Decatur Eagle, Volume 2, Number 1, Decatur, Adams County, 12 February 1858 — Page 1

T H E DEC A T I R E A G I, E.

VOL. 2.

TH E EAGLE. FtTBLISHUD KVKRY FRIDAY MORNING. Oiiiue. ou Main Street, in the old School Home, one Squire .Torch of J. & P Crabs’ Store. Terms of Subscription : For ouo year, $1 50, in advance; $1 "5, " ithin six months, $2 00, after the year has expired. 113* Nopaper will be discontinued untilall arrerages are paid, except at the option of the Publisher. Terms of Advertising: One square, three insertions, fl 00 Each subsequent insertion, 25 LFNo advertisement will be considered less than one square; over one square will be counted and charged as two; over two, as three, etc. JOB PRINTING. We are prepared to do all kinds of JOB WORK, in a neat and workmanlike manner, on the most reasonble terms. Our material for the completion of Job-work, being new and of the latest styles, we are confident that satisfaction can be given. Law of Newspapers. 1. Subscribers who do not give express notice tothecontrary, are considered as wishing to continue their subscriptions. 2. If subscribers order the discontinuance of their papers, the publisher may continueto send them until all arrearages are paid. 3. If subscribers neglect or refuse to take their papers from the office they are held responsible till they have settled the bill and ordered the paper discontinued. i. If subscribers remove to other places without informing the publisher, and the paper is ■till lent to the former direction, they are held responsible. ILFTIie Court have decided that refusing of take a paper from the office, or removed and leaving it uncalled for is puma facie evidence of intentional fraud. M illie, We Have Missed You.

Ob! Willie is it you dear, Safe, safe at home? They did not tell me true, dear, They said you would not come. , I heard you at the gate, And it made my heart rejoice, ' For I knew that welcome footstep And that dear, familiar voice, Making music on my ear In the lonely midnight gloom, Oh! Willie we have missed you; Welcome, welcome home! We've longed to see you nightly Hut this night of all, The fires were burning brightly, And lights were in the hall. The little ones were up 'Till 'twas ten o’clock and past. Then their eyes began to twinkle, And they're gone to sleep at last; But they listened for your voice Till they thought you’d never come; Oh! Willie we have missed you, Welcome, welcome home! The days were sad without you, The nights were long and drear; My dreams have been about you, Oh! welcome, Willie dear! Last night I wept und watched By the moonlight’s cheerless ray. Till I thought I heard your footstep, Then I w!, d my tears away; But my heart grew sad again When I found you had not cotne, Oh! Willie, we have miss d you. Welcome, welcome home! The Indians and the Organ.—Not a little amusement, says a Chicago paper, was afforded to a crowd of bystanders the other day, by a visit of six fine specimens of Indian chieftains to the beautiful new St. James’ Church in this city. They had never before been in the regions of civilization and therefore “the pomp of architecture,” and the grace and beauty of art was new to them. They were at first much attracted by the rich coloring of the windows, and manifested their admiration of “the House of the Rainbow” by significant signs. But a gentleman in the church struck up the organ, they were completely amazed, and hunted about for ■ the origin of “the sweet thunder,” with- | out discovering it, till one. more wise than the rest, pointed to the Chandeliers, and declared the sound proceeded from them. This seemed to satisfy them, and they departed highly pleased with the “Great Medicine House.” A Convention of North-western sugar growers assembled at Springfield, Illinois I on the 7th ult. Letters were received ; from cultivators of the Chinese cane in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and other States i all expressing satisfaction at the results of culture. One cultivator gives, as the re-' suit of his experiments, accounts of a y ie.ld of one thousand two hundred and twenty-.; one pounds of brown sugar and seventyfour gallons of mollasses from a single acre. The Convention adjourned, after empowering the President to appoint a committee of nine to collect facts and statistics in relation to the growth of sugar.— Stats Sen. Hon. Robert J. Walker, late Gov. of Kansas, has been sojourning for the past week at Bordentown, N. J., visitin'- his; brother in-law, General Cook.

