The Lakeland evening telegram., 1916-10-24
In One Way a
Coward,
In Another Brave
By WILLARD BLAkEMAN

before his office, near the Stock EX-
change, and. dismissing the chauffeur,
entered the building. The janitor, who
was near the door, saw him enter and
go up the main stairway, the elevator
not running.
A few persons, probably doing night
work in the building, were coming and
going till late hour. The janitor saw
Mr.. Dewey's chief clerk, Clarence Hob
son, leaving at about 10 o'clock
At II o'clock George Bernhard passed
the janitor and went upstairs Ben
kard was protege of Dewey's, and
since Dewey had no children it was eX-
pected that Bernhard would be his heir.
He was also engaged to Dewey favor
ite niece, Alice Dewey. Zen nj nutes
after II the janitor who was at some
distance from The entrance door Of the
building, saw man pass out whom he
believed to be Bernhard but he was not
sure, because he saw only his back,
and at that time of night the light in
the building was dim.
At midnight the janitor walked
through the building and, seeing a light
in Mr.. Dewey's Office. stopped and lis
tened. After waiting some time and
hearing no sound from within he open.
ed the office door and entered private
hallway on which the Offices of John
Dewey We're situated The light was
in Mr. Dewey's office. The janitor
! knocked and, not receiving any reply,
opened the door There sat Dewey
! resting against his desk dead
The police We're called and found
| that he had been shot in the back. Be-
fore him on the desk wac set of
books Of the concern Of which he had
been the head.
There was no doubt as to the iden-
tity OF the murderer, for George Ben
kard was not seen again after the Jam
itor had seen him, or man supposed
to be he, pass ont OF the building
shortly after II o'clock.
Clarence Hohson was the only per-
son connected with Edward DcWcy's
business capable Of managing it, anil
he Wus appointed by The CouGl to wind
II UP Thi8 WAS tile imc when buSi-
ness On the sf3el; exchange Was sus-
pended Oh account Of the pan Euro
pcan war Iebson was lighting fail
urc on the part Of the concern he rep.
resented, and it was generally sup.
posed that he would puH it through
because Dewey had not been carrying
stocks "on a margin his customers
/ being legitimate investors WHO bought
ANA sold outrieht
But one day, to the surprise of all,
it was announced that the firm, which
| still did business under the name OF
! Edward Dewey, had failed. Mean
] while 1t had leaked ont that Hobson
had been carryin" considerable load
! OF stocks on his own account when the
| European war broke out. covering the
! great panic of August, 1914.
Amon% those who participated in
i that war was an American who was
! enlisted under the name Of Douglas
/ Sawyer. lie joined the American le-
gion and was with the French army
when 1t was driven back on Paris Just
/ before the battle of the NIarnc. He
I seemed bent on getting himself killed.
+ but despite his expo ing himself in
/ every possible way. death refused to
strike him Instead of @ctting killed
/ Re got promoted and in q few months
! after his enlistment had reached the
rank Of major.
Then suddenly. to the surprise of cv-
cry one he tepdercd his resignation
/ This is not expected of an officer when
I there is work still to he done, but since
/ Major Sawyer had distinguished him
] self for bravery and was an American.
/ his resignation was accepted. and he
/ left France for America. On arriving
he went to police station and gave
himself up as George Bcnkard.
The affairs Of Edward Dewey were
/. being wound up Ivy a recover A fort
night before, Clarence IIohson had
committed suicide, and the receiver
/ had announced rs the probable cause
, that he had, before Mr.. Deweys mur-
der. been speculating in stocks. had
been caught in the war panic, and il
was his deficiency that had caused the
suspension of the Edward Dewey con
corn
George Rcnkard made the following
explanation rs 10 his flight: DeSirine
to see Mr., Dewey upon private mat
ter Mt once and being told that he had
gone to his office, Bcnkard followed
him there. He found Dewey dead. lie
remembered having seen and beer
seen by the ianitor entering the build
ing. 1t was known that he was the
heir of the murdered man. The tive
facts constituted n clear case of mur
der against him. Rather than face 9
trial that would surely turn agains
him, he would take the obloquy OF
. fight and find death on the battlefield
of Europe.
Before leaving. he told what had oc
CURED to his fiancee, Alice Dewey
who had kept him advised of wha
was transpiring at home. When th'
denouement came she informed him b,
cable, recommending him to return a
once. He was never tried, and whel
the affairs of Edward Dewey wer
wound up there was a considerable