Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-12-26
KIRSTE CAPTURED.
He Will Be Brought to Los
Angeles To-Day.
THE TOTAL DEFALCATIONS
An Answer to the Charges Made
in the "Times" Regarding
the Affair.

in the "Times" Regarding
the Affair.
Rudolph F. Kirste, the defaulting as
sistant ticket agent OF the Santa Fe, is in
the hands Of the law, land will be brought
to this city this morning on the 10 P.
n. train over the Santa Fe. 1t appears
that after Kirste jumped Los Angeles in
the manner already described in the
HERALD, he went South and made halt
among his many friends in San Diego.
Now, as luck would have it, Mr..
II. B. Wilkins, general freight
and passenger agent of the company went
to the southern seaport on Monday and
happened to run across Kirste on the
streets. OF course he had no other alter
native than to inform the police, and that
same evening Kirste was arrested by
officer Miller and taken to jail, from
which place a telegram was sent to
Sheriff Kays in this city. As prosecutory
steps had already been taken by the
Santa Fe, deputy armed with warrant
for Kirste's arrest was dispatched from
here to San Diego and the defaulter will
be brought back on the morning train
and taken to the county Jail.
The exact amount of his defalcations
is not known, nor will it be for about
three months, as there are certain
accounts that cannot be turned over to
the auditor within that time,
but so far the investigations show
81 ,029 are missing. The Off
cials of the company can scarcely
realize yet that Kirste could be capable
of such thing, for his antecedents were
singularly good, as is evidenced by the
fact that the Bond and Indemnity Com
pany went his security, aud it is we'll
known that they would not commit
themselves unless they we're thoroughly
satisfied that the person whom they
guaranteed was all right.
THE TINES CHARGE ANSWERED.
The Times yesterday morning in its
account of the affair, stated that it vas
in possession of all the facts on Sunday
but did not publish them because a
written paper signed by the editors of
the morning papers was in existence in
which they guaranteed to keep the af-
fair quiet. The item concluded, "Not-
withstanding its written guarantee the
HERALD yesterday morning published
the full story which accounts for its
scoop on its contemporaries"
The Times charge is false, and the
facts are as follows: On Sunday morn
ing HERALD man became acquainted
with Kirste's trouble, and proceeded to
work it up for all it was worth. When
he had the facts at his fingers ends he
met prominent Santa Fe official and
informed him that although an effort was
being made to keep the affair quiet, the
HERALD was in possession of all the par
ticulars. The railroad man asked that
tie case be not published, on account of
Kirste's family, and the reporter
said that so far as he was
concerned he had no authority to SUP.
press the news and could only refer the
pleader to the proprietors of the paper.
AS result the Santa Fe official accom-
panied by the agent of one of the trans
continental roads called at the HERALD
office few moments later and saw Mr..
Lynch. They explained to him the cir
cumstances of the case and asked that
all publication be suppressed unless the
matter got into the courts of justice,
whereupop Mr., Lynch assented to such
IN arrangement, stating that be would
always cheerfully keep such an item out
Of the HERALD rather than unnecessarily
injure mans family, insisting however
that written guarantee be obtained
from the editors of the other papers that
they would do likewise. The Santa Fe
man stated that none of the other papers
knew anything of the affair, but Mr..
Lynch insisted on an agreement being
drawn up such as he had stated, and the
document was accordingly prepared. Mr..
Lynch signed it, at the same
time stating that unless the
others agreed, he would consider
himself released from the compact,
and the railroad men promised him upon
honor that they would notify him accord
ingly. From the HERALD office thev
went to the Tribune and saw Col. East
man, who said that he knew nothing of
the affair hut would readily affix his Gig
nature. From the Tribune the railroad
men proceeded to the Times office, and
the following is the statement OF the
Santa Fe official as to what occurred
there: II went upstairs to the
editorial rooms and found Colonel
Otis sitting at his desk. 1
4utIOuuCOo LILY o0li NY prosecuting my caro-
and informed him that my mission was
to save from ruin the family of a Santa
Fe man who had disgraced himself.
Colonel Otis asked me what the affair
was and 1 said that one of our men was
defaulter and we wished to suppress it.
as the company was willing not to prose.
cute. then showed him the document
in which it was stipulated that the mat
ter would not be published, and asked
him to sign it.
NO, Sir replied Colonel Otis, 4 will
not. will not suppress news OF any de-
scription.'
He then asked me for particulars of
the business and declined to give them
to him, telling him he did not know any
thing about it anyhow"
care you trying to muzzle the press ?"
thundered Colonel Otis.
"No,' l replied, there is no attempt to
do 80. The HERALD is the only paper in
possession of the facts of the case, and if
they are willing to suppress the item 1
think you should, considering
you don't know anything about
it, Colonel Ois asked if I was
attempting to show him how to
run the paper and said that he knew