CHAPTER VI
CONCLUSION
In the morning Mr. Fernlea said to Roland, when he appeared at theoffice, "The more I think of it, the more I am convinced that it wouldbe dangerous to try and get any of the directors to act with us.Johnstone virtually runs the concern, and the others know very littleabout it, and I do not think that I could get any of them to move. Thebest man that I can think of is Hertman. He is one of our most prominentmen of business, and is a large shareholder in the bank, and isintelligent and independent; and if he were convinced that wrong hadbeen done he would take it up. Hitherto he has, of course, been underthe impression that your father was guilty, and expressed himself freelyin condemnation of the policy of the directors in allowing him to escapeand in hushing matters up. He is not a client of mine, but I amconcerned in business transactions with him, and I think he has arespect for my judgment, as I have for his. I have written a note sayingthat I want to speak to him on business, and shall be glad if he willcome over to my office, or I will go over to his, as will be mostconvenient to him. Will you take it across at once? His office is inExchange Street."
Mr. Hertman glanced at the note, and told Roland to say that he would beacross in a few minutes.
"What I am going to say, Mr. Hertman, will surprise you," Mr. Fernleasaid, when his visitor had taken a seat. "You are, I am aware, one ofthe largest shareholders in the bank."
"I am sorry to say that I am," Mr. Hertman said. "I wish I were not, butI can't get rid of my shares except at a very heavy loss. Thatmysterious affair three months ago has greatly depressed the value ofthe stock, for, in fact, no one seems to know what is the amount of thelosses we suffered. The directors told me that the matter was kept quietto avoid a run upon the bank, and in that respect no doubt theysucceeded, and public confidence seems pretty well restored. I have noidea as to how we have come out of it."
"Well, Mr. Hertman, it may surprise you when I tell you that in thismatter I am acting on behalf of Partridge."
"What! the absconding cashier, Mr. Fernlea?"
"Just so. I have always entertained a strong idea that he was innocentand was the victim of others, and I am happy to say I am now far on myway to be able to prove it."
"You don't say so!" Mr. Hertman said in surprise; "why, I thought therewas no doubt in the matter."
"So most other people thought," Mr. Fernlea said dryly, "and certainlyhis running away instead of staying to meet the charge was terriblyagainst him, but it has not proved so unwise a step as I thought itwould. Had he been arrested and tried then, it would have gone hard withhim; but as matters have turned out, things have come to light whichalter the complexion of the case. You have heard, perhaps, that I tookhis son into my office."
"Yes, I heard that," Mr. Hertman replied. "I thought that it was a pieceof mistaken kindness on your part, and that the young fellow would havedone better to leave the place and begin life elsewhere."
"I took him, Mr. Hertman, in order that he might remain upon the spot todevote himself to getting at the bottom of this mystery, and I may tellyou at once that he is within a short distance of success."
Mr. Fernlea then related the whole of the incidents connected with thesearch.
"There can be little doubt that you are right in the matter," Mr.Hertman said, when he had concluded, "and that this man Johnstone isreally the culprit. A great wrong has clearly been done, and you cancommand my assistance to the utmost in aiding you. What iswanted--funds? I will draw you a cheque for any amount that you mayrequire."
"Thank you, Mr. Hertman! From my knowledge of your character I expectednothing less, but that is not my object in taking you into ourconfidence. What we want is the list of the securities stolen."
"I should doubt," Mr. Hertman said, "whether there is any such list inexistence. One of the directors, who is a personal friend of mine, toldme at the time of the meeting that the president explained to them whatshares and scrip were missing, and their value, and that the board hadindividually pledged themselves to keep absolute silence until themeeting of shareholders, which will not take place for another sixmonths yet. Certainly if your suspicions are correct, and I think theyare, it would be greatly to the interest of the president that nobodyexcept himself should have such a list.
"In that case," Mr. Fernlea said, "the only way of getting at them is toobtain Partridge's private book. There has been no fresh cashierappointed, has there?"
"No; the chief clerk is acting as cashier at present; the appointmenthas not been filled up."
"Do you possess any influence with him?"
"Yes, a good deal; he got his appointment as clerk there some fifteenyears ago from my recommendation. He is the son of a man with whom I amclosely connected in business matters."
"Then perhaps you might manage it for us. What I should propose, if youwill consent, is, that some afternoon when we know that Johnstone hasjust left for Chicago, you should see this man, and tell him you have aclue to some of the missing securities, but that it is necessary for youto ascertain the exact numbers, and that you think you can do so by anexamination of the book kept by Partridge, on which, as I understand,Johnstone scored with red ink some at least of those found to bemissing. You might say that you only wanted it for two or three hours,and that if he would let you have it, you would pledge yourself to placeit in his hands again the first thing the next morning. You could, ofcourse, say that, for the success of the endeavour you are making, it isabsolutely necessary that no one, not even the president and directors,should have an idea that anything was being done in the matter."
