Judge — October 14, 1882 — page 5: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

*FRENCIL SPOKEN HERE.” Sreve Frescu, be sat in Convention Hall Awaiting the call of the roll, With a Robertson proxy held fast in his fist And treachery in bis soul. The delegates all look around tthe French ma Westchester was cal n surprise would and he boldly re Ici on parte Francais. Half, Better than the Whole. DY JoWN BLACKMRIDOE, We arrived at Marytoga late in the season. That famous watering-place was deserted. | ‘The various springs had disseminated their total annual yield of Bright's disease, the hotels were closin nd with difficulty did we find a public house disposed to receive guests In this one, sacred to commercial drummer: ay and $1.50 for sample-rooms, we pitched our tent and unloaded our samples. The samples would have made you smile. ‘There were a jack-screw of appalling force, a rare collection of polished steel jimmies, a graduated ascending scale of door-persuad- ers, beginning with the one thousandth part of an inch, and ending with steel wedges fit to rive the armor-plate of a first-class iron- clad, and several cans of a powder made un- der our own receipt at the great works of Braine l'Allend, Belgium, where the willow chareoal possesse quickness and subtle power unknown to our domestic twig.” Our canvas bags, even, were of rare quality sewed with Russian flax, ‘These samples were not designed for merchants, they were strictly for bank use, During several days and nights we recon- noitered the Chetarthur National Bank, which was our ultimate object of attack. My pal, party by the name of Johnson, opened an ac- count with greenbacks and a bona fide check, and we paid some bills with checks against the account, We studied the vault. It seemed accessible, but did not appear as plethoric as we could have wished. We felt that we should have come earlier in the s son. I incautiously said as much to Johnson one day, while we were near the cashier's desk, pumping that official as to the future of the butter crop of the county. ‘The president, a wellanade and smiling gentleman, with a white head and benevolent countenance, over- heard me, and said : “Do you really regret visiting Marytoga so late ?” “Yes, s beneficial weather.” At last our reconnaissances were completed, and we were ready for business. It was one o'clock 4. M. when we gently pried open a pair of iron shutters in the rear wall, and springing the window fastenings found our- selves in the bank parlor, or director's room. Our journey to the vault demanded only a few steps, which we took noiselessly, There w no dog. The janitor was asleep in the third story. Everything was favorable to immedi- ate operation. I flashed the bulb of the of ir; on account of the diminished action of the waters in cool dark lantern one instant on the lock of the We had Metter simply leare our cards on the edilor rch vault, ‘The maged ins Jor had been opened! We rum- ide, but found nothing beyond a few trays of trade dollars and some checks, and bank officers’ No greenbacks, no governments! “Well, damme,” exclaimed my pal, ‘this does beat allknown cock-fighting! And the whole thing looks so qeeer and amateurish too!” “T can explain this, gentlemen, voice near us, and flashing our lantei in that direction we recognized the president, with the white head and benevolent counte- nance, looking nearly twice as bulky as ordi- nary, of which we learned the c ina few moments. ‘But, as Mr. Johnson rightly ob- served, there is an amateurish flavor to this transaction which I should like to get rid of. I opened the vault door with a key, and tri to put pry marks on the door afterward, but I see that this is adead give-away, Won't you gentlemen give it a professional air? Smash up the lock, deface the door, and leave a few first-class tools on the floor, “Ts this on the square, between you and us, old fel?" said I. ‘* A. straightout divvy, honest Injan ? “Why, cert.” “Well, then, relieve your clothes of about half of these greenbacks and U. S. bonds, and my pal and I will pad ourselves a little, for the good of our shape and to guard against the night air.” With great promptness the venerable gen- tleman transferred to us about a bushel of the said securities, saying, ‘Will that do? That’s about as near as we can come to it.” Thus fortified as to the personal honor of our companion, we zealously seconded his wishes. In fifteen minutes the vault door looked as though it had sustained a fire of artille! Powder was flashed on the floor to make it grimy, drawers were wrenched open, and their contents scattered, and you might well imagine that a band of burglars had held high carnival in the bank. Meanwhile, the president had hauled down from a shelf some account-books, and tore ont a few dozen more or less, leaving the mutilated on the floor, if the robbers had s in pure sport. ages of cut nse bonds of trust. | 10 adlcocated bicycling, as he does not seem to be at home “And now, said the pr “Jet us go over to my house, where we shall be safe from observation, and in a half hour we will settle all the points of this business.” We sat down in the president's library in perfect stillness. The worthy man procured from the cellar cold beef, bread and butter, and two bottles of de Montigny. “If you prefer spirits, say so,” he T have an excellent brandy. Now to business. This is a lucky meeting for both of us. No ‘one now will ever suspect me, and as for you, su were bound to leave town by the first train, anyhow, and you will never be pro euted. I have been gutting the bank for sev- eral years, and exposure was bound to come, unless the bank could be properly robbed. Sut who was to do it? f couldn't trust any- body in town, and when I advertised in the *‘ Business Opportunities ’ in the Jerald for re- | liable parties to make a fortune without risk, you ought to have scen the kind of cattle that came up here. But. see, now, what a lucky chance made us three solid together, ‘The poor old bank had only $200,000 left; and you will go away with half. Count right up ‘To-morrow, immense excitment, en- trance of professional burglars plainly traced. The vault forced! All the bank assets gone! ‘The respectable officers frantic. Depositors all, Stockholders ditto, but vote to re-sub- scribe and go on. The venerable president With my $100,000, I can even take new stock, and hereafter avoid blind-pools, Bless you, my boys, and let us always fervently pray for each other's welfare. Go out quictly, and get away carly in the morning. Go to Boston, and I will have a vigorous hunt made for you in Chicago. Even that won't last j long. Good-bye! Good-bye!” And on the whole, although we only bagged $100,000 where there were $200,000 to get, my pal and I concluded, after mature reflection in our short stay in Roston, that, as the old Greek said, there are cases where ‘half is a great deal better than the whole,” especia where you divide with a bank president. psident, “as and see, ‘Tue only kind of vice much shunned by the young men of to-day seems to be ad-viee. comicbooks.com