The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1914-08-14
A SNIFF OF
CHLOROFORM
Bv M QUAD
By M. QUAD
Copyright. 1914. by Associated Lit
erary Press


/ II erary Press. Ii
The kincHrdtne bank was one Of the
oldest and strongest banking institu
tons i'll New England. though situated
and doing business in town of 1000
inhabitants. 1t made loans to hun
with many shipbuilders and shipown-
ers along the New England coast
Many and many time. as assistant
cashier. have seen $1.0OOWn stack
ed in our vault and have tossed pack
ages Of $4,000 about as if they had
no more value than so much old paper
say we did large business. but yet
our building was u humble one and
our methods as primitive as might he
found in country store. We had
brick vault with iron DOORS but
the LATEST sort of cracksman would
have dug his way into II In an hour
with crowbar. Outside Of the vault
was an old fashioned bolt headed safe.
which locked with key only. 1t had
a strong, massive look. but the lock
could have been picked in quarter
poured into the keyhole and exploded
would have torn the door off. II will
surprise you when say that sums OF
money as large as $4,000 were often
left in that old safe over night My
uncle, James Gordon kincardine
who died a few years ago. was to
blame for our way Of doing business
He was set man. He hated innova'
| tons.
was twenty-three years old when
place was given me as assistant
cashier | had been In the bank al
most two years when the rooms over
head were vacated and rented to
travelling doctor for a month.
On the 18th OF certain October,
when he had been our tenant for two
months. be came into the bank at the
noon hour. time ! was always alone.
to get change for bill Thereafter.
|
almost every noon. He never attempt
ed to come behind the counter. though
the door sometimes stood open. but
on several occasions | went out to him.
| His calls after the first three weeks
were for the purpose of manipulating
swelling on my jaw, and | always
| passed outside the counter and sat
down ON chair. On the 9Th OF No
vember. which was cold and dismal.
we had in the Kincardine bank exact
~ $32S.250 in currency. On the next
day there was to be big withdraw wal
to pay the hands at mill, and some
! $4,000 was to 60 to certain Boston
banks by express. hadn't been left
alone for over i've minutes when DR..
Jordan came in to attend me. As be
worked at my jaw he gradually turned
my head to the left. so that no longer
saw him or the door. He asked me to
repeat a story had told him few
days ago. and | was doing so when
the door opened. ! did not stop my
talk, and | could not turn my head
| The man who came in did not speak
but he must have passed the doctor d
| sponge saturated With ChlorOform.
got the odOr of the stuff at once and
was wondering what it was when my
neck was gripped by the doctors left
hand. and with the right he thrust
the sponge into my face. think
tried to rise up and fight the sponge
away, but am not clear about it, dt
distinctly remember however. of hear
ing the dUrtur say:
Now. then. IoCk the doors. and III
soon have the money in the bags
1t was an hour later when | heart
faraway voices and after struggle
opened my eyes and found the hanl
full Of people Up to that time no one
had discovered anything wrong, eXcep
with me They had found me lying OF
the floor and supposed | WIS in hit
though all detected the presence o
chIorofOrm My first words We're Il
ask them to look for the money. O.
the $32S.2IO not shilling remained
Safe and vault had been plundrred t.
the last penny, When HstoulShmrn
passed away was charged with hav
ing robbed the bank Ii was not
? fair thing for an Uncle to do. but Jane
Gordon kIncardlne. to his everlasting
? shame. was for having me locked n
ut once.
1t was a long hour before we got th
E tangIe Straightened out. and that h0u
: lost my un, le every dollar he had il
t the world The robbers had a star
g of an hour and half. and the Onl
0 cute thing they did was to make hal
. circle around the town and miSlea
pursuit for day.
. My uncle had detectives almost
: the dozen. and the majority of theI
+ tried much harder to convict me tina
u to overhaul the robbers. | was que:
a toned and cross questioned until bore
=, to death. ard for change they wouI
threaten me. Some thought had bu
-, led the money somewhere. as If on
could go at high noon and do such
lob, and the Sleuth of all sleuths wa
sure that had stood in with the tw
men and was to get my share Of II
proceeds.
y" For years and years was a suspec
ed person, and few men dared TO ow
:. my friendship. Even when men I
I longer dared suspect they talked OF n
in connection with the robbery and a
l serted that | was next door to a 70
III that did not suspect and checkma
d. it | have given you true and no
est account of the whole csrcumstanc
~ and. no matter what your version mi
! be- | feel the better for having wr