Pueblo chieftain., 1921-10-24
ARE YOU A GOOD RISK?

study of handwriting in connection
with criminal Investigation. supports
Mr.. Coles interesting observation.
From my study of the handwriting
Of crooks" he says. II believe that
vanity and the desire to deceive have
a great deal to do with the cultivation
OF certain type OF very fine PEN
manship The normal man in forming
his handwriting has the ideal of
writing freely, legibly and speedily, but
the man with the markings of a crook
In him has tho ideal of showing off his
cleVerness, winning admiration. and
conccaling his own true character with
false appearance OF highly orna-
I seem to read in crook handwriting.
and 1 believe I could distinguish It
eight times out of ten
ENVIRONMENT AND CRIME
The environment in which risk
Is located is also an important con-
sideration to the bonding compa mics.
Movie cashiers rarely embezzlc. but n
good deal OF money has been lost on
people associated with musical COM
edies. There Is something about a
musical comedy-probably its gay.
carcfree atmosphere of wine, women
and song-that seems to pave the way
to easy embezzlement.
1t IL also interesting to note that in
the new rich sections of the south
west. particularly in Texas and Okla
ho'hh. "n"i' arc OFTEN fDale
land loso In night, there Is much
more endorsement than in the north
eastern states. where money making
is a hard and slow business.
Tho flies OF the large bonding COM
panies contain many strange and ro-
mantle stories Of the rise and fall of
cmbezzlcrs. Some day, perhaps the
movies will realize the screen posi-
hilitics of such material and buy the
movie rights to bonding company's
files. thereby turning poor risks into
good ones. What could be more
moviesquc. for instance, than this
mclodrama with n happy ending. relat-
ed by Mr.. Joyce of the National
Surety company?
Ono day young teller in small
middle western bank missed four 81
600 bills from his cage. He searched
all over the place. took everything out
OF the safe. checked and rccheckcd
his figures. but the four thousand dol
lars had completely disappeared After
worrying about the matter for couple
the bank and told him OF tho loss,
asking for n little time In which to
find tho missing money.
The president scoffcd Indignantly Mt
tho young mans story and reminded
him that when four thousand dollars
vanished into the air. tho loss could
usually be explained. EITHER YOU will
make it good" said the president, 'or
You will 60 to the penitentiary!"
This terrible threat was not carried
out. however. The teller was merely
discharged. but the stain on his char
actcr made 1t difficult for him to get
work in the vicinity. No other bank
or business firm would employ him.
and he was compelled TO do manual
labor.
Ten years later tho bank decided to
remodel It's interior. Behind a loose
panel in tho wall Of the tellcr's cage
tho missing 81 900 bills were found, 1t
was tho tcllcr's opportunity for right
cous retribution. and he took advant-
age of it. Having lost his job and
reputation thru tho diiapidated cordi-
ton OF the banks interior. he brought
suit for defamation OF character and
received a great deal more than the
missing four thousand dollars. Thus.
rs MIR. u. w. Griffith would say. was
manly virtue rewarded.
For movie comedy material there is
the case OF a young clerk. also in
middle western bank. who was dis
$500 requested by a wealthy dcpositor
who was passing thru the town. II
was Il breezy March day, and as the
clerk waited for the train he STROBE
briskly up and down the platform,
whistling and tossing the bills into tho
air. Suddenly they were caught in tho
wind and swept down tho railroad
track. a hog foraging hungrilv along
tho track shifted tho money and
swallowed It. The poor clerk went in
search of the man who owned the hog
and bought il. Then he had it butch-
cred. hoping that its stomach would
contain fragments of the money that
would he rodccma bic Mt tho Treasury.
Department. But the hog has nNSli-