Year: 1877

One of the most striking instances
of kleptomania is afforded by the
history of the brothers Learned, in
the town of Millbury, in Massachu
sets.


There was in this place a small
bank, which, like all the country
banks of that State at that time, had
made an arrangement with the Suf.
folk Bank Of Boston, by which their
bills should be redeemed and return
ed to them in convenient packages.


Mr.. Prentiss, the cashier of the
Mlllbury Bank, going one day to the
safe to get some bills, took up one
of these packages, and, on breaking
the seals and opening it, found, to
his astonishment, that the bills had
all been taken out and replaced by
pieces OF newspaper, cut to the prop
er size.


Another package was lying near it
but not having noticed much the
seals of the first, he sent for two of
the directors to examine with him
this second package.


They all agreed that the seal of
the Suffolk Bank was perfect, and,
on breaking open this other package
and finding in it nothing but news
paper slips, they concluded that this
substitution must have been made
before it reached there, and while it
was still in the possession Of the Suf-
folk Bank. The latter stoutly de-
MED this.


While this discussion was going g
on, Mr.. Waters, the president of the
bank, was aroused from his sleep one
morning about one o'clock by two
persons outside, who insisted on
seeing him.


Taking them for bad characters he
refused at first to admit them, but
when they called out that they had
brought him some of the stolen mon
ey of the bank, he opened the door,
and found them to be the hostlcr and
his wife, who were in the service Of
Mr.. Edward Larned, the successful
and wealthy owner ola cotton mill
near by.


They gave him bag containing
SIS, 900 in gold, and package Of
bills amounting TO s2l,5Oo, which
was just half the amount of one of
the stolen packages.


They stated that Mr.. Larned had
come home late that night, and the
hostler had gone up into the hayloft
with lantern to pull down some
hay for the horses. Finding the hay
rather tightly packed, he looked
around for some that appeared to be
looser, and on pulling in a certain
place found it so loose that his curl
osity was excited. After pulling
away all the loose hay, he found a
hole cut in the solid part, and, on
putting in his hand, he pulled out
from the back part of the hole the
bag of gold and the package of bills.


Delighted with the treasure, he
hastily finished his task, and, going
home, he put both bag and package
under the bed. He found it, how
ever, impossible to sleep on account
of thinking what he ought to do
Finally, his tossing and turning
walked his wife, who insisted on
knowing what was the matter.


The moment he told her, she said
that it must be the money of the
bank, and that they must take it to
the president Immediately.


Getting up and dressing herself,
she made him do the same, and SO
they brought the money to the bank.


In the morning, the first thing to
be done was to find some trace of
the robbers. Everybody talked of it,
and everybody tried to find out in
vain.


A Boston detective was therefore
sent for quietly, and he went quietly
to work. Taking off the locks of
the Bank doors and Of the old-fash-
ioned safe, he found that some small
particles of soap were sticking to
them. This showed that an impress
sion had been taken, and false keys
made.


Mr.. Larned's cotton mill then be-
came the center Of inquiry, and,
among others who were closely
questioned was the machinist, who,
however denied having made any
key for any one. He added that the
only thing he had made, apart from
repairing the machinery of the mill,
was a small thing that he had made
some time before for Mr.. Larned,
and which the latter had told him
was a small cam-movement that he
wished to make an experiment with.


The machinist stated that it was
a short brass rod, about six or eight
inches long, with short piece pro-
jecting at right angles from each
end. He said that Mr.. Larned,
when he ordered it, had handed him
a drawing of it, which he had after
ward thrown away.


While going toward the office, the
detective noticed that the sweepings
from the office had been allowed to
accumulate in heap not far from
the door.


He Immediately engaged boy to
pick out of this heap every scrap of
paper he could find, while he him.
stood by to see that nothing of any
possible value should be neglected.


Taking these to his room, and put
ting the pieces patiently and careful
ly together, he was rewarded by find
ing some drawings of the Scam
movements and on one of these he
noticed some indentations that looked
like the wards of key. On com
pairing these with the bank keys,
they corresponded exactly.


Mr.. Edward Larned was then ar
rested.


This startled the whole communi-
ty, for he was a graduate of Yale
College, successful business man,
and now a wealthy mill owner with
money enough for all ordinary de-
sires.


The great majority of the people