The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-12-05
A Discovery
By MARY L. BLAcKlsToN

of persons who descend to the sewers.
The place was in an unfrequented por-
ton Of the city. and there was no one
near him. He looked about him and
listened for a football, then. producing
n crowbar, inserted one end under the
round metal cover of the hole and. lift
ing it, descended. permitting the cover
to fall back into it's place. Once In
the W he drew from under his
ragged coat a lantern.
John Murphy made his living by
picking up articles that, having got
into the sewer. were lost to their own
ers. Soon he found an umbrella. 1t
was covered with sewer mud. but was
OF silk with an deliberately carved han
die. John knew that when new it was
worth a couple of sovereigns; when
cleaned he might get half of that for
1t. This was unusual luck. He went
on looking about him for other articles.
but after an hours walk had found
nothing. He was about to leave the
sewer when he stumbled on the big
gest find in his life-no. the biggest
ind In the world.
He came to a place where a small
piece of the masonry had fallen In.
Pointing the bullseye of his lantern up
ward. he threw the light into the aper-
ture left vacant and disclosed a broken
floor composed of marble squares. Pill
ing the fallen debris so as to enable
him to get his hands on what was
above him. he drew himself up and
found himself in a room. Throwing
his light about him. he saw a number
Of boxes. some of which were loosely
covered. Examining the contents Of
one of them. be threw his light on gold
coins. Other boxes contained like con
tents. In the room was a treasure of
inestimable value.
1t was now night. Murphy wished
break and took the risk of doing so.
Several persons saw him. but thought
nothing of the matter. As soon as he
got up on the street he saw straight be-
fore him the Bank of England. Then
he knew that he had been in the
strong room Of the largest banking
institution in the world.
One morning the governor Of the
bank received a note addressed to him,
ungrammatical. misspelled. bearing
every evidence Of having been written
by an illiterate person. The writer
said that the bank was in danger of
losing a great deal of money. A let
ter addressed to John Murphy at a
certain postofice substation. inviting
the said Murphy to state his case to
the governor. would receive attention.
Many odd letters reach the Bank Of
England. and Murphy's letter was
weeded out Of the governors mail be-
fore reaching him.
A few days later the bank received
by express ten sovereigns wrapped in
a piece OF paper. on which was written
In pencil the number Of the box in the
strong o from which they had
been taken. The money in the box
was counted and found to be short by
ten sovereigns.
The incident excited a commotion
among the officials of. the bank. A
meeting in the governors private room
called to consider the loss and
how 1t could have occurred. No one
dreamed that there was a hole In the
floor OF the strong room. and no one
could suggest a probable way by
which the coins sent to the bank had
been removed. While the officials
considering. John Murphy ap-
peared before an Official at q desk and
said that he wished to see the COVER
nor. Having been questioned by the
official. he said that he was
the man who had sent the ten sover-
to the bank and was there to
tell how he got them.
The official had not heard of the send
ing Of the coins. for that had been
kept a profound secret. He told John
Murphy to move on. and John did SO.
but to another part Of the building.
where he told his story again and
again. he was just about to be taken
into custody by a bank policeman when
a prominent official Of the bank who
knew the secret Of the returned Sow
happened to inquire his ofense.
Within five minutes the ragged sew.
er searcher was standing in the gov
srnor's room confronting a number Of
sleek looking directors. He was per-
to speak and told the assembly
how he had got into the strong room
from the sewer ana how be or any one
else who knew the secret might 20 and
zone at will.
II the receipt Of the sovereigns had
caused a commotion this information
,aised a whirlwind Of excitement. A
was sent to examine the
strong room and returned confirming
Murphy'a information. John was held
or two reasons-the money must be
:ounted to make sure that he had not
appropriated any Of It; and r. he should
the secret the matter would make
] much greater sensation among the
public than even Il did among the OH
.ialss OF the hank. VIZ
The count required long while. and
Turing the time II was II progress the
lewer was repaired and the room made
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