The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Mystery of Monastery Farm, by H. R. Naylor

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Title: The Mystery of Monastery Farm

Author: H. R. Naylor

Release Date: April 7, 2004 [EBook #11931]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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The Mystery of Monastery Farm

By H. R. NAYLOR

1908

CHAPTER I

A GREAT BANK ROBBERY

On the eleventh day of April, 18--, the officers of the Bank of England
were greatly excited on receiving notice of a special meeting called for
that night at ten o'clock, an unusual hour, and indicating, surely,
something of great importance. Promptly at the hour appointed fifteen
directors occupied their usual places in the council chamber. There were
also present two paying tellers, which was not usual. Besides these two
bank clerks was observed Major Andrews, the well-known chief of the Bow
Street detective service, and by his side sat two of his assistants. As
yet, there were only five persons present who knew the cause of this
meeting--the president, cashier, and the chief and his assistants.

No time was permitted to waste. The president of the bank in a few
nervous words asked the cashier to state the object of the call. Mr. Bone
at once stated that there were strong indications that a robbery of the
bank had been perpetrated; that a large amount of currency had been
abstracted from the paying teller's room. Hence this sudden call for
consultation; this, also, accounted for the unusual presence of Chief
Andrews and his colleagues. He then called on Mr. Roe, the senior paying
teller, to make a statement of what he knew of the matter.

Mr. Roe arose, and told that at nine o'clock that morning in his
preparations for business he had brought from the vault a quantity of
currency and placed it with other moneys on a side table conveniently
situate for ready use. And that when, about two o'clock, he had occasion
for its use, it was gone. Everything possible had been done t