Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-06-02
BADLY WANTED.
A. A. StauntOn Leaves For
Parts Unknown.
CREDITORS BY THE SCORE.
A Speculator Who Got in Beyond
His Depth-Little Legal
Episodes.

Those who participated in the excur-
sion which celebrated the opening of the
San Jacinto branch of the Santa Fe will
remember Mr.. A. A. Staunton, the
genial land agent who acted as auction
eer on that occasion. As matter oil
fact, he has been one of the best known
business men about town for, in con-
junction with his partner, Mr.. Matthews,
he handled the McGarry tract and sew
eral other important pieces OF property.
In the good days whsn the shekels
came pouring into the Golfers OF the
firm, they held forth in a lit
tie office on North Main street, but
as they had to increase their working
force, their accommodations were insult
ficient and they moved into commodious
Quarters at No. 20 North Spring street.
Here all went merrily for a little while,
but as in the case of other land operators,
the books of the firm began to show
monthly losses instead of gains.
Matthews, about this time, dropped
out of the firm, and on the LIST of March
last Mr.. Staunton, taking with him his
clerk, Walter Armstrong, rented desk
room in the office of Messrs. Stanton &
Van Alstine, on South Fort street.
Things were evidently going very badly
indeed, for although Mr.. Staunton was,
to all outward appearances, very care
full man, he was unable to make both
ends meet, and when rent-day came
around he was obliged to beg for grace
until the next instalment was due. And
30 things went on until the LIST
of April, when he again "stood off" his
good-natured landlords, a performance
that he again repeated on the let OF May.
Toward the close of the month he traded
q piece of property to Mr.. Stanton,
promising on the night of the 28th to
turn over the deeds on the following day.
The next morning Mr.. Stanton was on
hand betimes, for he had made a good
deal with his renter, and he looked
anxiously up and down the street as the
hours rolled by and the expected indi-
vidual did not appear. Soon after noon
an officer dropped in, however, and then
matters began to explain themselves.
He was Deputy Constable, and he car
ried an attachment for all of MIR. Staun-
toms property, the document having been
sworn out by Clerk Armstrong for un-
paid salary and by Mr.. John A.
Pirtle, real estate man, who had loaned
Stanton SIS the day before. The news
of what had happened spread about in a
quiet way among the business men and
along came an excited individual, who
held bill of sale, dated May 22d, for all
Mr.. Staunton's effects. He was in
formed, however, that he was too late,
that the legal attachments had been
served and his claims would have
to be secondary, and as the Of
fee property belonging to the delinquent
was only worth $50, and the attach
ments called for 5000, his chances for
getting anything looked very slim. The
next day in came another man for a
claim, then came couple of advertising
collectors with long bills, man who
wanted SIS for painting Mr.. Staunton's
house made call, and Mr.. Jevne's rep
resentative in search of 500 dropped
in, making things very unpleasant
for Messrs. Stanton & Van Alstine,
who had rented Office room to the
m ssing man. To crown matters, an in
dividual said to be deputy-sheriff, pre-
behind him the understanding that Mr..
Staunton was wanted in connection with
some transaction of borrowed money at
the County Bank. 1t is certain that he
had some heavy dealings with that in
stitution, for, in Fridays real estate
record, property held in his name
to the amount Of $4,000 was turned over
to the bank. All attempts to locate him
have, SO far, been in vain and it is
thong int that, being Canadian, he may
have returned to his natal home in the
British Dominions. His friends, how
ever, say that he is keeping out of the
way simply because he is in very bad
hole, and that when he gets the oppor-
tunity he " i'll square things up.