While travelling abroad, Mr Jackson Frank ran short of money. So, he wrote to his brother, asking for five hundred pounds. "send the money by telegram", he wrote, "to the Savings Bank in P...."
After a week he began calling at the Savings Bank. He showed his passport and was told "Nothing has come for you". This went on for two weeks, and Mr Frank started to get increasingly worried. Consequently, he sent a telegram to his brother, asking him where the money was and why he was taking so long. There was no reply at all, and no money arrived for him. He started to despair.
In the fourth week Mr Frank was arrested for failing to pay his hotel bill and his passport and luggage were taken from him. He tried to explain what the problem was but nobody believed him. As a result, he was sent to prison for sixty days.
When he came out, the first thing he did was to go to the Savings Bank. The clerk he spoke to was a new man he hadn't seen before. "Have you received any money for me" he asked. "My name is Jackson Frank".
The clerk checked his books carefully and smiled at Mr. Frank. "Well, of course, Mr.
Jackson, your money is here. It came by telegram- let me see- oh, more than two months ago. We wondered where you where and why you didn't come to get it. He showed Mr. Frank the order. It said "Pay MR. Frank Jackson the sum of five hundred pounds..."
"But my name is Jackson Frank, not Frank Jackson", he exclaimed.
"Oh, that doesn't matter sir. It's clear this is for you. The passport number coincides. It was filed in our books under the letter "J" but it's your money, there's no doubt." The clerk laughed.
Mr. Frank was furious. " I don't think it's funny at all. I have just spent sixty days in prison because of your mistake".
The clerk looked confused but, sensing that Mr. Frank was really quite angry, immediately added " A human mistake, sir!! We're all human beings, aren't we? and we all make mistakes some time or other.. A family name like Frank can easily be confused..."
Mr. Frank was silent. He really wanted to hiy somebody hard. At last, after a long pause, he said " A human mistake- is that what you call it ? I think some humans deserve to be punished, and put in prison for the same time as the person they made the mistake with."