The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-03-09

ton when, as l turned the corner around
a large stack of caddies, I beheld my
employer swiftly affixing a brand with
stencil and brush to the end of a caddy.
while one of his sons stood by, dies and
mallet in hand, ready to stamp in the
weights The young man saw me first,
and, touching his STOPPING father on the
shoulder, said to me:
What do you want her boy?"
THE father arose quickly to his full
height of six feet three inches, turning
upon me a pair of eyes that [ had al
ways thought too fierce to be in a hu-
mans head, searched me as | explained
the mission upon which ] had been sent
by my uncle When l had finished he
said, in a voice that had often caused
every boy in the factory to tremble when
caught in the act of tearing wrapper:
Wei. go and get your uncle's watch
and get out of here and don't bother
us any more when we are putting the
name brands on the sides of our caddies.
We were putting the red brands on.
weren't WEE he Numbered. threateningly.
Il trembled from fright. and. though
I distinctly saw in his hand the black
brush used only in putting on the rev
enuc stencil and right before me a score
or more of caddies standing on their ends
instead of lying ON their sides. 1 nodded
my head and answered afiirmativeiy in
sacred tone.
Its nobody's business but mine that
I come down here at night to do this
branding. the boss then roared at me.
and if You ever speak of il To any one
any one, YOU understandable throw
both You and your uncle oUt of this fac
tory. and, what's more I'll keep you out
of every factory in this town. Now get
out and mind YOU travel fast"
Il lost no time i'm following his orders.
Taking the lantern he offered me. I
rushed up the stairs. secured the watch.
came down again in four jumps set the
lantern ON the floor and few out Of the
door at such speed as to bring old
Pluto to his feet with a growL The dog
was soon reassufcd and I hurried home
which l reached all in a Sweat. My uncle
didn't think it necessary to ask me any
questions. and ! said nothing Of what
had happened at the factory.
\ MILLION MADE ILLICTTLY
At the time I didn't realize all that
was going ON when / came upon my en-
rloyer and his son that night. y few
years later I heard my uncle talking
about the matter. and the figures he mem
toned showed that he counterfeit stencil
and dies had been prolific sources Of
yealth 10 the man.
1t seems that he kept up his fraud
ulent branding FOR more than four years,
netting something IKE "A million dollars.
\ Z
had sold out his factory in our town and
some To one Of the large southern cities.
where he was making arrangements to
reopen one Of the largest establishments
that had been closed during the war. It
was said that during The four years the
average Of his swin3iine amounted TO
one-third q the fsctory's output
\ FORTUNE LOST N \ DAY.
He was only about four years in ac-
cuInulatiug his mtlson and quarter. e
all slipped away from him inside ~
twenty-four hours. re secret agents of
the revenue department had been watch
ing the factory and is OUTPUT for Two
years before the proprietor sold ont. md
he had hardly settled in hrs new home
when they came down Upon Gin with such
evidence as 10 make hiul willing - accept
the compromise offered BY the govern
ueu, in the settlement he had 10 giye
up every dollar that ne possessed but
bv so iupovershng himself he kept out Il
prison
The Judge pushed his chair back. aruss
TO a standing position. and. with hands
in his trousers rock ets. continued
lin she autumn q 81 I was riding
on night boat from =. Louis 10 Quincy.
H. There was a quiet roker game IN
the forward end OF the cabin. sra n this
game were Eve players With half a
dozen other passengers was watching the
game. In fact vas Interested 81 one
II the piaysrs-so-aethlng familiar ah1ut
his face and general appearance held NJ
attention I was sure that Z bad seen
him before bat q youth OF seventeen cant .
TX names and faces VoEeJhe- Ike r. can
some years later. was waiting - ghe
mar 70 speak
Presently oae Of the party said as be !