Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-12-04

PIERCE STILL MISSING.
The City Loan Believed All safe--No
Statement to BE Made for Week.

AT the present moment nothing what
ever is known of the whereabouts of J
Eldridge Pierce, the missing member o
the firm Of Pierce a Beeson, recently re
ported embarrassed in financial matters
When Mr.. Pierce left the city 10 day!
ago it was stated he had gone to Chicago
to seek pecuniary aid from a brother il
that city. Since then information ha!
been received from Chicago that his brother
has not seen him Early in the week il
was reported Mr.. Pierce had been seen ir
Philadelphia and only on Friday in Tren
ton, : Mrs. Pierce is entirely ignorant
of VI acr husband is
Hai a. Beeson, the junior member Of
4 the firm Of Pierce Is Beeson, was founG
his office, No. 3 West Seventh street,
Has Mr. Pierce been heard OFF, was
the inquiry. "No, sir! | know nothing
Of him at all Mr.. Beeson replied, II am
! here alone"
There is continued anxiety on the street
in regard to the missing man. This is
largely participated in by the numerous
small stockholders Of the City Lean Asso.
/ citation. II is now about week since the
loans books have been in the hands Of
the accountants for the purpose of exami-
4 nation. The question is asked why at
least trial balance has not been made and
j given the stockholders, who would be glad
for even an approximate statement.
The loans books are in the hands OF
4 William A. Reynolds and two assistants.
II is understood that Mr.. Pierce, as secre-
! tary of the association, has made his books
! UP annually only. There are about Sl47,-
600 value Of accounts and books unposted
| for several months hich have to be made
up before any tangible balances can be
shown, The mortgages in possession of
the loan have all to be carefully gone over
at the courthouse. 1t will be quite week
yet before the accountant can be in a posi-
ton to make any report.
1t is understood that one of the officials
Of the loan said Saturday morninglfrom his
knowledge of the state of the securities of
the association and of Mr.. Pierce's connec-
ton with its business that il is his impress
sion that the missing secretary has not
tempered with them, and if, following the
present scrutiny of the accounts any short
age be shown attributable to the secretary
1t positively cannot be of any dimensions
or of any amount which would in any de-
gree influence the financial standing of the
City Loan Association.
The rumor on the streets that Mr.. Pierce
has .doctored the accounts of Pierce &
Beeson is denied by Mr., Beeson Saturday
morning,
Nothing has yet been ascertained con-
cerning the whereabouts of j. Eldridge
'NiNSf pbNA VIZ bPl'JoANtVii 10 ENAIIl tllat
it is not his intention to return to this city
There are various rllmors afioat which, if
they can in measure be substantiated,
account for Mr.. Pierce's absence, and 20 to
confirm the belief that he will not volun-
tarily come back,
1t is the general belief that the reason
for Mr.. Perce's sudden departure will be
discovered in the inspection Of the City
Loan of which he was secretary and treas
urer, and even his closest friends are of
the opinion that the investigation will
show deficit.
Mr., Piorcc's family is still here as his
partner in the brick business, the latter
Strengthening up the firms accounts II is
stated that Mr.. Pierce did not otto Chicago
for which point he was said to have started
upon leaving Wilmington for the ostensi-
BILE purpose of seeking financial aid of his
brother
The whole affair is mystery which only
the expert accountants will probably be
able to solve.