The San Francisco call., 1910-06-12
Reported by Charles Crist
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= 49,: NuIAA8 TIE DAY ONerpald some
body $1,000. It was impossible for him
.to-loeste the error. He held five checks
IN his hand and was certain that the
overpayment had been on one Of them
and. picking out a check for $4,000.
stated that without any particular
reason for thinking so, he felt sure
that II was upon that check that the
error was made.
=. The check had been drawn by the
stoclSyards bank TO the order of Mr.. A.
who had indorsed it and whose in
-dorsement had been certified by the
bank. and Mr.. A had come to US and
got the money.
The paying teller was instructed to
60 TO the Stockyards. make inquiries
about Mr.. A. find him and demand the
return. Of the $1,000 overpayment and
.then report 70 me IN the morning.
He reported. stated that he had
. learned that Mr.. A was a prosperous
farmer and cattle raiser. lived a hun
dred. miles away in the country, amply
responsible, etc, but that he had al
ready returned home.
~ ] instructed the teller to leave that
evening for the farmers home, demand
The return OF the money from him and
shen TO carefully note his actions and
what he said, but neither to get into
an argument with him nor to make
any threats. leaving that for a later
occasion.
When the teller returned he re-
ported that he had been most brutally
insulted by the farmer and that he per-
sona1ly was satisfied from his actions
that the farmer was the guilty one.
I sent for the superintendent OF the
- detective agency. He was a man
wen. on IN years. looked like a farmer,
a quiet. shrewd man with a square
set determined Jaw.
I went over the circumstances with
him. and then had the teller state mi
nuteIy the particulars of his interview
with. the farmer. I asked the superin-
tendent what he thought and he gave
It as his opinion that we were after
the right man.
3, 7 told him that I wanted him TO go
and. get the money from him. He
laughed outright and treated the case
as a hopeless one. There was no proof
that the man had the money and in the
absence OF such nothing could be done
with him
I at once replied that the man was
guilty, I was satisfied OF it. and trad
ing upon that fact I knew the super
intendent could go down there and by
force OF moral pressure and coercion,
pure force Of personality, compel that
man TO make restitution. I was con-
hdent that the superintendent could do
it, but whether he had that confidence
IN himself or not was another question.
He smiled and pointed to the hope
Iessness OF the situation, yet he was
willing 10 try. Anyway, the expense
OF e trial, the carfare and expenses
each way and his time would not be
great he would go down that even
ing.
He was waiting for me in my Office
two days afterward. at the opening of
business. His manner did not indicate
that he had succeeded. Already I was
turning my mind TO the next step.
Failure was certainly written on the
face OF that superintendent. He had
not brought the $1,000 back with him.
Would we recognize the bands with
which we secured the bundles of
money? I thought so. and rang for
the paying teller. Yes, he would rec
ogn4ze the band in moment, in
stantly. With that the superintend-
ent threw out upon the desk a pack
age OF bills bound with a strip torn
from the edge OF a newspaper, and on
the strip were strange marks and fig
E .ures The paying teller at once failed
TO recognize the band or the lead pencil
marks as his. There" said the su-
Uerintendent there's a thousand dol
lars It's the thousand dollars he re-
turned to me- and that's all I know
about it,
Ny mail lay upon my desk unopened,
. but refused TO allow him to go until
he had told me Of every move in the
transaction. Naturally was deeply
Interested.
Arriving upon the scene he passed
loiteringly along the road until Mr..
A had started for his barn to begin
his work for the day. He then went
IN and introduced himself as Mr.. w,
superintendent Of the - detective
agency. He had come to recover the
$1,000 overpaid by the bank It would
be much better to quietly return it and
close the matter up. His position in
the community. his growing sons. his
wife and his good name all prompted
him necessarily TO restitution.
There was no restitution to make.
he warmly replied. he was paid
$4,000, and It was all he was paid, and
that was all there was TO it. The
bank had no claim on him for a penny
Yes, when he came home he had re-
counted the money and 1t was cor
rect. He could account for every cent
Of It. So many hundred dollars went
TO the harvesting machine man; so
much went to take UP loan at his
lsnk, so much TO square his account
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