THE SILVER BOX SUMMARY

Jack Barthwick returns home after midnight in an intoxicated state. He is the son of John Barthwick, a wealthy member of parliament belonging to the Liberal Party. Jack is helped by Jones in unlocking the house, who is about thirty years old and dressed in shabby clothes. The poor and unemployed Jack staggers into his dining room with a woman's velvet bag. The bag contains a crimson silk purse. He drops the purse and takes out a cigarette from the silver box.

He wants to tip Jones something but has only one shilling in his pocket. Therefore, he offers Jones a drink in exchange for cash. He introduces himself to Jones and reveals that he had a fight with a street walker and snatched his bag. He longs to sleep on the couch. Jones sips in several pegs of whiskey and is more drunk. He suddenly picks up the silver box and the red silk purse. He leaves the room overjoyed that he has beaten Jack.

Mrs. Jones works as a lady at Barthwick's house. In the morning, Wheeler, the maid, tells Mrs. Jones of Mr. Jones' misdeeds. Mrs Jones admits that her husband abuses her. He returns home at 2 pm. last night and used violence at that. However, she links her anger to heavy drinking and unemployment. She is worried about how to feed her three children. Marlowe, the manservant, as well as Wheeler advise Mrs Jones to go to court.

Mrs Jones sweeps the dining prom. Jack wakes up and complains of a severe headache. Marlowe finds that the silver box is missing. She suspects that Mrs. Jones is stealing it. Mr. John Barthwick is a prosperous old man. He is calm and serious. He reads the news of the Labor Party's success in the Parliament by-elections. His wife is very upset. He fears that the Labor Party is bent upon depriving the upper classes of their rights and property. She says that education has increased discontent among the lower classes and the bureaucrats have become angry.

John receives a dishonored check for 40. Jack took it out. Jack's troubles may increase if the check bounces. John reprimands his son when the latter has breakfast. Just then a girl's phone rang in the house. She complains that Jack quarreled with her and snatched her bag. This revelation shocked Harthwick and he called for Jack. She demands that her purse containing eight pounds of mine be returned to her. Jack returns with an empty bag.

She threatens to file a theft complaint against Jack. Barthwick pays her eight pounds and settles Dame. After she leaves, John reprimands Jack and calls him a nuisance to society. Jack ruthlessly replies that he (his foal) has helped him simply because he is afraid of a scam. John feels uncomfortable. Marlowe reports the loss of the silver box. Mr. Barthwick is shocked by the theft and decides to investigate the matter.

He cross-examines Mrs Tone to get information about her past and present circumstances. She reveals that her first child was born before Jones married her. This led to a scandal and Jones was fired by his employer. He mistreats her but she is not evil. She also lives for 6 shillings a week. His rent is due.

He himself gets only half the crown for the whole day's work. She says that she does not know about the silver box. At Jones' house, Mrs. Seddon, the landlady, comes to collect rent. Jones gives her a pound and she leaves. Then, he takes out the crimson purse. He says that by chance he was found lying unattended on the road and was over seven pounds. He has no sense of guilt. He plans to go to Canada to change his fortunes. Mrs Jones shakes her coat and the silver box falls down, the same box she was questioned about.

Jones says he took it while intoxicated. He promises to throw it in the river. He hates to be called a thief but Mrs Jones is not satisfied with this explanation. He accused her of ruining his reputation. Jones calls himself no worse than Jack. As the row continues, a detective in plainclothes Robert Snow arrives. He puts his hand on the box and announces Mrs Jones has been arrested. Jones confesses that he stole the box, not his wife.

As Snow pulls Mrs Jones to the door and whistles to call the other policemen, Jones blows her up. John builds Snow Corns and Silver Box for Barthwick to see. He informs that Jones has been taken into custody for assaulting him in the discharge of his duty, he also reports that Comey lets him enter the house and offers him a drink. Jones is likely to make the same statement before a police magistrate. Snow ends with the information that he has also recovered a red silk purse along with money from Jones' pocket.

Mr. Barthwick now wants the whole matter to be put to rest. He sympathizes with the poor and warns Snow against Jones. 

Asks to drop the proceedings. Snow makes it clear that Jones would need to be prosecuted for assaulting a public servant. He advises John to hire a lawyer to defend him.

and his son. He takes the silver box as it has to be produced in the court. John Barthwick is very worried. He fears bad publicity in the press. His reputation is at stake. Mrs. Barthwick was shocked to hear the details from Jack herself. "Better than having lost a dozen cigarette cans, and said nothing about it," John says in desperation. Roper, the lawyer, arrives.

After John informs her that the shepherd is innocent, her husband had taken the purse and box when Jack had let him into the house himself. He reveals his fear that the newspapers will defame him if Jones makes a fuss about the purse. Mother asks Jack to tell the truth and says that she never let Jones into the house. Roper advises that Jack should not say anything about the events of the previous night. Jack is taught to say that he doesn't remember anything.

