Year: 1870

From the day that first came into our house
as partner, | have always attended to the cash
and banking business myself, all money checks
drafts ETC., passing through my hands or ac,
| counted for to me. In three and twenty years
experience, never had error but which, on
careful revision, could be rectifed, nor had any
money ever been lost or stolen.


You may judge therefore, of my surprise
when, one day-it had been a very heavy cash
day-on making up my accounts found myself
two thousand three hundred and fifty-seven dol
lars short. There was no such amount entered
in any way that could possibly have made an
error in, and nothing in all my transactions upon
which to base my defct. had but one place in
which to put my money during the day. and that
was in a drawer of my desk a solid od-fashioued
structure, attached to the building, and put up
when the office was built, forty years before.
Had the desk been one of the modern, himsy af-
fairs might have thought that somebody could
have spirited the money out in some way, but
even the idea of false key did not harmonize
with the od-hshioned lock of solid wood. l al
ways locked the drawer, and carried the key in
my pocket, and was rarely out of the Office dur
ing the day except half an hour for lunch, and
then there were never fewer than three or four
persons in the same room. At night invaribly
removed every dollar to the safe, so that any ap-
preparation of funds must be made in the day
time.


This was the state of the case the day that
was two thousand three hundred and ifty-scven
dollars short. went through every pocket and
available place on my person, though | knew
that never put any money about me, and then
closed my account with the defct, making up
my mind not to speak of it that day, but to con
slider it until the morrow before | asked advice.


The morrow came, and, utterly dscomposed,
admitted to myself my inability to strai ghten
it, and called in for advice Mr.. Conway, our old
and confidential book-keeper, in whose Judge
meDt had great reliance. Mr. Conway did not,
like the famous Dutch squire, weigh the two ac-
counts, and give judgement in favor of the
heaviest, but he did almost as well he footed
up the columns of figures three or four times,
counted my cash balances as often, looking at
me over his spectacles, and told me the account
was wrong-two thousand three hundred and
hfty-seven dollars short. That's all the satisfac-
ton there was from Mr.. Conway. After this,
pledging him to secrecy, thought it better to
consult nobody else, but watchfully await
events charging the amount, as | was bonnd
to do, TO myself personally.


How much, for days, this matter troubled me,
cannot state but, like all things else, after
two weeks had gone by, and no elucidation had
come to me, IL began to wear away, when one
day was amazed and Mortified TO find another
defct of nine hundred and eighty-four dollars
This time remembered some of the very miss





from my drawer, and yet had not left the key
in 1t one moment while | was absent from the
room, and all day there had been present al
least two persons besides myself; and there had
been also people coming and going all the time
but these were separated from me and the clerks
by a railing, so that IL was impossible for any
person calling on business to approach nearer to
my desk than fifteen feet. This time | con-
suited with my partners and after numerous
theories--all of which fell to the eround-we
concluded to call in the aid OF some reputed
able, detective officer and, having inquired In the
proper quarter for such person, we were recon-
mended 10 Mr.. Schildorg, a gentleman who by the
wink he gave me after had told him the whole
story, and the assertion that, "We'll fix this
job up in half an hour" convinced me that be
would achieve nothing. Mr. Schildorg COM
menced operations by glowaring upon my em-
ployees, one by one, and looking into my money
drawer, and handling the money so lovingly, so
that | somewhat feared that he meant to confis-
cate Ii part of the evidence; and ended by set
tling on poor old Mr.. Conway, who mysteriously
informed me was the guilty man, but could give
no reason for 1t save that Mr.. Conway could not
look him in the eye fer which did not blame
Conway, for a more rascally unpleasant eye !
never beheld in mortal man. ! had some tron-
BILE in getting rid of Mr.. Schildorg, which was
only accomplished by bribing him off, and sub
mitting to his hints that there must be some
thing wrong myself, inasmuch as was not will
ling that the investigation should proceed.


then thought would play my own detective
and having put money in the drawer as always
did, watched the movements of every one with
the closest circumspection, although appearing
not so careful AS usual. Before going to lunch
each day counted the money, and again when
returned; but no result, until one day, on max
ing up my daily accounta little before three
O'Clock, found myself one thousand one hun
dred and thiriy-two dollars short | almost
jumped In astonishment from my seat, for the
abstraction must have occurred within three
quarters of an hour, and with myself in the
room all the time. This was staggering and Sc
rious, and at once lost faith in myself. Here
were four thousand Four hundred and seventy
three dollars gone, and not shadow of clue.
After another consultation with my partners, /,