THE BANK VAULT. From a Lawyer’s Note-Book. BY SYLVANO'S COBB, JR. I sat in my office, one eool, damp afternoon in spring, engaged in nothing of consequence. 1 think I had been looking over a volume of old reports, and had closed the book, and was reflecting upon some of the legal points raised in the work before me. 1 remember that I was just pulling out my cigar-case, when the door was opened, and a young man presented himself. I recognized him at once. His name was Charles Degrand, and he was the paying teller of our bank. And be it remembered, that ‘our bank’ was one of the best in the country. At all events, so it was considered by *our people.’ A man who examined a bill of 'The Valley Bank’ ere he took it, was set down at once as excessively green; and should he chance to refer to the ‘Bank Note List’ to test its genuineness, lie was sure to be asked where be came from. Not to know the sterling worth of the notes of ‘The Valley Bank, of B was to prove one’s self unknown. However, young Degand came in, and took a seat. He looked pale and wan, and there was a nervous twitching about the face which betrayed great uneasiness. ‘What is it? I asked, seeing that he was at a loss how to commence. ■l’m in a bad lix, sir,’ he replied, spasmodically. ‘Well—go on.’ ‘First, sir,’ he said, with an energy which at once convinced me of his sincerity, ‘let me assure you that I am wholly, entirely innocent of any charge laid against me. I am, sir, as true as there is a God above me, who hears what I say, and who reads my inmost thoughts! ‘I believe you,’ I told him, as I saw that he wished io know what impression he had made. He seemed very grateful, and then proceeded.

■ ‘Upon au examination into the affairs 'of the bank, yesterday, sir, there were . found to be missing some twenty thousand dollars, and probably more! My books Boro call otisei&Lt; caaaJ »*. j *• o« •1. «<- i all at hand; but I am suspected of having (taken the money. Aye —more than that, I am accused of ill •But what proof can they bring against you? I asked. •Ah!-—therms the trouble, sir,’ my visitor answered, with a dubious shake of the head. ‘I have nearly fifteen thou- ’ sand dollars in my possession, and the I Directors have just discovered it.’ j ‘Can’t you account for the possession iof this money? I ‘lf they would only believe me. For the last five years I have been very for- ' tunate in speculations. I cleared five ; thousand dollars in the sale of those lots ' on Warren Hill. ‘But Gramby sold those,’ said I. ‘Yes, sir; but he sold them for me. Tie . only acted as my agent. I did not wish to be known in the matter, as I had reasons for keeping the amount of my possessions to myself. I gazed into the young man’s face, and ,he probably thought I was incredulous, for he quickly added—‘Since 1 seek your aid, sir, I will tell you all. You wonder why I should wish to keep my wealth, or a knowledge of it, to myself. You may smile, and you may think me foolish; but I’ll tell you why it was; I have been looking upon a certain ■ maiden, in the hope that she might some day become my wife. I have seen much of misery in married life, having had the misfortune to board with two young couples who had been sadly mismated. I determined to be careful. I knew that a young naan like my— ’ He was handsome, and I readily pardoned the slight vanity of the allusion. ‘ —a—a young man possessing fifteen thousand dollars might be accepted for a husband by one who would have hesitated bad she thought him penniless. That was my sole reason, sir. ‘And a very good reason it was sir,’ I said; ‘though I feel confident that if Mary I A lien becomes your wife, you will have no occasion for regret. ‘You know her, then? said Degrand, eagerly. ‘Yes. And I know her for a noble, virtuous maiden. Charles was grateful; but in a moment more, a cloud came over his face, and with a deep sigh he said, — •Alas! when she hears of this she will turn from me! ‘I wouldn’t condemn her without a hearing, I returned. ‘But let that pass. Can you not prove by the men who have traded for you how your money has come? j ‘Grauby has dona it all, sir. Five years ago, when I had laid up a thousand dollars, I got him to take it, and let it for me; and from that lime to the present, he has done all my business. I got him to buy up five thousand dollars’ worth of the uoUs of the old Lyman Bank. He

