Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1906-10-05
The GOOD
COUNTERFEIT
By JEROME p. CORN
Copyright. ls5. BY jerome Z. Gorin

cant affair: the other. Bethany Bros, a
remarkably wealthy aud prosperous
concern for 50 small place.
Friday morning. Oct. =. whom Mr.
Charles. the old cashier for Bethany
Bros. endeavored to open the big safe
the lock would not respond to his
manipulations, and the hour for com
mencing business found Bethany Bros
In the embarrassing prcdicamcnt OF
having no money with which 10 pay
checks.
Early la the morning stranger call.
ed, wanting change FOR hundred dol
lar bill. lie stood around quite awhile
listening to the bankers excuses to
customers and others.
The lock won't work We can't
open the safe" repeated James Betha.
ny for the tiftieth time, but man
from the safe makers will be here at :
o'clock, aud tomorrow we will be all
right"
The safe was in plain sight. and, AZ
usual, the makers name was lettered
on II.
The stranger expressed sympathy
and showed his interest by asking
many questions and telling OF similar
cases that had come 10 his knowledge
but before leaving he sent long tele
gram IN cipher to one William West,
IL r. street. New York.
The fact that he sent Il telegram did
not come out, however, until after the
mischief had been done
At o'clock that evening both the
Bethany brothers aud Mr. Charles
were at the railroad station, and wheu
the train stopped man. carrying IA
large and small valise, stepped off.
On being accosted by James Bethany
he said he was the person expected.
After he had eaten supper all four
repaired 10 the bank.
II was o'clock in the morning be
fore the safe was opened and the lock
put In order and oiled
"Gracious"' exclaimed Mr.. Charles
II didn't suppose 1t would take half so
long"
The expert explained that ii was
very fine lock, almost never getting out
of order. but when once 1t did 90 wrong
was very difficult to manipulate and
adjust.
He set II on new combination and
gave the numbers on Il card to Mr.
Charles
When all was finished he presented a
form Of receipt. printed expressly for
his firm. which Bethany Bros signed
showing that he had done the work,
how long II took, what was the matter
etc. The bill for his services and ex.
penses. he said, would be sent by mail
Then the man, whose name was Mein-
ert, went to bed at the hotel. The next
day, Saturday. at noon he left for New
York.
The bank opened as usual Saturday.
And to dispel any doubt as to its sol
vency the counter was piled high with
currency.
Monday morning when Mr.. Charles
opened the safe he found only few
dollars In specie and slip of paper
on which was scrawled. You should
change your name to +. u. Mark X
Brother"
After the first shock was over, which
caused CONSERVATION bordering on pan
ic In the town, telephone cOmmunica-
tion was had with the safe makers and
the New York police
The Bahgup Safe company said that
their man had not yet returned, but
they wouldn't listen for moment to
any doubts of his honesty.
The next day they telephoned that
MeInert had reported at the office in
such condition that he could hardly
walk or talk
His story was as follows:
'On the train, in the seat Just in
front of me, were two men. who from
their conversation learned were in
the l. Safe company. One of them
was going to Elmira on the same er-
rand as my own. to open Il safe The
other was a salesman on his way to
Chicago. He asked me for II match
and gave me cigar. They were ex-
tremely pleasant, and pretty soon we
were all three talking safe business.
After smoking the cigar | don't re-
M hnr unvtbInu ayannt NDpnnl,,
one of them got off the train with me
and we had something to drink. When
came to my senses Monday afternoon
] was in a cheap hotel In Buffalo. |
couldn't move or speak but doctor
came and got me on my feet. The
landlord said man claiming to be my
brother brought me there early Satur-
day morning in Il cab, saying was on
spree: that he had to go to Cleve-
land, but would be back Tuesday. He
paid three days board for me- When
l found my satchels were missing |
suspected that one Of the men had
taken my place at B-ville and that
the bank had been robbed. All my
"ohc! was Sohe, pu' 'ho 'oh'iolu
bought me ticket to New York and
put me on the train. ! was very fool
ish and shall never get over It,"
The amount stolen was in the neigh
borhood Of $G0,OOO.
1t didn't take mel. NJ. Sharp OF the
detective firm of Good 4 Sharp-two
minutes to evolve the correct theory of
the way the thing had been done.
The stranger who wanted hundred
dollar bill changed was the head Of