Year: 1861

morning before you came in / looked at
your cash account and found only TWO hum
dred Of that set down. From that time |
have been very watchfui, ard have detect
ed dozen similar cases. have noticed
every dollar that came in after the bank
account was made up, and have also taken
note of the amount entered upon the book,
and during that time there has been Leak
OF over seven hundred dollars Now who
has access TO the drawer and the safe I!


! was astonished. | could only assure
my employer that knew nothing of it;
! and saw he wanted to believe me. ask =
ed him if he had spoken of this 10 any one
else. Not living soul but me he replied
/ pondered few moments and then said:
| MIR. Wharton, could be made TO believe
that even ignoraniIy had wronged you TO
the value OF dollar, / should not feel the
! perfect consciousness of honor now feel.
! There must be thief somewhere. Some
OF the clerks may find access 10 The money.
/ But are you willing 10 lei the matter rest
for few days? ] will strain every nerve
10 detect the evil doer.



hand at detecting thief He also prom
ised not TO lisp syllable upon The subject
10 any one else, and also 10 leave the mat
:er wholly in my hands for one week. He
| gave me warm grasp when we separated.
and said he hoped would succeed


On the following morning entered the
store with all my energies of mind cenler-
J sd upon the work before me.


There were four clerks or statesmen, and
one boy, in constant attendance: besides
myself; and all :he money received had 10
pass through my hands. Sometimes
made up my cash account at night, and
sometimes not until next morning.


In the latter case generally put the mon.
ey drawer into the safe, and locked it up
The key to the safe was kept in a small
drawer TO which there were two keys
one of which kept, while MI Wharton
kept the other. The only other person who
ever helped Us in the store, was Henry
Wharton, my employers only son a youth
OF twenty years Of age. He was preparing
for college under private tutor, but found
time 10 help Us in the store when business
was driving. He was a kind hearted, gem
erous fellow. ard strong natural attach
meni had grown up between US. AT first
thought Of getting him 10 help me find the
theft, but as Wharton had promised TO speak
TO no one else on the subject, concluded 10
keep quiet also.


That night ! counted my money, but
made no entry on the account There were
three hundred and forty odd dollars ! put
it in new calf-skin pocket-book-pIaced
that in the money drawer, and locked the
whole up in the safe. On the following
morning found fifty dollars missing. /
counted the money over carefully, and I
was not mistaken. began to feel very
unpleasant. My suspicious took an unwel-
come turn.


During The day pondered upon :he sub
leci, and finally hit upon the following ex-
pedient: When had locked up the safe
for the night, spread npon The knob of the
door, and upon the money drawer, some
pale red lead, being careful not 10 get
euough on 10 be easily noticed. had left
the cash account open, TO be closed up in
the morning. When | next opened The
safe, all was as had left Il.


The next night fixed the mob in the
same manner, and on the morning follow
ing found forty dollars gone. Upon the
pocket book were finger marks OF red lead;
ard when came TO oper my cash book
found the same kind of marks there. So |
learned one thing the thief knew enough
to see whether my account had been made
of the money before he took it. felt more
unpleasan:ly than before, for my unwel-
come suspicious were being confirmed -
| had gained new light. There was a Pc
culiariiy in the red finger marks that told
me sad story. Sill, wished TO try faith
er.


For two nights after this the safe remain.
ed undisturSed, but on the third night
missed seventy five dollars more, and haG
now set my trap more carefully. The red
pigment was not only used but had put a
private mark upon every bill in the drawer.
The pocket>book and cash book we're fin>
gered as before, and the marks were very
clear and distinct.


When the week was up, Mr.. Wharton
came and asked me what ] had done.


'Ah, said he, as he noticed the sorrowful
expression on my countenance, you have
failed TO discover anything


ALAS, wish | conld say SOP replied
Il have discovered 10 much. In the first
place The money has been taken from the
safe, and the key left in the proper drawer
and locked up as usual. Also, the cash
book has been examined each time to see
if any entry has been made OF the money.
| Thara has hean nna hnndrad and sixty five