Refused The Money

The following odd incident is related oï Conductor McKinney, who was employed many years ago upon a Southern railroad : One night in leavlng Washington the conductor went au usual ilirongh the train to collect the fares. In one of the rear ears a passenger without a ticket handed hlm a bilí. ïhe conductor took it, glauced at it hastily and, seeing that it was oï a large denomination, put it in his pocket, as conductora are apt to do, and informed the passenger that he would return with the change. The purjiose of delay was, of course, to afford the conductor an opport unit y to examine the bill at his leisure in the baggage car to see if it was all right. Wlien Mr. McKinney reached the baggage car and inspected the note he found to his astonishment that what he had taken for a $100 bill was a note for $1,000. Of course the changing of a bill of such a denomination was out of the question. The conductor therefore paseed 'back through the train to refund the money and obtain a smaller bill. AVhen he had reached the car the passenger had shifted his eeat. Going ip to him, the conductor said that there was probably a mistake, as the bill glven by liirn was for $1,ooo. To hls utter aniazemént the passenger disdaimed all knowledge of the bill. He had given a ticket, he said, and 'hia eeatmate coniirmed the statement. The conductor expostulated, but the iuaji was firm and could not be prevalled iinon to accept the moaey. Finally the conductor gave up in despair, not knowing whether he or the passenger was crazy, but inclined to the latter belief. At a station or two (rom Washington the passenger and nis companion left the train and hastlly disappeared. The next day Mr. MeKinney hamled in ihe bill to the compajiy's office with an ex]ilanation. The anoiiry was depeolted on speCial account and the railroad Officials awaited the coming oí' a claimant. Year after year passed, however, and no out' ever turned up ior the rnoney, wliicii in the meanwhile was steadily adding interest. Flnally when Mr. McKinney rètlred from the service of the company the of i i ils gave tiiin the ppoceeds ol the bill. vvhich at imorcst tben amounted to nearly $24000. No explanation was ever vouchsafed of the oild oceurrènce. The theory generally credlted by the conductor r.n:l the railroad officials, however, was that the bill was given bjr mistake by wine burglar, wlio upon discovering his error dëcided that it was safer to repudíate the transaction than to acknowledge the ownership of the raoney, the large amount of which' he thouglit might remler the conductor snspicinos and lead to his arrest.