“Our Country’s Good shall ever be our Aim—Willing to Praise and not afraid to Blame,"

DECATUR, ADAMS COUNTY, INDIANA, FEB, 12, 1858,

igot them for about fifty cents on a dollar, ! and I got the face of them. But Gram by has gone tp Australia, and where he is now it is impossible to tell. I remembered, now, that Granby had gone, though I had forgotten it. Degrand explained to me, as nearly as , he could, how the money must have been taken—that is, at what times, and in how large sums, He said no great amount had been taken at any one time, but, in all probability, it had been taken at ih- | tervals during the last year. It was onig strange that the loss had not been dete*r ed before. ! tasked who had the charge of overlooking and keeping the balance. He told me that Mr. Warton had done it.— He was the President of the bank, and lived right close by. ! I knew that Mark Warton was president of ‘our bank; and I furthermore , knew that Mark Warton was a very stern, religious, and strict man. His house joined the bank, both buildings being in one I block. After Charles Degrand had told me all he had to tell at that time, I informed him that I would help him all I could.— He asked me if I thought I could clear him. I told him to keep still, and trust j me. He went away with some hope, but ' very far from being happy. Half an hour afterwards, Mr. Mark Warton came in. He was a lull, stout, stern-featured man, very piecise in all his movements, and seeming to trust no one. He looked upon all his fellows as so many embryo thieves, who needed only the temptation to lead them astray. He wished me to make out the necessary documents for the arrest of Charles Degrand. I pleaded a press of business, and urged him to seek I elsewhere. He bowed stiffly, and went ! away. ■ As soon as Warton was gone, I sent my boy for Mr. Lane, and ere long, that i gentleman made his appearance. Henry Lane was a deputy sheriff, and I one of the most shrewd and efficient ofi ticers I ever knew. ‘I just met Mr. Warton, ’ he said, after ■he had taken a seat, ‘and he told me he ! should have a job for me before night. j ‘He means to have Charles Degrand arrested, saia 1. Charles Degrand? repeated Lane, in astonishment. ’You don’t mean the teller in the bank?’ • Yes—our Charley. And thereupon I explained to him all that 1 had learned (rom Degrand. Lane was indignant. He knew that Charley Degrand never took a penny that was not honestly his; and he said he wished he could say the same of Mark Warton. •Dosen’t Warton goto the city to-rnor-i row? I asked. . ‘I think he does,’returned Lane. ‘He is making preparations for a grand tour : with his family. ! 1 was aware of this, for I had heard Warton say, only a few days before, that he was going West upon asummer’s jaunt. We conversed a while longer, and then I I had Lane go first and put Degrand upon bis guard, and then go and get a search-: warrant. Under the circumstances, 1I did not wish to grant the warrant myself, | but I told the officer I was willing to i swear as a witness, if he couldn’t find another whom he wished to trust. He said he would do the best be could, and so left me. I did not want Degrand arrested. 1 knew he was not guilty; and I knew, too, i I that an arrest would be apt to leave aj sting which would gall him for a long time. But I would not have taken this course, had I not hoped to be able, within six-and thirty hours, to prove where the real leak in the Bank vault was. Just at dark, as I sat alone in my office, my boy having gone home to his supper, my door was opened, and a young lady made her appearance. I recognised Mary Allen. She sank into a seat, and then removed her vail. She attempted tc speak, but her courage failed her, and | she began to weep. ‘I know tbe object of your visit, said I. , ‘You have come to a»k me if Charles Degrand is guilty. ‘What, sir!’ she cried, starting up in an instant. ‘To ask you if he is guilty? No, no, co,! Oh! God knows he is innocent! 1 came to ask you to save him. He told me you were his friend. Oh! you know he is innocent! They cannot harm him!’ ‘You need not fear, Miss Allen,’l said; ‘I have his interests at heart, and shall, do all I can.’ ‘And you can save him from this false charge? ‘I hope to save him from any evil re - j suits. But I can tell you more to-mor-row, at this hour.’ When she arose to take her leave, she made me promise ihat I would not tell! Charles of her visit to my office. I promised, and she went away with far more of hope than she had when she entered.— She was a beautiful girl, and as good as | she was beautiful.

