Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-03-13
FALSE RETURNS.
How a San Francisco Firm
Was Detected
IN ROBBING A SHIPPER.
The Result of a Detectives Visit
to the Bay City-A Car
load of Fruit.

chants in San Francisco complained
that the orange trade was being divert
ed from them, and such of them as
were honest in making their returns
to the shippers in the southern part Of
the State wondered why this state Of
affairs existed. They saw in the reports
they received that more and more
oranges were going east each year and
they were receiving fewer and fewer.
There were two reasons for this, one
OF which was apparent to the commits
sion houses. This was that San Fran
cisco prices were less favorable to the
grower than those obtainable in the
east. Uunder these circumstances
they expected to receive fewer con-
signments, but there was another rea-
son of which the honest merchants
were not aware, or, at the most only
suspected. This reason has within
the last few days been demonstrated
in a manner which will result in much
benefit to the shippers here and the
sellers in San Francisco. A week ago
last Friday, Mr.. U. F. Del Vale ship
ped to the California and Oregon Pro-
duce Company, at 427 Front street,
San Francisco. carload Of oranges
and lemons gathered from the fam
GUS orchards of the Camulos Rancho
This was the first consignment to this
firm and was shipped merely as an
tn ytnir WI,
not the quotations given in the circu-
lars received from it could really be
obtained. Accompanying this car.
load were others to firms with which
Mr.. Del Vale had dealt before.
Shortly after these shipments Mr.. Del
Vale received returns from all the
San Francisco melchants, including
the California and Oregon Produce
Company. All these returns were
satisfactory except that Of the latter,
which was so small that it was sur
prising in the extreme. The letter
accompanying the account of the sales
commenced:
Enclosed find account of sale and
money order for $40 20, and did our
best We could for your shipm, nt."
As an excuse for the smaliness Of
the amount returned, the letter stated
that owing to damages III shipment
no higher price could be obtained.
The account of the sale showed that
243 boxes of oranges and G5 boxes Of
lemons had sold for $50. From this
amount $60.50 was deducted for
freight, $12.00 for drayage, 1920 for
commission and 10 cents for postal
order.
The idea that 243 boxes OF the fin
est oranges and 65 boxes of Lisbon
lemons had only sold for 800, and
that this carload should have been
the only one damaged so aroused the
suspicion of Mr. Del Vale that he
came to this city and related the cir.
cumstance to his brother, Senator r.
F. Del Vale, who Immediately decid-
ed that an attempt had been made to
rob them. At the very best there is
always suspicion on the part of the
shipper that the commission mer-
chants are not above taking more than
their commission from the proceeds,
but here was such an apparent at
tempt at robbery that Senator
Del Vale and his brother determined
to put the matter in the hands of De
tective Theo. G. Metzler for investi
cation. Accordingly on Monday of
last week Mr. Metzler started for San
Francisco, and as result of his la
bors returned on Sunday night with
$627.10, the balance of the amount for
which the fruit was sold.
Mr.. Metzler states that upon reach
ing San Francisco he associated with
himself Detective Davis of that city
and visited an attorney for advice in
the matter. He proceeded to No. APT
Front street where over the door were
the signs "California and Oregon
Produce Co.., "W. Solomon & Co."
and "A.Zeck & Co." A careful inves-
tigation of the market brought to
light the fact that one firm had paid
$267.55 for 153 boxes of the oranges
and another firm had paid $170 for 10
boxes of the fruit. Mr.. Metzler pro-
cured from the first firm a paper
acknowledging the receipt of $267. .55
and from the Grangers bank a check
for $40 paid for the oranges. These
HO CaiIlou dIOuB Will ulu Ou his
final visit to the store, 427 Front street.
The receipts had been signed by "W
solomon & Co." and the check
had been cashed by the same
firm. Unless it could be proven that
the California and Oregon Produce
Company"was one and the same firm
as "W. Solomon & Co.." Mr.. Metzler
knew he had a hard case before him.
Upon entering the store Mr.. Metzler
accosted one of the men and intro
duced himself by saying that he was
fruit-grower and had some oranges
in his orchard at Santa Ana he would
like to sell. Some little conversation
ensued, in which Mr.. Metzler said
that before he shipped his fruit he
would like to know who the members
of the firm of "W. Solomon & Co."
were.
"That's me, my father and my
brother" replied the orange broker.
"Who owns the California and
Oregon Produce Company" asked