despatch in affairs of this nature, and fully appreciating the anxiety
of the bank officials, I resolved to answer their call as speedily as
possible. But few words of consultation were required for the subject,
and in a short time I had selected the man for the preliminary
investigation, and requested his presence in my office. John Manning was
the operative chosen for this task, an intelligent, shrewd and trusty
young man of about thirty years of age, who had been in my employ for a
long time. Well educated, of good address, and with a quiet, gentlemanly
air about him that induced a favorable opinion at a glance. Frequently,
prior to this, occasions had presented themselves for testing his
abilities, and I had always found him equal to any emergency. Sagacious
and skillful as I knew him to be, I felt that I could implicitly rely
upon him to glean all the information that was required in order to
enable me to devise an intelligent plan of detection, and which would,
as I hoped, lead to eventual success.

Giving John Manning full instructions as to his mode of proceeding, and
cautioning him to be particular and thorough in all his inquiries, I
directed him to proceed as soon as possible to the scene of the robbery,
and enter at once upon the performance of his duties.

In a very short time Manning had made his preparations, and at eight
o'clock that evening he was at the depot awaiting the departure of the
train that was to bear him to his new field of operation.

After a journey of several hours, in which the detective endeavored to
snatch as much comfort as possible, the train drew up at the neat little
station at Geneva, and Manning was upon the ground.

It was two o'clock in the morning when he arrived, consequently there