"I think I can do that," Mr. Hertman said. "Smithson will naturallythink that if anything comes of it he will get some credit for aiding usin the matter."
"Very well, then," Mr. Fernlea said; "I will let you know next time thatMr. Johnstone goes to Chicago. He generally takes the trip once a week,and to-morrow is his usual day."
The next evening the book was handed to Mr. Fernlea.
"Can I be of any further use?" Mr. Hertman asked.
"Well, if you can spare two or three hours I should be glad if youwould go through the lists with us. Partridge is in the next roomwaiting."
"Certainly I will. I tell you I have taken up this business in earnest,and am prepared to help you in every way possible."
A minute later Mr. Partridge was called in.
"I am glad to see you," Mr. Hertman said, "and regard you as a deeplywronged man, and would spend my bottom dollar, if necessary, in clearingup this business."
The three men at once sat down to their work, and turned to the pageswhere Mr. Johnstone had scored a line of red ink against the securitiesfound to be missing.
"We will take down the numbers and descriptions of the marked onesfirst," Mr. Fernlea said, "because as to these there can be no mistake."
This was soon done.
"Now, Mr. Partridge, will you look at these initials closely; are theyyours?"
After a long examination Mr. Partridge said, "They are very like mine."
"Well, let us compare them with the real ones," Mr. Fernlea said,producing a magnifying glass.
"I see a difference," Mr. Hertman said. "Do you see, in your owninitials, you do not take your hand off the paper at all, while inthese there is a little break; the W. J. are written together, but thewriter has paused before making the P. The manner in which you form theletter P is rather a peculiar one, while the W. and J. are easy enoughto imitate; and I expect that after having finished the first letters helooked at the copy before commencing the third. You see," he continued,"the upstroke from the J to the P is as nearly as possible continuous,but with the glass you can make out that sometimes the lines do notquite touch, and at others they overlap slightly."
The others at once perceived the point that he had indicated, and theynow went through the whole book and without difficulty marked off theshares against which the false initials had been placed. It took themfive hours' work, and it was just midnight when they concluded.
"We h
ave got the list complete now," Mr. Fernlea said.
"And a very long one it is," Mr. Hertman said. "Seven hundred thousanddollars! why, it is more than the called-up capital of the bank. Henever told the men who examined the books on the day after the affairwas first known, what the real extent of the loss was, or they wouldnever have signed that announcement reassuring the public. However,there is a reserve to call up, and if things are put into good hands thebank may pull through yet. Now what is the next step that you propose,Mr. Fernlea?"
"I intend myself to go to New York to obtain the assistance of thepolice and to call upon the broker who has acted for Westerton--that is,for Johnstone. I shall tell him frankly we are tracing an extensiverobbery, and that we have reasons to believe that large numbers of theforeign securities have passed through his hands, sent to him fromChicago. I shall show him this list, and ask him if he has dealt in anyof them. If he says yes, we shall then have nothing to do but to go toChicago and obtain a warrant for the arrest of Westerton. We will notbring Johnstone into it. Then the next time he goes over, we will pounceupon him. I should like you to give me an authority to ask for you, asone of the principal shareholders of the bank."
"I will go with you myself," Mr. Hertman said. "I shall have to go thereon business in a few days anyway, and can kill two birds with onestone." "I suppose you will take Mr. Partridge with you?"
"Certainly. I shall have to tell the whole story to the commissioner ofpolice, and he will want what I say confirmed, both as to the theft andthe numbers of the missing securities."
The mission to New York was attended with complete success. The broker,when called upon by Mr. Fernlea, Mr. Hertman, and the chief commissionerhimself, had no hesitation in disclosing his dealings with Westerton. Itwas found that a large proportion of the securities noted had passedthrough his hands.
"I have had my own suspicions that something was not quite right withthat gentleman lately. Two months ago he made a very lucky hit in corn.Up to that time he had been unfortunate; and, as you see, all thosesecurities have been sold by him through me to meet his losses. Sincethen he has been buying. But what struck me as singular was that heinsisted upon getting back the very securities he had parted with. Hehad a special reason, he said, for wanting these particular shares andno others. It gave me a lot of trouble, because the buyers had oftenparted with them, and sometimes they had gone through two or threehands, and I had to offer something over the market price to get themagain. However, with the exception of sixty thousand dollars' worth, Ihave got them all, or rather, he has got them, and I am in treaty formost of those he still wants. He said in his letter that it was acrotchet of his, and I put it down that he was either a crank or athief, and yet, even in the latter case, I could not see any reason forhis wanting to get into his hands securities which he had once partedwith."
"I can only suppose," Mr. Fernlea said, "that he was afraid that at themeeting of the shareholders they would insist upon a committee beingappointed to investigate the whole affair, and the list of the missingsecurities would then be published, in which case they would, of course,be traced back to him--at least to Westerton."
"Then his name is not Westerton?"
