The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-03-08
AStute
Mr.. Phillips
Bp G. B. LEWIS
Oop,rsolh. 1905, by Homer Spru0.E
Bp G. B. LEWIS
Copyright. 1905, By Homer Spru0'ie

There was no room to doubt that Mr..
James Phillips was astute. BE had
been told 50 by his employer, by his
fellow clerks in the bank and by two
or three detectives with whom he had
come in contact. In fact, he had rooms
in the same house with detective, and
thew were on such intimate terms that
the sleuth let him in on some OF his
cases and ON several occasions had said
to him:
phillips, you would have made q
great detective. You have the natural
astuteness of a Vidocq."
There were times when the bank
clerk really thought Of resigning his
position and taking up detective work
as a profession. He had almost made
up his mind in earnest when brilliant
thought came to him.
He was a young man Of twenty-six,
earning a salary Of $50 per week. Tn
til further promotion should come he
could not hope for any increase. The
place he aspired to was years away,
and there was no way Of adding to his
income and getting married and living
as he wanted to live.
The brilliant thought that flashed
upon him one evening was to turn bis
astuteness into criminal channels and
reap the profits. He did not intend
murder nor highway robbery nor bur-
glary, but simply to beat the public In
some easy way. As he was good pen
man, and as he was well acquainted
with the ways Of banks, it was natural
that he should decide on forgery as his
line.
The astute Mr.. Phillips did not rush
into the new business in day or q
month; it was whole year before he
was ready to move. He first called up
all the cases Of forgery that he had
heard of in connection with banks and
went over them one by one in the most
methodical manner. Some had succeed
ed, and he satisfied himself as to why
others had sent men to prison. Then
be borrowed the detectives scrapbook
and purchased the published reminis-
cences Of two or three others and read
every line connected with forgery. His
deductions when he had finished were
that nineteen out Of every twenty men
arrested for the crime were burglars.
They had been careless; they had left
loopholes; they had neglected the most
ordinary precautions. In some cases
they had lacked nerve-a thing he knew
he possessed to wonderful degree; in
others they had taken alarm when there
was not the slightest cause for it.
Forgery. he decided after studying ev-
cry phase Of it for q year, was the very
safest game in the catalogue.
When Mr. Phillips had fully and firm
~ made up his mind to enter into "busi-
ness' he jotted down the following
points in his favor: he had always
borne a good reputation; he was con-
nected with a responsible house; he
could initiate any mans chirography;
be knew scores Of men who banked at
institutions outside his own; he was an
adept at Disgusting face and voice; he
was a comrade Of detective who
would keep him Informed Of what was
going on, and his friendship with the
officer would serve to. lull all suspicion.
It was plain sailing to success.
It is said that there are plenty Of
men who would beat bank out Of
thousand dollars and yet hesitate to
take ten from any other source. Per-
sons Of wealth will beat the customs
because Uncle Sam is considered fair
game. The criminal who gets ahead Of
a bank or other corporation does not
feel that he has broken the law IS If
he had robbed private house. Mr..
Phillips intended to pay all his atten-
ton to banks and none Of 1t to private
individuals. Had any one suggested
that he beat a corner grocer out Of $50
by some gum game he would have
been highly indignant
The detective had told the bank clerk
ludL u1OES ClluuQokS SoAS w SAASA
through confederates than in any other
way. There Is honor among thieves
only up to certain point. They stand
ready to sell each other out at any
hour when it seems that they can per-
sonally benefit by it.
Mr.. Phillips natural astuteness
warned him to go it alone and trust
to no man, and therefore when he got
ready to put his programme In motion
no living man shared his secret. There
had been certain preparations to make.
He was allowed an hour for lunch. BE
had been in the habit Of going to a GER
tain place patronized by other bank
clerks. He purposely raised row with
the proprietor that he might have some
excuse for going elsewhere. He would
need to be disguised, and be had to rent
a room In a convenient location to
make the changes. There must be
safe place for his money, and he found
it by renting second room half mile
from the other. To both landlords and
to account for his brief stops he claim