Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1916-09-12
nue. of misrepresentation discovered.

nue. of misrepresentation discovered.
Thus was the special agent able
from the outside to get very good
leads into the condition of the bank
and to determine the manner of it's
looting when the facts might not have
been obtainable by an expert working
from the inside.
Cards case was about completed
and the department was ready to act
when the dramatic denouement came.
Arson, suicide and flight are the three
events most to be expected when the
funds of bank have been misappro-
priated. The young special agent was
watching for any of these at the time
of the anniversary party given by the
| banker. 1t was in preparation for
either that he watched so late on that
! occasion.
On the afternoon which preceded
the entertainment Gard was working
! over his books at the store and at the
same time keeping an eye on the
| bank An hour after closing time at
| the bank he saw Compton come out
of the side door with two books of the
institution under his arm. He could
make out that one was loans and dis
counts. He surmised that they might
be records that were to be destroyed
probably the books, that showed his
guilt.
| When from the hillside Gard that
night saw the silent car stop back of
| the bank and the flames subsequently
/ break out, he knew what had hap
| pened. These were accomplices of the
cashier who had probably looted the
| bank of any remaining funds and, &C
cording to agreement, had set it on
| fire that the discriminating records of
| the cashier might be destroyed The
willy cashier, however, had made sure
| that the books that showed his guilt
would not be found in case the plan
was not an entire success. He had re-
moved them himself, but had not as
| yet destroyed them for he saw no
| probability of coming under immediate
suspicion. Likewise had he neglected
to destroy certain correspondence that
| later connected him with the parties
found to have committed the arson.
The books taken from the bankers
| house were found to be the personal
ledger wherein should have been en-
tered deposits, and the loans and dis
counts ledger in which account Comp
| ton had entered the amounts repre-
senting all his personal checks. This
| latter was the account that had dWelt
| in the mind of Newton, the bank ex-
aminer The letters that Gard had
found in the bankers pockets, though
| unsigned and mysteriously phrased
were later traced to the Dutch SHREDDER
gang. They proved great aid to Nc
| Cord, the plain-clothes man, who had
slept peacefully through all the clamor
! incident to the burning of the bank,
but who, through them, was able to
| trace the burglars.
| Compton went to pieces when con-
| fronted with the proof that his derelic-
| items had been found out. When his
| toVnspeople came to know the facts
on the following day, they stormed the
| Jail and threatened to lynch him. So
determined was their onslaught that
the sheriff spirited the prisoner away.
In desperation he confessed his crimes
and exonerated Torrance, the assistant
cashier, who in playing the market had
only executed the orders of his su-
perior Compton lived but six months
after his conviction and sentence to
ten years in the penitentiary at At
| lanta.