"It is not," the chief commissioner said. "But I don't think we willmention just at present what his real name is, though you are likely toknow it before long. Now," he went on, when they had left the broker'soffice, "our course is clear enough. I will send one of my men with yougentlemen to Chicago, with instructions to the local police to aid himin the arrest of one Westerton on the charge of stealing a large numberof valuable securities, the property of the Brownsville Bank. And Ithink I can congratulate you and the other shareholders of the bank onwhat you have just heard. I fancy it likely that in that safe will befound the whole of the missing property, with the exception of the smallnumber not yet bought up, and even these will probably be recovered, forof course the broker has already received money to buy them with."
Five days later Roland Partridge, looking out from his window at hislodgings in Chicago, saw six men stop before the house. He went quietlydownstairs and opened the door, and said, "That is the room."
The door opened and the party entered.
"Westerton, _alias_ Johnstone, I arrest you on the charge of stealingsecurities, the property of the Brownsville Bank."
There was an exclamation, a slight struggle, and then Mr. Johnstonestood handcuffed among his captors. The safe stood open. Mr. Fernlea andMr. Hertman stepped forward and glanced at its contents.
"It is as we expected," the former said. "I cannot say how many aremissing, but these are the securities stolen from the bank."
"I have been recovering them," Mr. Johnstone said hoarsely. "I havebeen purchasing them so as to save the shareholders the loss. Anotherweek and I should have got them all. I received a batch to-day, andthere are only fifteen thousand dollars' worth missing."
"That may be true enough," Mr. Hertman said, "but we know that you stolethem all in the first place--that you yourself stole them, and put theblame on your unfortunate cashier."
The excitement in Brownsville on the absconding of the cashier of thebank was as nothing to that caused when the local paper came out withthe following telegram from its correspondent at Chicago:--
"A most important arrest was effected here this evening in the person ofa man known as Johnstone, _alias_ Westerton. This man has for monthsoccupied a lodging in Hale Street in this city. He only used it onenight a week, and was supposed by Mrs. James, the landlady--a person ofthe highest respectability--to be a commercial traveller. This eveninghe was arrested by an officer who came down especially from New York,aided by our own active and intelligent police authorities, on thecharge of stealing a great number of valuable securities, the propertyof the Brownsville Bank, which institution was, as our readers mayremember, threatened with a run, towards the conclusion of last year, bythe discovery of a robbery, which was at that time supposed to have beeneffected by Mr. William Partridge, the cashier of the bank.
"The extraordinary part of the business is, that the man Westerton turnsout to be the president of the bank, Mr. James Johnstone, who hashitherto borne the highest of characters, being considered quite theleading citizen of Brownsville. The whole circumstances are mostromantic, and I shall be able to telegraph further details for your nextedition. I am enabled to state that this startling discovery has beenbrought to light chiefly by the efforts of Mr. Roland Partridge, son ofMr. William Partridge, hitherto suspected of the theft. Mr. Partridgehas been assisted by those well-known citizens of Brownsville, Mr.Fernlea and Mr. Robert Hertman. These gentlemen are, with the two Mr.Partridges, at present in Chicago, and will, I understand, leave by thefirst train in the morning for Brownsville. The prisoner will also betaken over in course of the day in charge of the police, and will becharged before the justices of your city with his offence. I am informedthat the greater portion of the securities stolen have been recovered bythe police, so that the bank is not likely to be the loser of more thana few thousand dollars by this crime."
Brownsville could at first scarcely believe the news, but enquirieselicited the fact that Mr. Johnstone was absent, and that the policehad, late the previous evening, on the receipt of a telegram fromChicago, gone to his house and placed seals upon the drawers andcabinets. The machines of the _Brownsville Gazette_ were insufficient tocope with the demands for papers of the second edition, which gave fulldetails of the affair, and were bought up even more eagerly than thefirst.
There was quite a crowd at the station to meet the first train fromChicago, and a number of gentlemen who had previously known Mr.Partridge, pressed forward to shake hands with him and to congratulatehim as he alighted from the train with his two friends. Roland did notaccompany him, having left the train two stations back to fetch hismother, to whom the glad news had been telegraphed on the previousnight. Mr. Partridge could not himself go, as his presence would benecessary at the court. There was no feeling of pity for Mr. Johnstone.Later on he receive
d sentence of five years' penal servitude--a sentencethat would have been heavier had not the court believed his statementthat he had intended to return the stolen securities to the bank. Butthe effect of this was in public opinion neutralized by his conduct inthrowing the blame on to Mr. Partridge, and in allowing him to sufferfor his guilt.
Mr. Partridge was forced to overcome his objection to public gatheringsso far as to receive a banquet and presentation from hisfellow-townsmen, and was unanimously elected by the shareholders of theBrownsville Bank president of that institution. Mr. Johnstone's familyleft the town immediately after his arrest, and Percy Johnstone is atpresent a clerk in a store in Broadway. Roland Partridge is still in Mr.Fernlea's office, and will shortly, it is said, be admitted as a partnerin the business. About which time, it is also rumoured, he will enterinto another partnership with a young lady who was his staunchestdefender in his dark days.