The northwestern bulletin-appeal., 1925-05-02
TRUSTED EMPLOYEES V[CTIm|zE
ROBERT S. ABBOTT PUBLISHING co.
STAFF OFFICIALS
FALSE TO TRUST
OF employer
SpeculatiOns Carried On for
Some Time Disclose RiOtOus
Living in Big City.
Special to the Bulletin-Appeal

Special to the Buletin-Appeal
Chicago, ILL.,, May THE
shocking disclosures of sys-
tematic stealing from the Rob-
ert S. Abbott Publishing Co.,
publishers of the Chicago De-
fender, by trusted employees,
following the notice of dismissal
in last weeks issue of that pa
per, has been the latest sensa-
ton to stagger the Windy
City"-long accustomed to sur
prises of vice and crime.
First vague then ugly rumors, have
been whispered on the street, at the
churches, clubs, the homes and in fact
wherever men and women have been
drawn together, have been going the
rounds for several weeks. The verifi-
cation OF this unpleasant gossip was
made public through the publishers per-
emptory announcement. The dis
closures were brought--Out when the
publishing company made application TO
have a local bank underwrte bond
issue for the purpose of building an ad-
dition to its present plant. The bank
had its appraisers and auditors go over
the books of the company to find out its
assets, and it was then revealed that
there were discrepancies in several de-
partments The defalcations, it is al
legged, exceed one hundred thousand
dollars.
Officials Summon Chief.
Mr. Abbot was summoned to return
post haste by the bank officials, from
business trip to New York, and the
facts were laid before him, which in
volved his most trusted employees. The
men alleged to be guilty of this gigantic
steal are Phil A. Jones, general man
ager; Alfred Anderson, chief editorial
writer and purchasing agent; J. De Los
Bell, bookkeeper, and Roscoe Conkling
Simmons, columnist and road agent.
The peculations have been carried on
for some time by the important depart
ment heads, and disclose riotous living
in the wild night life of the big city,
gambling, high priced automobiles, lat
est modes of clothing and fine raiI.ment,
besides the indulgence of numerous ex-
travagances for baubles and triviali-
| ties
/ Perhaps the straw that broke the
camel's back came with the formation
of the Refexus Corporation, with Phil
A. Jones chairman of the board of
directors, and J. De Los Bell as secre-
tary and treasurer. This corporation
sponsored the publication of the Re-
fexus Magazine, which made its initial
appearance April |, 1925, The cost of
such an expensive publication created
wonder and surprise as to its real
financial hackers. Close associates of
the men whose names appeared as Off
GERS of the company were at loss to
know it was possible for them to f.
nance such daring undertaking, and con-
cluded that they were the personal rep
resentatives of Robert s. Abbott, who
for business reasons preferred to keep
silent by eschewing publicity.
Figures Overwheim Auditors.
With so heavy drain upon their re-
sources it became necessary to dig deep
er into the treasury box of their en-
ployer, which left a gap that could not
be covered with the same discretion that
characterized their previous system of
alterations. 1t was this huge transac-
ton which led the auditors into the
ramifcations and recesses of dis
closure after disclosure until the bank
Continued on page four)