not take it with a very
good humor, and before noon they had
an expert bookkeeper at work to dis
cover if were not endeavoring to COW
er up shortage in my accounts. Dur
ing the afternoon a detective had re-
ported that man whose photograph
was in the rogues' gallery, one of the
most expert sneak thieves in the
country, had been seen in the restau-
rant while l was there and they were
on his track. This allayed the suspi-
cions of my employers somewhat, but
when evening came and we were about
to go home without any further clew
to the missing money one Of the part
ners told me that they were very sorry
to do so, but common prudence would
compel them to lock me up for the
night. He then stepped to the tele-
phone and called for an officer
wrote note for my wife and called
n messenger. Meanwhile we were
waiting, when in came Trimball, the
man who had been with me the even
ing before.
'tSee here, Dinsmore," he said, not
knowing what had happened and tax
ing the account current from his
podket, ''we made big mistake in
theSe credits last night. That Item
lrushed upon him frantically and
begin to examine his overcoat.
thrust my hand into pocket and drew
nut "a parcel wrapped in brown paper.
I'M olling 1t, there were the bills.
'ound" yelled, laughing and cry
Historically.
hat was package Of gloves yes
lay," said Trimball.
Chat coat is the same pattern as
$, Dinsmore," said the senior part.
nd the same goods" added the
IT.
l.. mball and / both had on our over
coats, and both took them off for in
spection. We had bought them at the
same tailoring establishment from the
same lot and they were aDDarently