Man leaves almost $5K on park bench, Good Samaritan returns it

A Hamilton man is counting his blessings and his cash after one exceptionally honest woman returned $4,900 that he had somehow left on a park bench last weekend.

Police say it started on June 24, when a 66-year-old man withdrew the money for some sort of purchase.

While on a park bench at Kingand Mary streets, the money fell out of the man's pocket, Const. Steve Welton told CBC News. He didn't realize what had happened until he got home.

"He was in complete shock, disappointed and distressed," Welton said. The man reported the money missing the next day.

It's proof that Good Samaritans are out there in our city.- Const. Steve Welton

Lucky for him, a 59-year-old Hamilton woman found the money on the bench, and turned it over to police.

"The natural reaction for this woman was the money wasn't hers, and she did the right thing to return it," Welton said, adding that the woman asked her identity be kept anonymous, downplaying the gravity of what she did.

But the officers didn't just hand over the money, no questions asked. It took three days of investigating to discern that the money did, in fact, belong to this man. Welton said that would include evidence likefinancial information, and the man describing the exact denominations that went missing.

In the end, on June 28, his cash was returned. Welton said police are also not releasing his identity.

"He's incredibly grateful," Welton said. "It's proof that Good Samaritans are out there in our city."

adam.carter@cbc.ca