La Junta tribune., 1907-12-28


myself shall give myself up. and rs
our relations in the language of the
president. have been personally pleas
ant, | VIII save you the expense OF a
trInl 10y pI"ndug guilty. The maxi
mum sentence Tor my onensc under
the laws OF the state Is ten years In
the penitcntiary. With the coinm'ith-
tlon of for good behavior 1t will lie
about eight and n half years. 1t will
he dun. but shall not he idle. | have
never had leisure TO cultivate the
graces Of the mind. ! have taste for
music. | will cultivate II. | viii learn
modern language or two. When l
have served my term and am clear of
the law l will come out OF prison thir-
ty-nine years Old, with 4 cultivated
MUD aud comfortable fortune OF
$25O 600 awaiting me. can AFFORD to
20 away. to travel IN foreign countries
and eujoy life. or course ! lose the In.
terest on my S2hOOOO willie au, In
prison, but II | were to live on air and
go naked and save all my salary !
wouldn't have one e-fftieth ~ much Al
the age Of thirty-nine. ON the whole ]
think / have made 4 good speculn tion.
Don't you?"
The opinions of the directors We're
not very coherent just at this moment
They made various appeals to him. on
the confidence they had had In him. on
the good name he bore. on the dishon-
or he would incur. etc, but he re-
spoIded that all these had not helped
ii a
lentlessiy quoted the language OF the
presidents note to him that their re
lations were purely 4 business affair on
both sides" Finally he said:
our relations have been personally
pleasant. and I have no unconquerab BILE
desire to spend the next eight and a
half years in jail. l will make you a
proposition. II you will sign Il bond
not To prosecute me and publish In the
daily papers set OF resolutions setting
forth that. whereas your valued and
'trusicd employee, John Smith, by the
receipt Of II legacy from Il deceased rel
ative has been relieved Of the neccs-
sity sef f,frllser service. reA0tved. that
you part with him with extreme re-
gret. etc.-if you do this | will bring
back $l25.1D and content myself with
the other $l2h.OOO. The interest will
make up good part Of the loss to
me"
1t was hard to give up Sl25.OOO and
hitch 1t to n set Of resolutions compll.
mentinY the thief, hut 1t was a choice
between getting half the loaf or moth
Ing. Was the satisfaction OF sending
him to prison for eight and half
years worth Sl5,OO0 year to them? :?
They figured on It and agreed that 1t
wasn't
The! accepted his proposition, drew
up the bond and signed It.
"You can get the resolutions In shape
by tomorrow he said. and have
them ready when bring the money.
II would scarcely lie delicate for me to
lie present when they are adopted"
"Couldu't you bring 1t today. Mr..
smith, asked the president, In n per-
xpirxtioh.
NO. ! haven't time 10 40 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 AZ by signing the bond
you have committed yourselves to the
compromising Of u felony ] guess can
trust you--even ss 4 purely business
affair"
They were all on hand early next
day. Smith. the cashier said mot with
ont some surprise ut hearing the prcsi-
dent inquire for him as Mr." Smith.
had gone out to get his lunch.
He was asked for half dozen
times before be came. Every few min
utes the door Of the directors room
wouh opep. q perspirinx face would