The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1909-02-20

so or the fair there was nothing to do
but lounge about the office and, like
Mr.. Micawber, wait for something to
turn up. The four of us who were
assigned to this monotonous duty soon
grew weary of the inactivity and we're
on the point of asking for a transfer,
when an excellent imitation of the ten
dollar gold-piece made its appearance
In large numbers. After that, none Of
the four Of us had any cause for COM
plant on the score of stagnation.
Saunders and McGrath, two Of my
companions, by means Of q miserably
scrawled, anonymous note to the chief
Of police, secured information of mys-
terious boxes coming by night to a
bank, and 1t required but a small
flight Of the imagination to evolve a
plot In which the great financial mag
nate. the president of the bank, was
the central figure, regardless of his
high social standing. his reputed fabu-
lous wealth, and his irreproachable
character.
Il selected the cashier at the fac
tory as my man, and Murphy took the
teller Of the bank. the man who made
up the payroll each week. For ten
days we Swallowed them with logged
persistency. They were both men of
the town and both were members of
the better class Of clubs and moved
In the most exclusive circles of so
ciety. These matters rather strength
ened than weakened our suspicious,
for neither of the men was wealthy,
and playing society is an expensive
game at best.
But in all our pursuit and In all the
lavish expenditures of these young
spendthrifts not once did either of
them pass or attempt to pass one of |
the counterfeit coins, so far as we |
could gather. don't think they could |
have done so without it's being dis |
covered. 30 thoroughly did we track |
them in every turn and move they |
made during the period we had them |
under observation. They lived to-
gether In handsomely furnished |
fiat. with small army of servants,
and they entertained lavishly. Their
table was of the best and their wines
Of the rarest vintages.
We decided that nothing was to be
gained by shadowing them further, so
we left them to their frivolous social
duties. About this time Saunders and
McGrath came tagging home, convoy
ing the bank president, tuckered out
and disguised with their fruitless jour-
ney.
THE night of their return Murphy
and / held a conference with them.
at which 1t was practically agreed that
the bank president was innocent, and
that there was nothing else to do but
take him into our confidence and
make the bank itself our point of oper-
alton.
Il watched the teller very carefully
that week, and especially on the day
when he made up the payroll for the
factory, which was called for by
Saunders. The sack contained both
gold and silver. but there was not a
single coin in the lot which had not
been given birth legitimately at some
,ne Of the governments mints. Saun-
iers made sure of this before the sack
reached the factory.
THE cashier. man named Powell.
Ind the teller both kept close watch
Ipon me while | worked in the big
Tault. as was their duty, and this
ave me scant opportunity to investi-
yate the sacks of gold piled away in
! pretentious row on low shelf. In
moving them, thought that some
eemed lighter in weight than others.
md as this would be valuable informa
ion IL true. hit upon what l thought
ras rather ingenious way of deter
mining II my surmise was correct.
"Concealing my pen-knife in the hol-
DIV of my hand, with the blade open,
selected one Of the sacks Of ten-dol-
IT coins which seemed to be lighter
han some of its mates, and. az [