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The Mystery of Monastery Farm
By H. R. NAYLOR
1908
On the eleventh day of April, 18—, the officers of the Bank of Englandwere greatly excited on receiving notice of a special meeting called forthat night at ten o'clock, an unusual hour, and indicating, surely,something of great importance. Promptly at the hour appointed fifteendirectors occupied their usual places in the council chamber. There werealso present two paying tellers, which was not usual. Besides these twobank clerks was observed Major Andrews, the well-known chief of the BowStreet detective service, and by his side sat two of his assistants. Asyet, there were only five persons present who knew the cause of thismeeting—the president, cashier, and the chief and his assistants.
No time was permitted to waste. The president of the bank in a fewnervous words asked the cashier to state the object of the call. Mr. Boneat once stated that there were strong indications that a robbery of thebank had been perpetrated; that a large amount of currency had beenabstracted from the paying teller's room. Hence this sudden call forconsultation; this, also, accounted for the unusual presence of ChiefAndrews and his colleagues. He then called on Mr. Roe, the senior payingteller, to make a statement of what he knew of the matter.
Mr. Roe arose, and told that at nine o'clock that morning in hispreparations for business he had brought from the vault a quantity ofcurrency and placed it with other moneys on a side table convenientlysituate for ready use. And that when, about two o'clock, he had occasionfor its use, it was gone. Everything possible had been done to gain aclue, but there was not the slightest thing upon which to hang thefaintest suspicion.
Major Andrews, stepping in front of the table, then requested permissionto ask Mr. Roe a few questions simply for information. This permissionwas at once granted.
"Mr. Roe," asked the chief, "what was the general appearance of thismoney? Was it loose or in a package?"
"It was a neat package," replied Mr. Roe, "wrapped in brown paper, withits character and value marked distinctly on the wrapper."
"You say," said the chief, "'character and value distinctly marked on thewrapper.' Please to explain what you mean by these terms."
"I mean," replied the teller, "by 'character' that there were one hundredand fifty one-thousand-pound notes, and by 'value' the value of thepackage—one hundred and fifty thousand pounds."
"Mr. Roe," continued the major, "is it the custom of your department tohave so large an amount of currency upon your side table?"
"No, sir," replied the teller, "but I had been notified that a largedraft would be presented today, and this package came nearest to theamount spoken of; consequently, I selected and brought it to my table outof the vault to be in readiness to pay the draft when presented."
"You say you had been notified that a large draft would be presented. May
I ask who notified you?"
"The cashier told me this morning when we were getting ready to open,"was the prompt reply.
"Mr. Roe, when did you last see this money?"
"This morning about a quarter after nine, when it was place