Baldwin and Gresham were boyhood chums. They went to school together. Their friendship flowered into a lifetime bondage as it was sustained for thirty five years. When Baldwin’s son was being baptised in the church, Gresham was present. Baldwin expressed his wish that his son John Gresham Baldwin grew up to Gresham’s standard in life. Baldwin was paid only 60 dollars a week for working as a Governor of the private bank founded by Gresham. Accidentally, Baldwin found out how Gresham was siphoning money very cleverly from the deposits technically without really causing any loss to the depositors. But Baldwin was loyal to Gresham only as long as he was honest. Once he parted ways with honesty, Baldwin would also part ways with Gresham. By the force of his upright character, Baldwin advised him to close the bank and return the deposit to the customers.
Third National Bank was ready to help the reorganization of the bank. Meanwhile, Gresham was arrested. The court could not nail Gresham as there was not a shred of evidence to prove his guilt. If Baldwin testified, the court would indict him. Just before being arrested Gresham offered him one hundred thousand dollars to just say “I don’t remember”. The three words to let him off the hook. He claimed it was the difference between the salary he had been paid and what he ought to have received. Had it been someone else, Baldwin would have slapped him. But it was Gresham who understood his body language and did not press the matter further. He was proud of the fact that Gresham understood how he could not compromise with his conscience. His family members Martha, Evie and John felt that it was a compliment that cost him one hundred thousand dollars. Baldwin said that Gresham’s compliment about his uprightness was worth a hundred thousand dollars.
