By Michael D. Martin, E.C.P.D. Retired
About the author...Michael Martin (pictured front row, far right in the
1981 photo) is a retired veteran of 25 years on the Eden City Police
Department, and has penned a number of anecdotal writings recalling his
experiences.
XLIV. The Case of the Missing Christmas Club
I guess this was about 1988, Detective Division
was assigned the case of a sweet old lady who lived in the Jamestown
section of Eden who had reported a $5000.00 theft. The report said that
she had talked the members of her church into opening a Christmas Club
Account and during the year, the members had saved five thousand dollars.
She had gone to the bank on a Friday and withdrew the money and intended
to distribute it to the members on the following Sunday. She put the money
in a safe place in her home and figured out which member got what.
On Sunday morning, the money was gone. This
sweet lady had to go to the church and tell the members......she did not
have their money and did not know what happened to it. There was
understandably some feelings expressed and she was embarrassed and baffled.
She said the only person who had been in her home, had been her son. We
picked up the son and interviewed him. Three or four detectives talked to
him and we all had the feeling he was being straight with us, this was a
pretty nice guy and he would never do anything like that to his aged
mother, There was absolutely no sign of a forced entry into the home.
I talked to the lady several times and she
was distraught. I suggested one last effort to her, I asked if I could
bring my narcotics squad to search her home, these boys can find anything
hidden. She agreed and I gathered my team and we went to her home, I
believe it was on Bethel Street. We asked the lady to sit in a chair, out
of the way and our two legged bloodhounds went to work, this time we were
not looking for cocaine, we were looking for cash. In nine minutes flat,
an Eden Detective walked to the lady with an envelope, containing a little
over five thousand dollars. "Oh lord God!! I remember now...I
moved it...I sure did, I moved it...Thank you..thank you...God bless you
boys..." We left there feeling good and we were sure the
congregation of the church felt much better.