THE FIRST CORNER IN CURRENCY 113 



That afternoon Ross skipped for South 

 America with some half million of gold, leaving 

 three quarters of a million of his own worthless 

 checks with their forged certification to spread 

 ruin in the Street. 



In the matter of Mumford, too, who "skipped 

 by the light of the moon," my cherub stood by 

 me. There was a delay one day in making our 

 last deposit in the bank and when I asked the rea- 

 son the cashier told me he was waiting for a check 

 of Mumford's to be made good, and that we had 

 a boy waiting at his bank for him to make his ac- 

 count good. I went around to the bank where 

 a line of boys, all with Mumford checks, were 

 waiting for him to make a deposit. Taking the 

 check from our boy I ran to Mumford's office. 

 It was in charge of two or three very much agi- 

 tated clerks. I soon learned that Mumford had 

 left the office with the gold he had received for 

 his worthless checks. The clerks showed me 

 that nothing of value was left, but when I asked 

 if any one owed him anything, a boy in the office 

 said in a low tone which I happened to hear : 