As the shades cf night came on, I felt strange emotions creeping over me. I i was about to startle the town. Aye—i startle the whole business community. I ' had held curious suspicions for a long ! while. Three months before No—it i must have been more than that, for the ■ snow was deep and crisp then—l had oc c tsion to pass the bank very late one night—or, I should say, very early in the mornin; for it was near one o'clock. I | came up the street, passing the bank first, , and then passing Warton’s house. As 1 ■reached the corner of the fence which separated the vard of dwelling form the oth- ■ er, I saw the flicker of a light upon the t cellar window of the former It was from a light within the cellar. I reached a I pointlrom which I could gaze in, and just in time to see a man disappear through the wall of the. cellar, through the wall : next the bank. I could see that he had , to stoop very low in order to pass through I don’t know why I should have had s such a curiosity just then, but I did have it, and it ruled my movements. Might not some burglar have found his way into the bank?—into owe hank, where I -i had several thousand dollars on deposit? • 1 1 resolved to wait and satisfy myself. I I I walked across the street, and then up II a little way; and then back again; and so • I killed time for over half an hour. I was . just approaching the house for the fourth , time, when I saw the light upon the celI lar windows. I hastened up, and saw a ■ man come through a sori of square hole ); in the wall. He put his lantarn through i[ first, and then followed it. A chance > gleam upon his face revealed to me the features of Mr. Mark Warton. Os course, I he had a right there, and telling myself : that I had made a fool of this individual, t. I started for home at a brisk trot; and I from that time I had thought little of the :j circumstance, until the present occur- ; I rence. On tbe following morning I saw Mr. I Warton depart for the city. He had ■ seen Lane, and requested, or, rather ordered, him to arrest Degrand that day. At nine o’oclock, the Deputy Sheriff : was in my office. We conversed a few minutes, and then went out, and called I 1 the servants of Mr. Warton. His wife | had gone witn him. lie told them that i we had business there, and, as they knew . us, they were very anxious to accommodate, Lane called for a lantern, and we ! then asked to be shown the cellar, at the . same time requesting the hostler to accompany us. t We descended to an excellent cellar, ; the bottom of which was cemented, and • the walls laid up with neatly split stone, and thoroughly painted with mortar. ‘ls there a door anywhere about here? ; I asked, pointing to tbe wall next to the bank. ! ‘Why—no, sir,’ returned the groomj gazing into my face as though he would , assure himself that I was sane. And I must say that I began to doubt the evidence of my sight on that cold Winter’s night. 1 could not see any-I thing that looked like a place of passage. The wall was, to all appearance, firm and ( solid. I ‘Who built this wall?’ I asked. ‘Master did most of it himself, said the i servant. ‘He used to be a mason, and he ! said he could save a good sum by doing his own work, and have it done to suit him, loo.’ I felt assured again I took a stout chisel from Lane, and commenced to I thump on the stones of tbe wall. The I first three sounded solid and sharp; but the fourth one bad a different sound. It was dull and hollow. I applied the chisel to the morter that projected from the seam, and found that I could move it. I, moved the chisel to the end of the seam, and very easily drew the mortar out; butl instead of breaking off, short and crisp, as morter generally does, it not only clung together, but the whole long line, from , I one end of the rock to the other came easily out. I examined it, and found it itobe a neatly fashioned stiip of wood,' with the outer edge thoroughly coated .with lime mortar. Here was a clue.—l Lane thumped away, and soon found ani other strip like mine, about two feet j above it. We next tried the perpendicu- ; lar strips, upon the ends of tbe rock, and they were like those already taken out.— I This left a large stone, two feet high by , about three long, free from mortar. We worked upon it a while, but could not move it. 1 went up into the street, and ' and stood as near to where I had stood when I saw Warton pass through as 1 i could remember. I looked through the window, and the stone against which Lane held the lantern was surely just where 11 had seen the open way. I went back and told my companion ' 1 that must be the place. We tried again, j and presently the etone moved. It pushed in, and seemed to swing on regular ' hinges. It was quite thin, and when we had got it open, we found it hung upon ' stout iron pintles. They were drilled in I and wedged with lead. The serving-. in ar. opened bis eyes, and as soon as he

