The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-11-29
John Selden S Dog !
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ECopyright, 1906, by G. III. Hirt.1


WAS twenty to thirty. John Selden had
absen &he cashier of Henderson's pri-
'gafe bank. People said 1t was very
n responsible place for young man of
.twsanty, and some shook their heads
and predicted that temptation would
=<et1 the better of him. bat Henderson
esus3led at their fears and replied:
~~.Iohn has been a clerk here for four
e. .~' ::,rs- ! have tried him out over and
So n, There isn't Il dishonest hair in
s2'js ne,I~.. aud you couldn't put money
'&NQIgh :>afore him to tempt him to
sstcsl.
Toars: s>.den did not marry He had
no vices. lie was pleasant and friendly
WI Ii ~ But it was seldom that he
RI III 49, st an evening. At the bank
lie Vas >.atied "Clockwork" A more
iiijGent. reiiable man never gave his
services to another. At twenty-five he
2lsad the banking business at his fingers
'e1>s Between that age and thirty he
had as many as ten offers from other
financial institutions. In the ten years
his salary was increased five times.
During these ten years, as Selden him
self stated. he was never under tempta-
zion for moment.
Then came a horrible temptation.
After awhile it began to- tell on his
Gealth. The banker suggested a vaca-
tion. It was then that the temptation
fGriumphed.
After being trailed for month and
after a dozen almost sleepless nights,
John Selden agreed to do as the I'M
known wished. He set out without
loss Of time and with feverish anxiety,
and it seemed as if Satan aided him.
BE packed UP 100000 worth of bonds
and cash after banking hours, walked
out of the town with satchel without
being particularly remarked and when
six miles away took a train. He had
made no plans as to where he should
go. Where he did go was to a village
forty miles away. He was ill when he
got off the train and LII for month at
the hotel When he recovered he stay
cd on. He was quiet, minded his own
affairs and somehow the villagers came
10 believe that he was detective.
1t so happened that Banker Hender-
son was the first to discover his loss.
No one could have taken the money but
his trusted cashier. He was stunned
for time by the blow. Then he made
up his mind to certain thing, and not
q word regarding the missing money
passed his lips. He said that Selden
had gone on a vacation. He spoke al
ways in his praise. It put him to
great straits to make the shortage
good, but he accomplished it, and not
Breath OF suspicion was raised against
the cashier The money was gone and
the cashier was gone, but the banker
would not believe that he had been
mistaken in Selden. What he did was
TO call in private detective, swear him
10 secrecy forever, and then send him
out on search. There was no cIew
whatever to work on. Selden might
have gone north, east, south or west
It was like hunting for a needle in a
41aystack.
The detective had to make a short
Journey to see a relative who was ILL.,
He had been about the bank for a
week. SeIden had left behind him a
little dOg-an animal he had had for
feur years. Strangely enough, the dog
took to the detective at once and fol-
bowed him everywhere and acknOWl-
edged him as master. Finding the
canine at his heels at the depot, the
detective lifted him up and took him
along. By and by he got off at a viii
Iage.
A day or two later he set out for a
walk over the highway. The dog fol
lowed and frisked about After a
couple Of miles had been passed the
Enan was about to turn back when he
came upon man seated on a bank by
the roadside with his head on his
hands. While he was yet five rods
away the little dog ran ahead and
aeaped upon the stranger and barked
and frisked and showed every sign of
intense excitement The man did not
repulse him. On the contrary, he lift
ed up the animal and fOndled and talk
ed to him.
1t did not need the astuteness of a
detective to come to conclusion on
the spot. The dog had found his old
master The officer advanced and look
ed down on the man and said:
''You are John Selden. who robbed
Banker Henderson"
Eyes, was the reply, and Selden did
mot even look up
''Where have you been since?'
S'In the village three miles away"
S'Where is the money!
''It is in my room, every dollar of it.
Leave me the dog, and you may have
the money"
The detective did not put the cashier
under arrest He went with him to
his hotel. telegraphed the banker, and
Ghat night Henderson arrived and
asked:
''John, what is it? Why did you do
atY"
ga voice kept telling me to rob the
bank" was the reply.
"And you have not spent any Of the