Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-11-07

myself. 1 shall give myself up, and as
our relations, in the language OF the
president, have been personally pleas
ant l will save you the expense of a
trial by pleading guilty. The maxi
mum sentence for my offense under
the laws Of the state is ten years in
the ~penltentiary. With the commute
ton off for good behavior it will be
about eight and a half years. 1t will
be dull, but l shall not be idle. l have
had leisure to cultivate the
graces of the mind. I have a taste for
music. l will cultivate it. 1 will learn
a modern language or two. When I
nave served my term and am clear Of
the law l will come out of prison thir-
ty-nine years old, with a cultivated
mind and a comfortable fortune Of
$25O,OOO awaiting me. l can afford to
go away, to travel in foreign countries
and enjoy life. OF course ! lose the i'll
terest on my $25O,O0O willie l am in
prison, but if 1 were to live on air and
go naked and save all my salary 1
wouldn't have one-fiftieth as much at
the age of thirty-nine. On the whole l
think l have made a good speculation.
Don't you"
The opinions of the directors were
not very coherent just at this moment.
They made various appeals to him. ON
the confidence they had had in him, Oh
the good name he bore, on the dishon-
or he would incur, etc., but he re-
sponded that. all these had not helped
him to an increase in salary and re-
lentlessly quoted the language of the
presidents note to him that "their re-
lat1ons were purely a business affair on
both Sides" Finally he said:
"Our relations have been personally
pleasant, and l have no unconquerable
desire to spend the next eight and a
half years in Jail. I will make you u
proposition. If you will sign a bond
not to prosecute me and publish in the
daily papers a set of resolutions setting
forth that, whereas your valued and
trusted employee, John Smith, by the
receipt of a legacy from a deceased rel
atiye has been relieved of the neces-
sity of further service, resolved, that
you part with him with extreme re-
greet, etc.-if you do this l will bring
back $l25,O0O and content myself with
the other $125,OO The interest will
make up a good part of the loss to
me-"
1t was hard to give up $125,OOO and
hitch it to a set of resolutions compli-
menting the thief, but it was a choice
between getting half the loaf or moth
Ing. Was the satisfaction of sending
him to prison for eight and a half
years worth $4,000 a year to them?
They figured on it and agreed that it
wasn't.
They accepted his proposition, drew
up the bond and signed it.
you can get the resolutions in shape
by tomorrow" he said, land have
them ready when l bring the money.
1t would scarcely be delicate for me to
be present when they are adopted"
Couldn't you bring it today. Mr..
Smith, asked the president. in a per-
spiration.
mo. l haven't time to 60 after 1t.
The work at my desk always keeps me
busy until the hour for closing the
bank. You will have to trust me till
tomorrow, and as by signing the bond
you have committed yourselves to the
compromising of a felony l guess l can
trust you-even as a purely business
affair.""
They were all on hand early next
day. Smith. the cashier said (not with
out some surprise at hearing the presi-
dent inquire for him as MR." Smith.
had gone out to get his lunch.
He was asked for half a dozen
times before he anne. Every few min
utes the door of the directors room
would open. a perspiring face would