The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-07-21
WHEN PLUMB LOST THE CASH.
How the Kansan Was Victimized by
Eastern Sharpers.

To the Editor Of the State Journal
It was with great interest that read
the article in your Friday evening
State Journal about the Bank of Engle-
wood. nearly being victirnized out of
81, 400. It recalled to our mind q little
experience had in the banking line
many years ago In the fall Of 1874
we were an operator and assistant
agent at Grasshopper, now Valley Falls,
and was ordered to Emporia to relieve
an agent who was a defaulter- George
W BiTney was the operator az I'm
pOria and in those days the W esteIh
Union had no uptown Office and all the
business was done at the depot. After
We were there q few days MI J. ".
Stacey, who was superintendent OF tele-
graph, notified me that as operators
were scarce he would have to use BIZ
ney out on the line a few days and that
We would have to do the telegraphlng.
and II necessary could hire additional
station help. John Scott, who Is now
q passenger engineer on the G. k l.
& p was messenger boy. Col. z. =.
Plumb was president OF the Emporla
National bank. Mr. Plumb, although
afterwards United State senator, was
very common man and wore PLAIN
business suit. While running 1Tee
state paper in Lawrence he nursed ms
partner through a smallpox spell ana
contracted the disease himself. He was
known and beloved by every man, Wo-
man and child in EmpOrla. both Whlte
and black and if he had an enemy
he did not know it. One morning about
II o'clock two well dressed men put IN
an appearance at the EmpOria- National
bank and presented a draft for $4,000
supposed to be drawn by Donneu Law
renee & Co. New York. They being
strangers Mr.. Plumb hesitated about
cashing the draft. They stated that
they wanted the money to go out IN
the country 10 buy horses and that they
would pay for a message to New YORK
and reply. Mr.. Plumb came to the de-
Dot and sent a message to New YORK
about II a. m, and the reply came PACK
about p m, stating that the draft
was 0. K. and that he should waive
identification. Mr.. Plumb cashed the
draft and in due time it came back
from New York unpaid, no good. Mr.
Plumb was perplexed and came to the
depot to investigate. We showed him
where message was sent at II a. m.
and reply came at 2 p m. In due time
Ptnkerton detectives reached Emporla
and put US through sweating process.
The repairers that had charge at the
division was taken out on a handcar
to inspect the wires and at Horton, now
Lang, a spurious connection was found.
There was deep cut at this point. the
wire could easily be detached from
poles and pulled over on the hillside
and instruments and ground wire ap-
piled. A farmer near by stated that
at such and such a time three we'll
dressed strangers stopped at his house.
That they had q stock of tools and that
one said he was telegraph operator.
The detective traced them back east,
arrested them and convicted them. but
Col. Plumb was out his $1,000. When
we sent the message at II a. m. the
third man was laying for US. He ap-
piled the ground wire east and when
we called for Kansas City he answered
O. X took the message and waited I'M
til sufficient time had passed to send a
message to New York and get a reply
He then called R. A. which was our
call and when we answered he sent the
message which caused Mr.. Plumb to
pay the money to his pals who were
waiting around the bank ready to take
the money and slip out. The court de-
cided that this was something beyond
the control Of the Western Union Tele-
graph company, and that they could
not be held liable.
CHARLES GERTELsEN.