Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-12-15
CHAPTER x.

The Hundred Thousand Dollar Rob
bery.
"I want the whole affair kept un
official and secret" said Harris, tht
bank manager.
November Joe nodded. He wa!
seated on the extreme edge Of a chail
in the managers private office. look
ing curiously out Of place in that prim
richly furnished room.
THE truth is," continued Harris
1--WE bankers cannot afford to have oul
customers minds unsettled. There
are, as you know, Joe, numbers Of
small depositors, especially In the
rural districts, who would be scared
out Of their seven senses II they knew
that this infernel Cecil James After
son had made off with a hundred
thousand dollars. They'd never trust
us again"
"A hundred thousand dollars Is
wonderful lot Of money" agreed Joe
"Our reserve Is over twenty mil
lions, two hundred times hundred
thousand" replied Harris grandilo-
quently.
Have you ever seen Atterson?"
"No."
"I thought you might have. He al.
ways spends his vacations in the
woods, fishing usually. The last two
years he has fished Red river. This is
what happened. On Saturday I told
him to go down to the strong room
to fetch UP a fresh batch Of dollar
and five dollar bills, as we were short
1t happened that in the same safe
there was a number of bearer securi-
ties. Atterson brought me the notes
l had sent him for with the keys
That was about noon on Saturday
We closed at / o'clock. Yesterday
Monday, Atterson did not turn up
At first I thought nothing Of 1t. but
when 1t came to afternoon and he had
neither appeared nor sent any reason
for his absence I began to smell
rat. I went down to the strong room
and found that over 100000 in notes
and bearer securities were missing.
.I communicated at once with the
police, and they started to make in
ouiries. The constable at Roberville
replied that q man answering to the
description Of Atterson was seen by q
farmer walking along the Stoneham
road and heading north on Sunday
morning early"
At this point clerk knocked at the
door and, entering, brought In some
letters. Harris stiffened as he noticed
the writing on one Of them. He cut
it open, and when the clerk was gone
out, he read aloud:
Dear Harris: ! hereby resign my
splendid and lucrative position in the
Grand Banks Of Canada. 1t is dogs
dirty life. Anyway it is so for man
of spirit. You can give the weeks
screw that's owing to me to buy milk
and bath buns for the next meeting
Of the directors. Yours, truly,
C. ]. Atterson.
Whats the postmark?" asked Joe,
'Rimouski. Sunday. $50 a. m"
1T looks like Atterson's the thief
remarked Joe. I'm inclined that
way because Atterson had that letter
posted by a con-con-what's the
word?"
'Confederate?"
you've got it. He was seen here
In town on Sunday at 1890, and he
couldn't have posted no letter in Ri
mouski in time for the $50 a. m. or
Sunday unless he'd gone there on the
o'clock express on Sunday evening
Yes, Atterson's the thief. all right
And if that really was he they saw
Stoneham ways he's had time to gel
thirty miles of brush between US an6
him, and he can go right on till he's
on the Labrador. I doubt you'll see
your 100000 again, Mr.. Harris"
HIM" coughed Mr.. Harris. my
directors won't want to pay you 81
day for nothing"
Two dollars a day." said Joe. ir
his gentle voice. II shouldn't a
thought the two hundred times hun
dred thousand dollars could stand
strain like that"
l laughed. Look here, November
i think I'd like to make this bargain
for you. I'll sell your services to Mr.
Harris here for SIS a day If you fai
and 10 per cent Of the sum you re-
cover II you succeed. Well, Harris
is 1t on or OFF," 1 asked.
Nynnt'
said Harris.
Twenty hours later Joe, a police
trooper named Hobson and I were
deep in the woods. We had hardly
paused to interview the farmer a
Roberville and then had passed or
down the old deserted roads until a
last we entered the forest. or, as it /!
locally called, the bush"
Where are you headed for?" Hob
son had asked Joe.
Red river, because If it really wa'
Atterson the farmer saw guess he'll
have gone up there. None of then
trappers there now in July month, 81
he can steal a canoe easy. Besides, ;
to get into a country he knows, ane
you heard Mr.. Harris say how After
son had fished Red river two vaca
vacations Besides"-here Joe stopp
ed and pointed to the ground
'them's Atterson's tracks," he said
"Leastwise. it's a black fox to lynn
they are his"
But you've never seen him. Wha
reason have you?" demanded Hobson
when first we happened on then
about four hours back, while you wa
lightin' your pipe" replied Joe. 1.-The!
come out Of the bush. and when W.
reached near Cartier's place they
went back into the bush again. Ther
a mile beyond Carriers out Of tn
bush they come on to the road again
What can that circumventin' mean
Feller who made the tracks don
want to be seen. No. s boots, cit!