I could command his speech, he said he began to see ‘where all them plaguy noises Used to come from. We passed through and found ourselves in a close, narrow place, not over three feet square, the wails of which were of broken stone laid in cement. A ; small ladder formed by two pieces ofjoice ! with strips of board nailed across fur the strips, stood against one side. ‘This must be the foundation of the Bank Vault,’said Lane. 1 saw it as soon as be spoke. But one of us could go up at a time, and 1 bade my companion to make the first trial; so he took the lantern and went up. He found the work above him to be broad flags of fine k hard, blue granite laid upon transverse sleepers of wrought iron. ‘lsn’t that a lever, up there in the corner?’ he asked me. 1 looked, and saw a stout spruce stick. ‘Just pass it up here,’ he said. 1 reached up one end of it, and when ■ he had placed it against the inner edge ol one of the flags, be bade me lift. 1 laid ' hold upon it and lifted with all my might and as 1 lifted, the flag gave way. Up,l up, up it went, until at length it stood on edge. 11 balanced itself there a moment, and then fell over upon some bags; and at the same moment 1 heard a quick cry from overhead. Lane went up, and 1 quickly followed him, and in a moment more we both stood within the vault of tbe bank! The door was open, and the cashier and bis subordinates gazed upon us with astonishment. ; Fortunately the bank was not open for business, so no one saw us save the employees of the institution. ‘Good morning, gentlemen,’ said 1 bowing very coolly as 1 stepped from the vault to the space behind the long counter. ‘ln mercy’s name! gasped the cashier, what does this mean? ‘lt means, sir, that we have a clue to the man who has been robbing the bank,’ I replied. i He opened his eyes wonderfully. He gazed first upon me, and then upon the j upturned flag. ) rlnwc .0 . i*. - - jasked. ' ‘Foom the private cellar of Mark War- ; j ton, Esquire, President of the Valley Bank. 1 returned. The cashier began to see through it and I ere long we all sat down and talked the matter calmly over. The clerks and tellers were called, and they promised to I keep silent for the present. I explained , ! to them all about how Degrand came by | I his money, and also told them why he had | kept it to himself. They all loved the. ! generous, handsome youth, and I could ' j see that they were very happy when the . 1 matter was thus explained. I The cashier had never liked Warton, I for the latter was not only overbearing, but he had even dared to exercise, at times , a sort of surveillance over his cashier, ’ as though he feared there might be a lack , of honesty on the part of the latter. This had cut Mr Richards—the cashier—to , the quick, and he could not forget it. i Richards went down with us, through | ■ the vault, into Mr. Warton’s cellar, and ■ before him we drew back the stone, and fixed the false strips in their places, as we had found them. ‘Well 1 should never mistrust that.,’ he said, as he stood and gazed upon the roek which now looked like its mates. We talked with the groom, and he promised us that he would keep perfectly quiet. None of the other servants had ventured down, though it was necessary that they should be cautioned. So we went up and called them together and in- ; timated to them that we should have to arrest them if they whispered a word of oui having been there. This was enough ' for the very thought of arrest by a sheriff was terrifying. On the following morning, Mr. Richards called upon me, and informed me that a I meeting of the directors had been called and that they had concluded if Mr. War- ; ton would make a full and fait restitution; 'to let him go. They thought his punishl inent would be ample without further j proceedings against him, i fully agreed with them, and, at Mr. Richard’s request accompanied him to the bank, Lane had I found Degrand, and the young teller went ! with us. When we reached the bank, we found 1 most of the directors there. They all shook Degrand kindly bv the hand, and be was directed to resume his station at i his own desk. Tbe outer door was lock- ! ed, as it lacked nearly two hours yet of the time for commencin'! business. At the end of half an hour after our arI rival, the green door was opened, and i Mark Warton, Esq., entered. He started as he saw the unusual number assembled; ; but when his eye finally rested upon the traduced teller, who had left his desk and was talking to the book-keeper, he seemed to comprehend it, for ha stiffly advan--1 ced, and said: 1 ’Good morning, gentlemen ’

