The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-03-13
THE MISSING
BANK TELLER
Part a Dog Played In Clear
ing Up a Mystery.

Ine country uUIltS VI bhN huuuo "ht
our family adjoined. and Walter Rudd
and grew up together. bosom friends.
Walter was fond of animals, l of
books. Among his pets was yellow
collie, the most intelligent being Of the
brute creation i ever knew.
remember especially an instance in
evidence of this. One rainy day, need
ing exercise. concluded to walk
around the house. Dick, the dog, was
with me and, seeing me getting ON my
hat and coat, inferred that was going
for stroll and was rejOiced at the
prospect of going with me. There
were two gates to the place, and when
/ came to the path leading to the near
est Dick was there. kept on. DicR
looked up, surprised; but, inferring
that ! was intending to go out of the
other gate. Immediately went to it
When passed the path leading to that
gate, too, Dicks astonishment was be-
yond bounds. what does the fellow
mean2" he said plainly with his atu-
tude and expression. Then. seeing that
l was not leaving the grounds, he went
away disappointed.
One morning l was awakened by
scratching mingled with dogs means
at our front door. | went downstairs
and found Dick. He ran down toward
the gate, indicating that / was to fol-
low him. was not, long in under
standing him and after getting on
some clothes went with him to a wood
several miles away. He led ME to a
point near brook, but when he got
there looked about him surprised and
disappointed. moaning piteously. Then,
putting his nose to the ground, he fol-
lowed scent to the brook, where he
lost it.
All this was unintelligible to me-
After waiting developments and get
ting none l went home.
L found there messenger from the
Rudds to ask if Walter had spent the
night with US, since he had not come
home. At once began to suspect that
something was wrong with him, and
the dogs action might be an explann-
tion. Possibly there had been toui
me, and some person or persons &,
conceal their tracks from the dog hul
gone away, walking in the brook.
took Dick back to the spot and led hiul
both up and down the stream in thr
hope that he would pick up the scent;
but, notwithstanding patient effort
on the part of both of us, he failed.
The case of Walter Rudd was one OF
those mysterious disappearances that
Il tl, h,.ll np fhnn
er being explained. Dick. being de
pr,ved of his master, adopted me as
such, being that masters most init
mate friend. i became very fond OF
him and never went anywhere could
take him without doing so. The FIRST
winter that l went to the city l left
him behind, but the caretaker of the
house wrote me that he was pining
away, and l sent for him.
Walter Rudd had been teller In a
bank. The cashier was Edward Grif-
fin, young man who couple OF
years later became rich as promoter.
/ knew Griffin, but had only speak
ing acquaintance with him. One day
while in the city walking with Dick
on the street | saw Griffin approach
ing. Suddenly Dick gave growi.
darted forward, jumped upon Griffin,
and only great effort on my part kept
the dog from taking the man by the
throat. caught Dick by the collar
and dragged him away, striking him
with my cane at the same time Grif-
fin seemed very much affected by the
encounter, paling and trembling like a
leaf, but ! was not surprised at this,
as 1t Is no light matter to have dog
suddenly spring at ones throat. i did
not have an opportunity to apologize
to the man. for Dick was so eager to
get at him again that | was obliged to
drag him away by main force and
Griffin hurried on.
Had Griffin been some rough un-
known man might have suspected
that the dogs action had something to
do with the mystery attending Walter
Rudd's disappearance. AS it was.
put It down to one of those unaccount-
able dislikes a dog will take to some
especial person. But some months
after this, when Grifin's schemes
turned out burst bubbles and he no
better than common swindler, the
thought came upon me that while he
and Walter were in the bank together
the cashier might have had some
reason for getting rid Of the teller.
asked the president of the bank for
information bearing on the case and
was confdentially informed that dur
Ing the time referred to Griffin had
been carrying a large defalcatlon,
which was discovered only after It was
made good.
After consultation with the Rudd fam
lily I was authorized to employ de-
tective to get evidence. with a view OF
confirming our suspicious.
1t turned out that Rudd knew OF
Grifin's defalcation and had told
Griffin that his duty required him to
inform the officers of the bank. Grif-
I'm made an appointment to meet Rudd
in the wood to talk the matter over.
Griffin murdered the only man who