Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-07-20
A LUMBER AGENT.
Charges Preferred Against
Him in San BernardinO.
SAN PEDRo's PUBLIC LIBRARY.
The Cornerstone Laid Yesterday
with Interesting Ceremonies.
Other Local Events.

Some four months ago hand
some, well-educated young Alabaman
named w. 7. Lynch arrived in this city
and established himself at the st. Elmo
Hotel. He was the agent for the Relf-
ance Lumber Company of Beaumont,
Texas, and came here to establish
a business for that organization, as
there was evidently good field, owing to-
the high price of lumber. Lynch had
been residing about forty miles from
Beaumont for some time previous to his
departure for California, and was regard
ed as bright young man of business
qualifications, and when he made the
project to the lumber company to estab-
lish an agency in Southern California,
they readily hearkened to his proposals.
He was therefore established here with
salary of $3.50 a month, and for time
he worked like beaver, never resting,
night and day, and ever alive to the in
terests of his business. He obtained
good many orders in town for
his firm, among others the lum-
Der for the improvements on the
Childs' Opera House, and then he went
into the surrounding districts and went
to work with like energy. He removed
his headquarters to the Hollenbeck,
where he soon became very popular, but
he is said to have gradually drifted into
an expensive set who passed the nights
in drinking and hilariousness. Lynch
fought but feebly against these tempta-
tions, and gradually change came over
him and he is said to have become
sucked into the vortex of dissipation. He
did not attend to his business, the lumber
sent here 10 fulfil the orders he had
booked, stood side-tracked at the depot
at the cost of his company,
and soon the time came when all
the business he did with his firm
was to draw his salary. The news of his
wild doings reached headquarters in
Texas, and Mr.. Mark Weiss, the Presi-
dent of the company, at once started
here to investigate the situation. As
result of his visit Deputy Sheriff East
yesterday hunted up Lynch and conveyed
him to the county Jail, from whence he
was subsequently taken by Deputy
Sheriff Bright to San Bernardino. The
reason for the arrest was explained by
Mr.. Weiss to HERALD reporter last
night as follows: zone of the first
things I discovered on my arrival here
was that Lynch has been representing
himself as authorized to collect money
for our company. An instance in point
was at Riverside, where he had obtained
$500 from lumberman for material sup
piled and devoted it to his own use. The
allowance of $3.50 month we made him
was certainly liberal one, but for some
time past he has been overdrawing and
also collecting our money and spending
it. AS he was not the authorized collec-
tor for our company the charge against
him cannot therefore be of embezzle-
ment, which is felony, but one of mig
demeanor, for obtaining money under
false pretences. I am very sorry that
this affair has occurred, as like Lynch,
and know that before this fit of dissipa-
ton he was good man, but had to
take legal measures against him for the
protection of our company"
Mr.. Weiss hinted that the matter
might be compromised, and this will
probably be the manner in which it will
publicly end. The arrest created good
deal of senfation about the hotels, as
Lynch was well known and had made
host of friends since his arrival in this
citv