The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-05-29
MYSTERY CLEARED.
MIR. John w. Fairey, Bank Cashier,
Returns 10 His Home.
He Suddenly Disappeared and Went
West Where He Remained For
Some Time.

Some Time.
A story full of romance and mean
ing comes from Orangeburg, says Col.
August Kohn, in one of his letters
from Columbia to The News and
Courier. In many of it's details it is
remarkable and brim full of what the
novelist would call human interest
By the merest chance bright young
man has been restored to his family
and to an honorable position in his
home and among his people. He left
home mysteriously. He returned
almost from the unknown.
The News and Courier away back
in Septem Der told how John W. Fair
ey left Orangeburg one Sunday after
noon, and how, when he was in New
York, he wrote the president Of the
bank Of which he had been the trust
ed cashier that he had gone, and that
he would not be heard from again.
He indicated that his accounts were
hopelessly involved and that he could
not stand the strain.
The suggestion was then made
that he had left home for other rea-
sons. No one could understand the
disappearance. Cashier Falrey wrote
that his accounts were tangled and
asked his family and friends to spend
his money to set him and his family
right assuring all that he had not
taken a dollar.
That was the last heard of him
since last September. He felt that ne
was done for" and studiously under
took to lose himself. He went to
New York, but that was not far
enough, and then he went on to
Chicago, and still on to Denver and
Salt Lake City and San Francisco,
and even to Honolulu. Then he
came back to California and finally
went to Ell Paso, which is on the
borderland between the United States
and Mexico.
There he thought himself safe
from Identification and the detectives
Of the bonding company. Month af-
ter month passed and he toiled as a
day laborer. Never a word did he
write or hear from home. He want
ed to be alone.
One day while working in a pack
ing house he was asked to put down
ksome figures. He did so and check
ed them up. The foreman was sc
surprised at his speed and accuracy
that he reported the fact to the OF:
fee, and the young man was asked
if he wished place in the once
Then he was asked for references
The wanderer said he had no refer
ences and could give none, but thai
he could look every one IL the eye
and truthfully say he was honest. The
situation was curious, but the young
man was asked to accept position
in the office, with the statement tha
he could supply no recommendations
that he was honest and that he onl!
cared for clerical work.
Then came providential meeting
Month after month John Falrey hac
not seen familiar face, he had see1
no one he knew after he left the
East. But one day, not many day:
ago, he encountered DR.. Sam NJ. Deal
who had gone to live in one of the
health giving outdoor camps at =
Paso. Young Fairey at first though
he would avoid DR.. Deal, but they
fully recognized each other. DR.
Deal has himself been away from
Columbia for many months on &C
count of his health, but he had KEEP
in touch with home affairs. He hae
known Mr.. Fairey Intimately while
they both served in the Spanish
American war, and they were gooo
friends. DR.. Deal was assured OF
Mr.. Fairey's honesty, but Mr.. Fa1re!
felt that same dependency and hope
lessness of getting his accounts
straight.
Then DR.. Deal, of his own accord
got in touch with home folks ano
with Mr.. Thomas F. Brantley, who
has been persistent and faithful II
trying to clear the record of his
brother-in-law, In whom he always
had the utmost confidence. Con.
ferences were held with the bank
officials, correspondence passed and
as a result John W. Fairey is today
in Orangeburg, with a clean and
clear record and as happy as man
can be. His own reputation has been
cleared and his family escutcheon is
as bright as it ever HIS been.
Why did John Fairey leave home
in this mysterious way? He does not
know. He simply says he got ratified.
He now tells that when he worked
on his trial balance in September
that first it was s100 out. He re
ported this to President Moss, but
expected to get it Strengthened out
promptly. Then he figured and the
more he figured the worse it got
until it rounded up $4,000. He
could not find the trouble. He work
ed until his head was dizzy and then
thought how he could get away. He
went to New York without telling
any one a word of his troubles. AS
he got on the train for Chicago ne
mailed three letters telling of his
troubles and assuring all Of his hon
eSty.
That was the first any one knew
of his leaving Orangeburg for more
than brief rest. The matter Great
ed a sensation but throughout the
weeks OF speculation and excitement
there was never a suggestion that
John Fairey had stolen a cent from
the Edistc Bank. If ne really had
wanted to take anything he could
haye taken the s2S,000 in cash that
was in the bank vaults and applied
the time lock and as cashier he might
have used the balances in Philadel-
phia and New York, but such thing
never entered his mnd. His sole
thought was to get away and not to
be recognized. He says he simply
became ratified and could think OF
nothing more than the unbalanced
books and the folks he left behind.
While in Honolulu for six weeks
ne saw several South Carollnlans,,
but none of them knew him, ana
when he went to Ell Paso every day
he passed the telegraph office, IN
which Tom Glover sat as manager,
and vet he was not recognized.
Glover was born and reared IN
JIrbilo Tnhn F2jrpv WAS