Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-07-26
HOUSE JACK BUILT
Book Written by j. w. War; En-
pIoyed With Telling Effect by
Prosecution in His Trial.
ALLEGORY OF OWN DOINGS
Showing That His intentional ThieV-
cry Has Been Going on for at
Least Eight Years.

THE Business House That Jack
Built" the book written by J. w.
War;. and used with such telling effect
by States Attorney II. A. Weld in his
closing argument against Mr.. War; at
Cambridge. was published in 1896.
1t was written to show the growth
of boy in business. and one of the
striking episodes in the book is the
discovery of an cmbezZlement by the
daughter of his employer, assisted by
Jack
The embezzler has the entire con-
troll of the books and cash of his en-
ployer. and by means of false entries
in the books gathers about ninety
thousand dollars. which he invests in
government bonds.
The time comes when large debts
become due and money must be raised
at once by Mr. Williamson, the mer-
chant He has but little money and
his credits are not sufficient to get all
he needs. In this situation he is told
by Mr. Noel the confidential clerk,
that he had accUUlated quite fortune.
that he is in love with the daughter of
Mr.. Williamson and would remain with
him and let him have all the money he
wants to meet his obligations if Elsie,
the daughter. would marry him, but
otherwise he must go to foreign land
and try to forget his love.
Elsie Turns Detective.
Mr.. Williamson tells the story to
Jack. and he goes TO Elsie with it at
Mr.. Williamson's request She is in
dignant. and Mr. Williamson coming
in. she is told the whole story. It is
now developed that she had studied
bookkeeping and had asked Mr.. Noel
TO allow her to keep duplicate sets of
books with him and compare balances
month by month that she might be
como expert in the work. He had re
fused but being in his Office one day
when he was absent she had added
some columns of figures and discov-
cred a thousand dollars was missing.
She added other columns and found
similar errors and always to the ad-
vantage of Mr.. Noel.
She declares that he is the man
who is taking Mr.. Williamson
money. and a plan is formed for
checking up the books BY Jack and
Elsie The con bination of the safe.
which is known only 70 Mr.. Noel. is
secured by a sharp scheme and they
check up the books at night and Sun
days.
They are finally discovered by Mr..
Noel. as he comes TO the Office I'M
usually early. Noel sees what is be-
ing done and attempts to kill Jack
by shooting him, but an ink bottle
thrown Icy Elsie hits him and stuns
him so that he does not fire his re-
vOlver. He RECEIVERS from the blow
but seeing he is caught determines TO
ruin his employer at any cost. and
Selling the box containing his bonds
he unIocks it and throws them in the
orcn CRATE. standing before it with
heavy poker TO prevent their being
taken from the fire.
After they are burned he is told
that he Will be let go if he will sign
4 release of his interest in the bonds
he owned He consents, and leaves.
when Jack tells Mr Williamson and
Elsie that he had picked the lock of
Mr.. NOel's box. taken from il the val
liable papers and filled their place
with blank paper. and all ends hap
PLY.
Nr. Wars Preface.
Mr.. Weld used the illustration in