Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-04-02
STATEMENT MADE
Head Clerk Halves Gives Facts
Concerning Woodmen En-.
ploye's Defalcation.
RESTITUTION TO ORDER COMPLETE
Offender Secured $4,000 by Forg-
ing Four Death
Claims.

Respecting the report of a defalca-
ton by an employee of the Woodmen
head office, the general publicity of
which after several weeks of partial
suppression now demands atten-
ton, and reference to which was
made in yesterdays Argus, Maj. C. w.
Halves, the head clerk, today made
the following statement:
1T is true that an employee of this
office succeeded in securing temper
arily from the benefit fund of the So
ciety $4,000. The method employed
had for its basis wholesale forgery.
The offending employee had thel inn
plicit confidence of every member of
the society's management
Il had my suspicion aroused by a
letter of inquiry as to the financial
standing of this employe. Although
l did not entertain for a moment the
thought that the inquiry concerned
the affairs of the society, | thought
IT wise to institute a secret, but thor
ough, investigation, with the result
that three fraudulent death claims of
$4,000 each were discovered upon
which the full amount had been col
lected.
Makes Con fessIOn
THE society's board of directors
was Immediately placed in possession
of all the facts in the case, and the
offender was brought before the
board. Confronted with the evidence
gathered, he admitted his guilt. sign
ing written confession assuming en-
tire responsibility for the crime He
denied completely of any other per-
son or persons. | have his written
confession in my possession.
"On his request, his father, a highly
respected citizen of this county, made
good every dollar involved The of
Tending employee was at once dis
charged.
I'VE were not satisfied that the
three claims discovered included all
of like character, and l, therefore, df-
rected further investigation, to in
clude all the death claims that had
passed through the hands of this EN-
ploye during his five years service
in the mortuary department.. The re-
suit was the discovery of another
fraudulent claim for $1,000.
AT the next following session of
the board of directors the facts were
presented, and the offender bein" ac-
cessible. was again confronted with
the evidence. AS in the other three
claims, he admitted his guilt. and
again appealed to his father for help.
His father, as a result of this trouble,
had been FRUSTRATED by a stroke of
paralysis and was unable to respond
but the offenders sister, through
great personal sacrifice involving the
family homestead, secured the So 900
and paid it over to the Society. [
may say, therefore. that sofar as this
society is financially concerned, this
unfortunate affair is closed
Consideration Extended
Out of consideration for his re-
spected father and his sister, who
voluntarily made restitution to the
society of the amount involved. as
well as for the wife and little chill
dren of the employee, the manage
ment of this fraternity has not felt
called upon to institute criminal pro-
ceedings. There exists, however, no
agreement, express or implied, that
leniency is to be extended.
THE facts, as l have given them
are known to the members of the So
ciety generally in this vicinity. and
have yet to find one who criticises
the course pursued i'm the adjustment
.of the matter. / have frankly ans
wered all inquiries addressed to me,
in accordance with the facts as
state them.
I'm my biennial report to be sub
mitted to the head camp, converting
at Indianapolis June 16 next, / will
submit full statement covering the
matter. The examiners from the Hi
nois insurance department will also
cover this affair in their report,
which later on will be published for
the information of the membership
of this society.
''There has been no attempt at any
time at concealment. All the facts
will be submitted in proper form and
at the proper time to the member
ship. and the course thus far pursued,
may say, is known in detail to the
Illinois state insurance department"
Yesterdays Resolutions.
In the resolutions adopted by the
Woodmen county camp, just prior to
adiourning yesterday afternoon. an
invitation was extended for the hold
ing of the next state camp of the or
der in 1905 in this city, and the dele
gates to the state camp this year
were instructed to use their efforts
with that end in view. Head Clerk
Halves a Head Physician Kerns, of
Moline, We. indorsed for reelection.
A resolution introduced by a coun-
| try delegate for the Endorsement of
the candidacy of j. G. johnson and
approving his position in opposition
to rate revision was almost unani-
mously turned down. The position of
| the deIegates npon the rate nnestion