Several of the directors nodded; and when the president cnrac within the railing. he sat down. •You have the young culprit here, 1 see,’ he said. But no one answered him. ‘lis not Charles Degrand under arrest? he asked, quite pompously, turning to Lane. ‘No, sir,’ answered the officer. •And why not? Did I, not place the warrant in your hands? •Very true, sir,’ returned Lane, with a curious leer, but since then we have found an other clue.’ Another—clue—a--whai do vou mean, sir?’ I looked towards Richards, and he nodded. Then I looked back upon Lane and nodded in turn. The deputy took the wink, and at once proceeded: ‘Well, Mr. Warton, if you wish to understand tbe matter 1 can explain.’ The President turned pale asdeaih beneath Lane’s glance, but quickly recovered himself. ‘When you handed me the order for Degrand’s arrest, I already held, a search warrant authorizing me to search the premises adjoining the bank, building.— Yesterday, in company with my legal friend, here, 1 made the search; and the result was, that from the cellar of the Louse adjoining this building, we found a secret passage to yonder vault. We made our own way to this place from said cellar through the wall!’ The officer might have said more, but there was no occasion, for he for whose benifit it was spoken seemed past understanding. For some moments Warton had kept his countenance, but gradua.ly his strength failed him, and he sank upon the floor. Ido not think he was insensible. I think he fully reallized that all was discovered, and he feigned insensibility in order to escape questioning before so many. However, he was taken to hia own house, and ere long he sent for the easliier. Richards went in, and to him be made a full confession, and offered to give up all he owned if they would let him off, and make no further movement in the matter. Tk ee .—.. .m. request and he did so at once. Warton acknowledged that he had taken over forty thousand dollars. He said he fixed his cellar wall on purpose for robbing the bank, and that be had intended, when he had taken all he wanted, to remove tbe pintles from the rock, and cement it in its place. Out of regard for the Presidents wife and tl’.ree grown up daughters, his crime was kept as secret as possible, until after he had gone. He paid back ail that he had taken, with good interest, and then hastened away into the Western country, where bis crime was nut known, and where his stern exterior probably passed off the whole man for a high-minded, honorable gentleman. The foundation of the Bank Vault was filled up, and the adjoining oellar-wail made solid. Charles Degrand once more tilled his obi station to the acceptance of all those who were fortunate enough to claim money from the bank; and before the Sammer was gone he came to me for a marriage certificate, as I had the fortune to have been elected Town Clerk, i put his name to the instrument, and wheat asked for the other he said,— 'Mary Allen.’

O’Reily, the telegraph constructor, has proposed to Congress, through Mr. Douglas, to erect a fine of telegraph to the scene of the expected war in Utah. He proposes to perform the work with soldiers who shall be stationed at frequent posts on the line for its subsequent protection, and would form a line of guards for the mail. The advantages to government would be a means of immediate communication between the armv and the headquarters and the department, similar to the one the Englishment endeavored to complete to connect with the Climea. A few days since, a country fellow entered one of the New York banks, and marching up to the counter, exclaimed, I ‘Here I am, I want you to take a fair look at me.’ Without a word further he strode i out. The next day the same customer appeared, uttered the same wordsand again disppeared. The third day, at about the same time, he walked in and advancing to the tellers desk, threw down a draft payable three days after sight.— ‘New,’ said he, ‘you've seen me three times, 1 want the money for it? A young lady of our acquaintance says she should be afraid to get married, lest her husband, in the course of a few year* should poison her, or she should pois tn him. An English paper gives an account of a party o: sixty old women, who were the mothers of eight hundred and sixty-nine children, averaging over fourteen eaoh.

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