Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-12-20

Fellow townsmen. :" Basing shouted.
Il am here to tell you that the banks
in no danger. You will be paid to the
utmost farthing."
A hundred angry yells answered the
assurance.
Mr.. Basing pushed past the police
men and entered the bank.
Cash balance this morning?' said
Mr.. Basing, by way of greeting.
twenty-five thousand was the an
; swer.
How much Ieft?"
about three thousand"
How long will that last"
Twenty minutes, perhaps"
You have wired the London offices
and our agents?'
Long ago. They are waiting in
structions from you. If you had been
at your Office at the usual time, sir,
We could have got sufficient cash here
by the u 20 express. We shall want
$4,000 or $50, 0O0.'
Mr.. Basing wiped the p~erspiration
from his forehead.
Good" he said. PAY as long as
you can, then close the doors until the
3 O'Clock express ome in. And he sat
down to write a telegram.
The managers face blanched. Cant
something more be done, sir?-to calm
the people, 1 mean? You know the
Stannithorpe folk. They'll tear the
place stone from stone, and burn what
they can't SMASH
Let them tear, smash and burn,
and be hanged for the fools they are !"
said Mr.. Basing, angry at last. But
III see what l can do"
AS he left the room he was met by
a surge of people that almost swept
him off his feet. Mr.. Basing struggled
to a chair and mounted It.
THE bank has sufficient assets to
pay you all" he shouted.
Ten times over" a voice added
Mayhew's. CLEAR the way here!
Clear the way, l say"
Pushing, thrusting, elbowing, shov-
ing, as never had be done when play
ing Rugby for his university, and
shouting all the time, MAYHEM made
way for the procession of policemen
the first two carrying a huge trunk,
carefully guarded by two more officers,
batons in hand; another policeman fol
lowed with a big kitbag, and yet an
other with d woman's dressing case.
All entered the managers room.
Co!laring a burly butcher and fling
ing him into the crowd, Mayhem
cleared a space and sprang upon the
counter.
silence - he shouted. Listen to
me. Not another penny will be paid
until you come to your senses. So clear
out, the lot of you, and come in two
or three at a time in an orderly man
ner, not like a pack of wild beasts y
He turned to the cashiers: stop pay
ing until this lot are outside"
Mayhem kept the door. Two at a
timer he shouted. Two in and two
out. I'll break the head of the first
man that tries to rush me. Step lively,
] now, two at a time, or it'll be 4 o'clock
DeloTe YOU are an paul SOule VI you
might go home and get your dinners.
Hurry up, Your moneys waitingr!"
1t was wonderful. 4 nervous old
woman, who had just heard of the
trouble, passed the guardian at the
portals. \ farmer galloped up on a
horse taken straight from the pillow and
entered. Those were all.
The policemen trooped out. May
hew, finding the run at an end, left his
post and entered the managers room.
Mr.. Basing was sitting on the big
trunk, wiping his face and laughing.
He got UP and gripped Mayhew's hand.
THAT was a clever idea, young man."
he said, land l thank you. l don't need
to ask what is in the trunk, the bag
and the dressing case; I've seen the
initials on them. If that license you've
got is good for another day don't
waste it. I'll be there."-London Tit
Bits.