Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-02-01

to Sweetwell TO keep for me. lie and
alone knew the code word which was
TO be used when | sent for it. Mr..
Cruthers and ! alone knew what was
in it. Mr.. Cruthers had been specu-
latine on the stock market for some
time. He induced Sweetwell to do the
same thing. and Sweetwell, not hav-
ing the money. used funds belonging
TO the bank The time came when
these speculations turned out badly.
Notwithstanding on the law.
yer you and Sweetwell needed
money, and you, knowing where fifty
thousand dollars lay, persuaded
Sweetwell to tell you the code word
which would get the package from the
bank. You two didn't dare steal ne
package outright, but thought to do
the same thing in way that would
make il appear | had taken it, With
the money thus obtained you expect
ed to cover margins. while Sweetwell
hoped to make good the amount he
had taken from the bank. | learned
part of your plans from clerk in the
bank who overheard you two talking,
and partly from letters found in your
office and Sweetwell's home"
IT'S a lie" snarled Cruthers, but
the tone in which he uttered the
words was enough to prove Trench
had hit the truth.
Without noticing he interruption
the politician went on
when heard what was planned
simply moved and beat you to it,
got the package first also started
quiet investigation to find out why
YOU and Sweetwell should need such
a sum of money. Then learned of
your stock market TRANSACTIONS of
how you and Sweetwell had been
seen together a great deal, and | had
men put TO work on the banks books.
THAT work was done at night. The
instant l was told what the shortage
amounted to | took liberty. I've al
ways liked Sweetwell. who was sin
ned against more than he sinned, and
| telephoned him last night TO get out
of town. knew the bank couldn't get
cent back by arresting him, and
hoped he'd be able to slip away. In
stead, he felt the end had come and
did as he did"
Trench paused second His cigar
shifted to the other corner Of his
mouth.
THAT. he resumed slowly, EEK
plains how Sweetwel came to take
his own life. Now for my reasons for
having the money taken from the
bank as | did You understand" to
MacLean and Kingsbury that sent
for it to keep ii out OF this mans
hands. The method | employed was
followed for the reason that | did not
want Mr. Cruthers TO know where It
had gone hoped to give him some
uneasy moments wondering who had
it, and also, in the hunt for it, IA
bring about Il situation where ne
would be shown up, just as he has
been"
shown up" snarled Cruthers.
You can make up any tale TO your
liking"
Again Trench disregarded the inter.
rupton
What | did was just this. had a
man phone TO the village below my
camp saying the governor wanted to
talk with me. Then | sent a man back
to my camp. after answering that call,
saying | had left for Concord. You
see wanted the stage set so it would
appear. when Mr. Cruthers came to
Investigations | was quite sure he
would suspect | had the package--as
il | had been shanghaed and forced
to give up the code word. take the
credit that what | did rather backed
up the story told about having my
lNtl lOdSltut
The facts are: | sent man BY the
name of Bancock to Concord with
note containing the code word He
was told TO send some one to the bank
who would not be known as one Of my
men. He was to do other things for
ne, but to see that the man who got
the package delivered 1t to another
man | sent down on the train. Now
all this followed as planned, and in
such way that Mr. Cruthers was
never able to trace the hands through
which the package passed back to
me-"
The lawyer shot look of malice at
Trench.
80 far so good" unused Trench.
If another had not taken a hand in
affairs a good deal that has bothered
us all would never have happened.
Bancock just happened to select Mac
Lean to go 10 the bank, meeting him
on the train. When he did so he had
no purpose to proceed as he did. But
when he came to think how he might
profit by my commission and he is
always looking for the chance to pull
down easy money-~it occurred to him
that he would work little racket on
his own hook
He realized the package MUST be
Of considerable value, but didn't know
what was in It. He figured that
would be some worried If the one who
went TO the bank and got It disap-
peared He also fancied as that per