The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-10-13
His Own
Counsel
By ALAN HINSDALE


Co., the only person who knew the
combination being at the point OF
death and 1t being necessary that GER
tain funds be got out 1t Is unwise TO
force a safe lock If there Is any other
way to open 1t, and l questioned those
for whom l was to 10 the Job with
view to discovering if some one else
than the sick person knew the com
bination. Edgar Sharpley, the assistant
Of Robert Wendell, the financial man
Of the concern, admitted that he had
known the combination, but had for
gotten it.
Thinking might help him to remem-
Der 1t, l suggested that he make a
trial at recalling It by turning the knob.
He placed himself before the safe and
began to make the turns, but nothing
came to him. listened for sound
within the lock while he was doing so,
but failed to hear any indication Of
anything dropping. He seemed to me
to be nervous, and | noticed that mis-
hand trembled.
railing W ellClt any tull- lioh1 hiLi
1 went to work and in the course of
a couple Of hours opened the safe
There was no one In the room whCre
l was when finished the Job, and aft
er opening the safe door and shutting
1t / went out into the main office to
report what l had done. | returned
with the Junior partner, who was two
or three yards behind me.
In corner beside the door through
which entered was a stationary wash
stand, over which hung a mirror. AS
passed into the safe room something
prompted me to glance aside. In the
mirror 1 saw a reflection of Sharpley
He was standing with his hand ON the
knob Of door opposite the mirror
looking into the room. As entered
he closed the door softly, thus shutting
himself out Of the room.
1t was evident to me that he did not
know that I was aware Of his pres
ence. This I knew, not only by the
expression Of his face, but by the care
h took to make no sound in CLOSING
the door behind him. However,
thought little Of the matter. had mo-
been out Of the room a minute, ant
Sharpley had been intrusted with thu
combination of the lock- This indicat
ed that he was trustworthy; indeed. i
he had wanted to take funds from TIN
safe he could have done It long ago.
l turned the opened safe over to tn,
Junior partner, and, being told tina
when my further services were wanted
1 would be sent for, gathered up m!
tools and went away.
That evening when Il was sittin,
down to supper with my wife and kid
two men came in and one of them
showing the badge of deputy sheriff
arrested me. They not only searcho,
me, but searched the house. Aston
ished, l asked them what was tn
charge against me, but they gave M
no answer. When they took me ava,
from my weeping wife and children
assured them that a mistake had beer
made, and they had nothing to fear TO
me. In going out l caught sight of m,
troubled face in a mirror in a racl
standing in the hall.
The face of Sharpley as l saw
when he was about to shut the door o
the safe room was recalled by my re
Election. BY one Of those singular I'm
defined connections in the train be
tween Incidents, saw an explanation
Of my arrest. It did not come to IN
by degrees, but flashed upon me sud
denly. 1t was this:
Money had been missed from In
safe had opened. Sharpley had take
| advantage of my being at work on tn
| safe to extract funds and make it ar
pear that had been the thief. |
there was no evidence against me 9th
er than my having had access to th
safe, there was none in my favor, TO
my word that l had seen Sharplev'
reflection III a mirror when he wa
leaving the safe room would be worth
less.
l was locked up In default of Ia
and during the night, instead of sleer
ing, thought upon a plan of springin
upon him that had seen his refectio
In the mirror as he left the safe room
In the morning | asked permission
tell Aaron Farnsworth my story.
was taken to his Office and before h,
ginning my defense asked that tb
whole office force be admitted to hea
1t. This of course included Sharple,
When all were present / asked hil
II he was not in the safe room when
: left 1t to announce that had opens
> the safe. He replied In the NEGATIVE
He stammered that he could not r.
member.
H asked the partners to adjourn to III
safe room. and when there | place
Sharpley at the door as l had seen hin
1t being partly open, with his han
on the knob. Then l asked Mr. Farm
worth to enter the room from the mai
office as l had entered 1t and clanr
aside into the mirror as he came in n
| did so and saw Sharpley's image. no
pale as a ghost, for he knew that
/, had seen his reflection before he close
the door.
THAT is all the defense / can make
l said. when l returned from n,
nouncing that l had opened the sal
I saw Mr. Chorplo,- ,oa.,