After this Jones and his wife are produced in court. Mrs Barthwick again reminds her lawyer to keep the Red Purse out of the case. The hearing begins. The first witness, Marlowe, tells of the theft of the silver box. Detective Robert Snow tells how he got the box from Jones' house. He also reports that Jones used violence against him. Jones states in self-defense that he committed the violence because Snow insisted on taking his wife into custody. Jones says she had never been brought to police court before. He admits that he took the silver box while intoxicated.

Jack is called into the witness box. He swears that he will tell the truth but he pretends to remember nothing, that he does not know Jones and has never met him before. When Iones tries to remind him of the incident, Roper intervenes to say that Jones' questions are not relevant. Jones asks the magistrate to question Jack why he took the woman's purse.

Roper intervenes again and requests the magistrate to let Jack leave the witness box. Thus, the theft of the purse by Jack, a key issue in this case, is side tracked. The magistrate acquits Mrs Jones and sets her free. He finds Jones guilty of misconduct attacking a public servant on duty, he declares that people like Jones are a nuisance to the community.

Jack remembers that his father used the same words for him. Jones is sentenced to a month's imprisonment with hard labor: "Call it justice? What about that? He got drunk! They put up their complaint that Jack is equally guilty and punished." Deserves to but his cries go unheard. Court adjourns for lunch. Roper asks reporter not to write anything hurtful about the Barthwick family. Jack proudly walks off the court. Mr. Barthwick Mrs Jones' employment appeal was eventually ignored.

SHORT EXPLANATION

Act I, Scene I

The three scenes of the first Act take place in the London dining room of John Barthwick, a Liberal member of parliament.

Jack Barthwick, son of the family, comes home at night drunk, carrying a lady's reticule (handbag). Jones, whose wife is the charwoman for the Barthwicks, has helped him to unlock the door, and is given a drink by Jack. Jack falls asleep on the sofa; Jones takes a purse that has fallen from the reticule, and a silver box – a cigarette box – and leaves.

Act I, Scene II

The next morning, Jack is still on the sofa. While Mrs. Jones is cleaning the room, she talks to Wheeler, the housemaid, and to Marlow, the butler, about her husband: he is out of work, and is violent when he is drunk. Marlow notices that the cigarette box is missing.

Act I, Scene III

John Barthwick and his wife, having breakfast, talk about politics: she is alarmed on reading in the newspaper that a Labour candidate has won a by-election, but he says that all parties should be represented.

An unknown lady calls. She is the young lady whom Jack met last evening; she is anxious to have her purse back, to pay the rent. Jack finds that there is no purse in the reticule, and denies having it. Barthwick reluctantly gives the lady some money, and talks severely to Jack after she leaves.

Marlow informs Barthwick that the cigarette box is missing; there is a suspicion that Mrs. Jones stole it. Barthwick interviews Mrs. Jones, and learns of her troubled domestic situation. She knows nothing about the missing cigarette box.

Act II, Scene I

In the Jones's lodgings, Jones complains to his wife that he is badly treated when he tries to find work. She says that they have to pay the rent today; when the landlady comes for the rent, Jones unexpectedly throws his wife a sovereign to pay it. Mrs. Jones is appalled to find he has a purse and the missing cigarette box. Jones says "I'm no thief. I'm no worse than wot that young Barthwick is; he brought 'ome that purse I picked up – a lady's purse – 'ad it off 'er in a row, kept sayin' 'ed scored 'er off. Well, I scored 'im off.... And d'you think anything'll happen to him?"

Snow, a detective, enters and finds the cigarette box he is looking for. He assumes Mrs. Jones stole it, and arrests her. Jones, saying he took the box himself, attacks Snow, and a policeman comes in to overpower Jones.

Act II, Scene II

In the Barthwicks' dining room that evening, Mr. and Mrs. Barthwick and Jack are having dessert.

Snow comes in. His report, that Jones says he took the box when he was let in by a drunken Jack, and that Jones had the purse, causes dismay and embarrassment. Snow says Jones should be prosecuted: Barthwick says, as he looks gloomily at Jack, "This prosecution goes very much against the grain with me. I have great sympathy with the poor. In my position I'm bound to recognise the distress there is amongst them."

Roper, Barthwick's lawyer, wants to know how to present the case in the police court. Mrs. Barthwick believes that Jack's involvement is an invention of Jones; Jack is unwilling to appear in court; Barthwick is anxious that the details should not get into the papers.

Act III

In the police court, Mrs. Jones says she was shocked that her husband had the box. Jones says he helped young Mr. Barthwick to unlock the door, and that Jack said to him, "You look... like one of these 'ere Socialists. Take whatever you like." Jones says he took the box out of spite. Jack, questioned by Roper, says he does not remember Jones letting him in.

Barthwick does not press charges, and Mrs. Jones is discharged. Jones, who has pleaded guilty to stealing the box and assaulting the police, is told that being drunk is no excuse, and is given one month in prison. As he leaves he shouts resentfully at Jack, who took the purse while drunk but has not got into trouble with the law.