The Savannah morning news., 1904-04-24
continued from last Sundays News.

Continued from last Sundays News.
CHAPTER XVI.--Continued.
The bank commissioner, to the sur
prise of many present who had been
lea by the equivocal state of affairs to
believe that actual proofs of fraud had
been found to exist, stated that he had
inspected all the books, papers, notes,
bonds, and all evidences of debt and
the quantity of specie and other money
and funds on hand. and made all in
uuiries necessary to learn it's ability
to perform all its engagements, or
whether it had violated any provisions
of law: and with the exception of the
two altered notes, everything had been
found to be correct. Though the books
al The time of its suspension had SEEM
ed to be wrong in one or two in
stances, no actual proof of dishonest
dealing had been discovered, and he
stated, furthermore, that such re-
port had been filed in the office of the
Secretary of State.
When asked if he had not stated
that affairs were in a muddle at the
bank, he said II did; l thought so at
FIRST and l was excited. News had
Just reached the bank about the alter
ed Bowles & Estes note. The books
puzzled me at first, but afterwards
saw my way clear through them. The
discrepancies were but few, such as
Mr.. Hamilton could easily have eX-
planned, ard the matter of the two al
tered notes, nine thousand dollars in
ALL were the only fraudulent phase of
the affair.
Did Mr.. Hamilton's books satisfy
YOU on other occasions?"
when my usual examinations took
place.
Yes; that was what 1 meant to ask"
They did, invariably. Mr.. Hamil
toms accounts We're always in good
order"
Did you ever see the Estes note be-
fore it was altered?"
mo, sir"
Did you see it afterwards"
Il did"
rs this the note?" showing him the
note which was afterwards certified to
by Mr.. Estes himself, who also stated
that it had been altered from $500 to
$1,000. The original amount had been
paid to him by the bank directors he
said. Then the letter found thrust un-
der the presidents door was produced.
and was pronounced a forgery by Mr..
Hamilton, for he said that he would
not have been likely to sign his name
when he was unaware of it himself at
that date.
The examination of the bank COM
missioner was very full and satisfac-
tory. At it's close the audience at least
felt that the burden of suspicion had
rolled from the cashier, and was at
tached only through his possible acts
of fraudulence perpeurated while men
tally unsound
The president and other officials
gave in their testimony with the ut
most readiness, and it was all to the
effect that Mr.. Hamilton's character
before his mysterious acts, if they were
his was or had been one of the ut
most probity, and that even before his
return it had been difficult to believe
him guilty.
When Tony Osborn was called, the
manner of the young man was far less
nonchanalant than usual. An excited
glitter shone in his eyes, and he an
swered with clenched hand at his side
and nervous chances from time to
time at Mr.. Hamilton. His replies
were unsatisfa Glory to a degree. 1t
was evident he was afraid of saving
too much or too little, and the result
was that very little information was
cleaned from his replies. He seemed
fretted and suspicious, and in some
way his attitude affected people in the
court room till they became fretted
and suspicious, too, as if some occult
influence was at work. He described
Mr.. Hamilton's return to the bank, but
In hesitating manner; and when the
hypnotic theory was broacned as his
own, he seemed unwilling to own It,
though he answered readily enough all
questions asked him in regard to it.
When his examination was over he