The central record., 1922-04-13
Smith and the
Bank Thieves
BY CLAIRE SMITH
!, Observation-Disclosures


- fate and has grown Tired cf resist
auoc. ~. licked the doot of his cuge
behind him aud. with his suitcas. "a
his hand, sturt,d for the dour of Tie
hank. liz lad almost reached u
when a hand WHs laid on his sh"ul.
der forsythe looked w into the
andy fac, Of NJ. smith, the man
ag.r.
VIII you couc itto MY Office u mo.
mstt. Mr ForsythcT asked the lat
ter.
"Mr Forsythe.' said smith. Mr.
swain died suddenly this morning. We
thought be- would be Hhle 10 return a.
duty, hut the end came unexpectedly.
1--WE have decided to give you has
position" continued The manager
kindly. You have worked for u faith
fully and eflcientiy for seven years.
Your present snlary is-r
1.-TWO thousand STR answered For
syihe. swallowing dryly.
"You viii start on Monday morning
~ Sg.5u." said Mr. smith. THAT j.
tie assistant managers regular sai-
ury. Please let me have your key. ]
shall turn IL over to GrirgS. who viii
succeed you. Report e. me- on M"h-
lay az nine O'Clock. Thark you Coed
day"
4 minute er'Fors,the was stand
lng ou ~. curb in front ~ the bank.
hrrnthirS- and tswildsr,d. II was a
saturday afternoon and la hi suit
cnse he had ticket for Pensacola and
sSOp 10 bills. the property "f tie
bank.
lie hnd been driven ia 10. He had
tried to ke,r Maud aud their liiil"
girl iu comfort. He had plunged
deeper aud deeper in debt. Loan
sharks threatened him with ''hawliug
out. which would mean the los uf
hls position. Aud Maud lay sick In a
southern .anitnrium. and Muriel was
staying with relative Maud had
uudsrguus q desperate operation sue
ccssfully, hut Il would he weeks t'-
fore she was we'll N. news of his
defalcation v"uid not reach her IN
AtwHter fla.
The crud.uess aud impo~sihilliy -
his plan bad not troubled him. when
man l. surrounded by creditors and
sharks his life hecomes such a night
mare that he grasps ~ any release.
80 he had taken 5000 that nom
Ing. knowing th.t the theft would uoi
he discovered till Monday.
And now hs brain swan, bis
senses rcelel.
He must get the money back into
/ the safe
, n only he had no, yielded TO tina,
/ hideous temptation
Next day was sunday. Every time
he went outside his apartment build
Ing his footsteps seemed to turn In
| the direction of the hank. which lay
only matter ~ few blocks dis
tant. ~ eight oclock that evening he
was standing outside for the fourth
time that day.
AZ midnight h. was s,ill pacing the
street
one o'clock hoomed from the church
st..plcs Forsythc turned homeward.
lie would confess upon the morrow.
lie would 90 to Mr.. Smith and
tiny flicker ~ light inside the
hank attracted his attention. Some
ho,ly was within the bank.
Forsythe thought swiftly II thieves
had gained nc,-ss u must have been
from nn adjacent building. lie hurried
round 20 the cellar door that gave
uruu the rear strct.
lie cr"uched behind n pile ~ lum-
Ter and waited All at enc. For
s,'he heard the falntest sound behind
him.
II was tie sound ~ pndlo-k be
Ing very cautiously unfasiened.
\ moment later a man cam" stealth.
IIv M ~. stairs. followed hv another
| The two hcsitaicd. They luoked
round unNiously. and one ~ them
caught sight ~ rorsyihe behind the
lumber PILE.
Instantlv they tlrW at Him. For.
sythe saw the sl.nm 10 steel blade
In the hnu,h of ~uc ~ them. lie
duslg-d and struck the fellow with q
length q timber. Telling him e. IA.
ground. The other closed with him.
They wre,Iled wildly Into the street,
and fell cn the curb.
Forsythe was no match for this ~
ant. n. could not defend himself al
.quately IN any event. for his hands
were full of bills. FiVe thousand dbl
lar Ia bis hands aud this fuol wildly
lumm.riug al his fuce How much
r4ors dld be have on himl Whatever
hs lad taken from the safe was now
Increased hy S5sa. for with hls last
atom Of strength Forsythe craium. q
the mans pockets full of the bills
Than be- tainted.
Mheu De- upensd his ey,s he was "
lng la a dark,Hrd rOuu, A woman
stirred hssid. his bed
"whsre am ~ BE- ASKED. feebly
and his huud. went automatically
feeling for the money.
"Forsyths' Don't you know mef
asked man who roSs from his bed.
sids
MIR. smith" rorsyths exclaimed.
the events II the rasi night surg
Ing thTougl tis brain again.
"N"u have saved the hank S4psa
sad the manager With emotion.
IYftv tN0uslud And h. had taken