Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-07-23
]. w. WAR; GUILTY
Jury in Circuit Court at Cambridge
Convicts Him of EmbezZie-
ment Last Evening.
ONLY TWO BALLOTS TAKEN
One to Ten Years the Penalty-Couns-
ell to File Motion for new
Trial Next Monday.

John w War;, erstwhile philanthro-
pist, reformer, f1nancier and journ-
alist, stands convicted of the crime of
embezzlement by jury of his peers.
The verdict was returned in the cir
cult court at Cambridge last evening.
But two ballots were taken. The
| instructions delivered TO the jury were
finished by Judge F. d. Ramsay at $50
O'Clock. After an informal ballot, in
which II voted for and one opposed
conviction, The jurors adjourned for
supper. On their return another bal
lot. the formal one, showed that they
were unanimous for conviction.
Be Carried to Appellate Court.
c. J. Searle, chief counsel for the
defense, gave notice that Monday
day morning he would file a motion for
a new trial. 1t is understood if this
is denied that the case viii be carried
to the appellate court
The indictment on which War;
stands convicted is the theft of S24.-
900 from the Moline Building, Loan
and Savings association. of which he
was serving as secretary. The ap-
prOXimate extent Of Wars alleged
populations is 100000 The remain
der was lost by the stockholders and
dcpOsitors, the latter including many
of the wage earners of the city of Mo
line. a number of whom were poor
persons.
Shock to the County.
The disclosures following the sus-
pension of the building association
were a shock not only 10 Moline but
throughout the county where War; had
been known for years as one of the
leaders in the good works of his
home city. He was arrested Nov. 8
last, and admitted to bail, but was
made a prisoner of the county Jail on
Jan. 10, when II indictments for en-
bezZlement were returned against him
by the grand jury. The bail demanded
was in an amount greater than it was
possible for War; to raise. Reduction
was made, but not sufficient to meet
the sum that he believed his friends
would raise for him. A Burlington, Ia.
woman, it will be remembered, who
had become interested in Wars case
through a minister of her city who
had formerly resided in Moline, came
here and deposited $4,000 in a local
bank to be used by War; in obtaining
his release pending his trial, but the
money was never allowed to serve
the purpose for which the woman in
tended it.
Change of Venue to Henry County.
After lengthy fight between the
state and the attorneys for War;. in
which volumes of affidavits were sub
mtted to the court in support and in
contradiction of the contention that the
public mind in Rock Island county had
been prejudiced against the defend
ant by reason of the widespread print
ing of the stories pertaining to the
crime, Judge c. E. Graves granted
motion for a change of venue to
Henry county. The trial was held be-
fore Judge Ramsay, States Attorney
II. \. Weld, from this city. prosecut-
ing, with the assistance of B. F. Peek,
OF Moline, representing the building as
ISOLATION. c. J. Searle, of this city, and
y. F. Anderson, of Galva, conducting
the defense. The penalty for embeZ-
element is from one to 10 years. There
are Is indictments on which War; is
still TO be tried. These are on the
patent notes, or embezzlement from
the individuals