Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-10-10


ing, with very easy and careless pleasant
ness, whom does he meets Why, no other
than William Harrison, flying along the
road like mailman, calling out if any one
had seen two BLACKBOARD looking men on
the way: for that his shop had been robbed
during the night, and all the money he
had in the world taken out of il and car
ried away.
II saw the blackguards," replied Walter
They're AVA doun by Gibson's loan yon-
der, as fast as if messenger WI hornin
and caption was at their heels"
And he again whistled his tune-a cir
cumstanee that struck Harrison, who had
never heard him whistle before, with as
much surprise as his announcements; but
he had no time to wonder or reply, and
away he shot like pursuing messenger,
while Walter walked into the town and
opened his shop, wherein he deposited the
$500, and proceeded TO serve his customers
with much simplicity and good humor
as ever
The news of the loss sustained by Harri-
son went like wildfre through the burgh,
and every one wondered that a man who
owed so much money should have had so
large a sum as $500 in the house at one
time. and it was suspected that he intended
to fly the country with the money as soon
as he could wiring the false debt out of
simple Watty. Every inquiry was made
after the robbers, but they could not be
traced; and now Harrison, made savage by
his loss and the allusion made by Watty
about the messenger, got his caption from
Edinburgh by special messenger, and
sent to apprehend Walter for the false
debt
Il have caption against you, Mr..
Wylie," said the messenger as he entered
Will you pay the debt or go with mes"
IF you'll watt" replied Watty, with the
greatest simplicity, till weigh this pund
o sugar to Jenny Gilchrist, Ill TAX step
wi We as far as the JAIL
And, proceeding to serve his customer,
he INDUCED in some of his dry jokes in the
very same way he used to do and when he
had finished, called up his wife to serve the
shop, and walked with great composure
away with the messenger to that place of
squalor and squalid misery. He was in due
form entered in the jailers books and de-
posted in the old black building as a jail
bird, where, if he chose, he might whistle
as gayly as he did in the morning when he
went out to hear the larks singing in the
clouds, to which celestial residence he had
so Unexpectedly accompanied them. The
news soon spread far and wide that Walter
Wylie was in prison, and many efforts
were made to get him to pay the Gebs at
once and gain his liberty, but Walter knew
himself what he was about, and having
thus ascertained how far Harrison would
go, he sent for a writer, and having given
him instructions and a part of the $500 to
pay his expenses, got out in few days on
what the honest men of the law call sus-
pension and liberation.
Some time afterward, Harrison himself,
having lost all his money, was put into Jail
at the instance o. one of his creditors who
was enraged at the scheme he had resorted
to for defrauding them: and there he lay in
the very same room in which Watty lad
been deposited. Harrison's creditor was
good and godly man, and, like Walter, was
an elder of the church, and the people
pitied him greatly for the loss he was
likely to sustain through the rogue who
had thus cheated so many poor people.
His debt was $50, and, to the wonder and
amazement of all the inhabitants, he
got full payment from Walter Wylie,
whereupon Harrison was Immediately let
out of prison.
No sooner was it known that Walter
had paid one debt of Harrison than an
| other creditor apprehended the rogue, and
lodged him in Jail. He was allowed to lie
there for a considerable time, when Watty
again came forward and paid this debt
also, whereupon he was again allowed to
| escape. A third creditor followed the ex-
ample of the two others, and the rogue
was again committed to durance, but this
time Watty allowed him to remain for a
longer time. and then paid the debt that
he might deal out his punishment in due
| proportion. A fourth time the rogue was
| apprehended, and a fifth and sixth time
and upon each of these occasions he was
| allowed to remain for as long Il time as
Watty thought might produce as much
pain as it was his intention to infiict.
Altogether Harrison had thus lain about
eight months in prison. His debts were
now all paid, and the whole sum of esOO
exhausted-having been honestly divided
among those creditors whose debts were
just, and who required them for the sup
| port of their wives and children. No part
of the $500 was kept to answer the false
debt claimed against Watty, because he
had secured himself against that demand
by getting designations to the debts he
paid, whereby he might plead compensa-
| ton against his prosecutor. Thus had he,
| In his own quiet way, saved himself, pun
lshed rogue and brought peace and COM
| fort to the homes of a number of deserving
| men, whose debts otherwise would never
have been paid.
The wonder produced by this extraor-
binary proceeding on the part of Watty
was unparalleled; and what nobody could
comprehend, they were surely entitled to
wonder at. Some thought the simple
creature mad, and his friends tried to in
terfere to prevent so reckless a squander-
| ing of his means.
II am surprised, Mr.. Wylie," said. his
clergyman to him one day in the presence
of a number of people who were collected
in the shop, Il am surprised at this pro-
ceeding of yours, which has spread far and
wide throughout the country. If your
motive be a secret, will not ask it from
thee; but, if it is fair and legitimate
question, would make bold to put it to
thee, as one Of my flock and an elder of our
church"
''Tbere is nae secret about it, SIR" re-
piled Watty with his accustomed simple
ity. "We are told to do guild to them wha
hate us, and pay for them wha despitefuliy
prosecute u.s." And he leered grotesque
look of simple cajolery in the face of the