The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-06-04
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! N Paying TelleTs
: Vfndicafion.


years old his father died insolvent and
Ned suddenly found the burden Of car
ing for his mother and two sisters
thrown upon Ills young shoulders An
Old friend Of tie family took him to
the president II the Twelfth National
bank. the stoel Of which he was the
largest owner. and said:
This Is Ned Barr.cgat. would
Ike you TO rai;a n Iurit.on for him az
the bottom round Of the ladder ana ad-
vance him rs rapidly as he shows Mt
ness for advancement
Ned showed such carefulness, integ-
rity and other faculties required by
one handling n great deal Of money
that In u short time he was advanced
tc the position of receiving teller with
a salary that enabled him to take fair.
" good care Of his mother and sisters.
Then something happened that for
time made It questionable whether he
wonld so up higher IN the scale or be
turned out Of his position altogether.
One day an Office boy FROM the firm
of Peter Bushnell & 60. came TO Ned'S
window with deposit Peter Bush
nell was director Of the bank and
one of its largest lppositors. At least
he had held large account there, but
after q heavy slump In stocks it had
been overdrawn. There were eighteen
checks for deposit. one for $4,000. 1t
was drawn 10y William Copeland to Pc
ter Bushnell's order and had, of course.
been Endorsed by Bushnell. There was
a slight roughness apparent to Ned's
eye, practiced on such matters. on the
paper where the figures denoting the
amount TO be paid We're written. Ned
passed his thumb over the place and
thought he felt the roughness. He
turned from his cage and asked two os
his fellow clerks IL they noticed what
he thought he noticed Neither of them
could see Or feel anything unusual.
Ned felt In his innermost conscious
ness that the check had been raised.
II It had been originally drawn for
$1,000. there was room IN the written
amount between "two" and thou
sand" to make the o an and fill in
the letters .nty." There seemed to
Ned to be the same roughress on the
written as ch the figure portio1l-that
is, Ned thought there was roughness
on both. though the clerks not detect
ing 1t made him doubt his discovery.
To charge Peter Bushnell with rails
ing check would be TO create an en-.
envy who had the power 10 end the
tellers connection v Eth the bank. II
was here that Ned displayed Qualities
Of daring mingled with cnutlon. He
resolved to refuse to pay the check. but
leave some mark upon II by which he
should know IT again. I!c picked
pin hole In every cipher On the check,
none OF which could he detected until
1t was looked for But even this did
not satisfy him. He knew that in
criminal proceeding involving swim
die of $4,000 many devices were pos
sible to make the transaction appear
perfectly Straight" Keeping the mes
senger waiting. he took the check TO
one Of his chums among the clerks
who had Photographic implements and
got him to take an enlarged picture
of 1t. Then he went back TO his cage
gave credit for the other checks and
sent back the suspected one with the
inquiry whether the amount had been
rightly written.
No reply was returned, but few
weeks after the occurrence Ned was
discharged at the request Of Peter
Bushnell, ostensibly to make way for
Bushnell's nephew. Ned knew the
battle was on. He went to the presi.
dent and told his story.
The president had no choice but 70
investigate. and there WINS the cyl
dence of the paying teller and two
clerks that check for $4,000 In
dorsed by Bushnell had been present
ed, refused and nothing since heard OF
1t. Ned swore that it had been raised
and Bushnell was charged with having
raised 1t. Bushnell stormed and swore
that he would not rest till he had nut
Ned behind bars for n malicious and
false statement.
on the day of the trial Ned kissed
his mother, who feared the worst for
the result OF Il IuSSle win one of the
directors OF the bank, and Went 10
court. He was the first witness called
and he told of the check having been
presented. His statement was hacked
by the two clerks TO whom he hod
shown it. This threw the other side on
the defensive. Bushnelrs lawyer nro.
duced check identical with the ono
that had been presented, except that
the amount was $1,000 Instead Of Son
900. The check was given TO Ned for
inspection. lie at once declared thai
it was not the original check.
"How do you know" asked the at.
torney for the defense.
Because in the original prlcked
pin hole in every cipher"
Are there witnesses who saw tha
pin holesT
4 can show the pin holes them.
selves"
Ned pulled from his pocket a photo.