DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22217#0359
A WOLF IN SHEEPS CLOTHING.
one but an expert looking at these notes could have guessed
that they were penned by the same man—the handwriting,
the phraseology, the notepaper, and the style were entirely
different. They were posted at once, and thus arrived one
mail in advance of Mr Cooper's two notes, which were at
once re-addressed as directed, and duly delivered into
Johnston's hands. To write replies for the two imaginary
deacons was then an easy matter; to get them duly authen-
ticated with the post-mark of the town in question was more
difficult. But during the interval, Johnston had called upon
Mr Cooper, and made such rapid progress in his favour that
he had not only been provided with a complete suit of clothes,
but had been allowed to dine with Mr Cooper and his wife.
So much familiarity implied also the gift of some money, and
part of this money Johnston now hastened to use in a trip to
the west. He left Edinburgh by an early train, posted the
letters in the town, and took the first train back to Edinburgh,
which he reached in time to take tea with the good man he
had imposed upon. The same evening Mr Cooper chanced
to mention that in a day or two he would have in his
possession a large sum of money, out of which he intended
to pay a steerage passage for Johnston to the Cape. The
place where he kept his money was already known to Johnston,
from the fact that a pound note had been taken from the
drawer as a present to the broken-down minister. This
place was a small parlour on the ground floor, easily accessible
from a green behind the house. The window was fastened
with an ordinary spring check, but that was no impediment
to a man of Johnston's experience ; and the shutters were
seldom closed, and certainly not fastened at night. A great
scheme flashed upon Johnston's brain. At first his only
desire and concern had been to get clothing and a passage
to the Cape ; now, however, the bloodthirsty excitement of
the old convict and jail-bird crept over his faculties, and
goaded him on to a greater haul. He would empty the
drawer the first night the money was there to take. There
would be but one night in which the crime could be committed,
for Mr Cooper had shown no reserve or concealment of his
plans, and Johnston knew that on the following day most
of the money would be paid away in quarterly accounts, &c.
With part of the money given him by the benevolent man,
he bought some housebreaking implements—a thin putty
knife to force open the spring fastening of the window, a
one but an expert looking at these notes could have guessed
that they were penned by the same man—the handwriting,
the phraseology, the notepaper, and the style were entirely
different. They were posted at once, and thus arrived one
mail in advance of Mr Cooper's two notes, which were at
once re-addressed as directed, and duly delivered into
Johnston's hands. To write replies for the two imaginary
deacons was then an easy matter; to get them duly authen-
ticated with the post-mark of the town in question was more
difficult. But during the interval, Johnston had called upon
Mr Cooper, and made such rapid progress in his favour that
he had not only been provided with a complete suit of clothes,
but had been allowed to dine with Mr Cooper and his wife.
So much familiarity implied also the gift of some money, and
part of this money Johnston now hastened to use in a trip to
the west. He left Edinburgh by an early train, posted the
letters in the town, and took the first train back to Edinburgh,
which he reached in time to take tea with the good man he
had imposed upon. The same evening Mr Cooper chanced
to mention that in a day or two he would have in his
possession a large sum of money, out of which he intended
to pay a steerage passage for Johnston to the Cape. The
place where he kept his money was already known to Johnston,
from the fact that a pound note had been taken from the
drawer as a present to the broken-down minister. This
place was a small parlour on the ground floor, easily accessible
from a green behind the house. The window was fastened
with an ordinary spring check, but that was no impediment
to a man of Johnston's experience ; and the shutters were
seldom closed, and certainly not fastened at night. A great
scheme flashed upon Johnston's brain. At first his only
desire and concern had been to get clothing and a passage
to the Cape ; now, however, the bloodthirsty excitement of
the old convict and jail-bird crept over his faculties, and
goaded him on to a greater haul. He would empty the
drawer the first night the money was there to take. There
would be but one night in which the crime could be committed,
for Mr Cooper had shown no reserve or concealment of his
plans, and Johnston knew that on the following day most
of the money would be paid away in quarterly accounts, &c.
With part of the money given him by the benevolent man,
he bought some housebreaking implements—a thin putty
knife to force open the spring fastening of the window, a