The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-12-04
SHARP'S VICTIMS.
Little Doubt Entertained of His
Rascality.
Sketch Of His Business Career-Unflial Con-
duct-How He Sold Pig-Iron-Mrs.
Pauline Sharp's Position.

The Jake Sharp escapade, if nothing
worse, was the sole topic of conversation
yesterday among the mercantile fraternity
during the dull moments of business, and
the interchange of ideas on this subject
helped to start more than one spicy story
concerning the absconder Besides lower
ing him greatly in the estimation of the
business community. the stories. which
found ready credence in their travels throw
a ray of light upon his history that partly
explains the mystery of his flight.
4 couple of gentlemen who were not
anxious for newspaper notoriety and accord
ingly requested that their names be sup
pressed gave CALL reporter the history
of the now inS0lyent concern, and furnished
clews which. when followed up completely
upset the estimate in which Sharp had been
held by his numerous victims, and leave no
doubt that his departure was the result of a
cunning plan to fleece his creditors and all
who trusted him.
THE ORIGINAL FIRM.
The firm was originally known as SHAW
* Sharp" the partners being William A.
Shaw, a hard-headed ScOtchnnn of keen
business instincts, and Morris Sharp, a
shrewd and tight-fsted old Germa N
of rather eccentric ways. 1t was
formed in tie latter part of 1868,
the two men putting into their venture Il
sum OF 5000 each. The business grew and
proSpered until the spring of 1873 when, in
consequence of domestic troubles be tween
Sharp and his wife, the old man withdrew
and gave his interest to his son Jacob (the
present abSconder), who had joined hands
with lis Stepmother in her warfare against
l. n nlh Ian.
forced out of business by these Two, and,
thoroughly disheaFteDed by his home trou-
bles, he gathered up the remnants of his
fortune and returned to his native town in
Germany.
SUDDEN AFFLUENcE.
Young Jake was, at the time of this sud
den change in his fortunes, a boy of 20
years and student at the Berkeley Uni
VerSlty. Up to that time he had never had
the handling OF money. save a small monthly
allowance Of 81 or IS. He at once entered
into the possession OF, to him. princely
revenue, amounting TO $50 monthly, the
balance of the profits going into the bust
ness. But instead OF using this with judg-
ment, he, from the very first, planged head
long into debt, aud to meet his expenses in
little while drew $500 month, and finally
80 month from the business.
This continued until 1887, when the
head of the firm discovered that
Jake had collected a sum of $500
which lie had Immediately converted to his
own use. lie prOfesseu repentance, was
forgiven and the amount charged up against
hun. This happened in the early fall, and
by the middle CT the following summer the
offense was repeated on four several oeca-
slonS. The amount involved was about the
same each time. All of Sharp's misdeeds
were c0ndoned but the last, when, seeing
that ne would not alter his course, the part
nership was dissolved, and Mr.. Shaw gave
up his interest Tor something approXlmating
$4,000, oue-half of which was cash and the
balance notes, Endorsed by Mrs. Pauline
Sharp, who besides being the absconder' 5
stepmother and the founder OF his fortunes
Is sister OF the recently deceased Joseph
Spanler.
JEALOUS OF JAKE.
On account of the friendly relationship
which has always existed between the two,
and which is admitted TO have been The
cause of considerable Jealousy Oh Morris
Sharp's part, as he was his wife's senior by
many years, there are those uncharitable
enough to assert that Jake doesn't owe Mrs
Pauline Sharp cent and that her attach
ment on the Office is bluff meant to encour-
age the belief that her son has robbed her of
her all. This matter will no doubt
be tested in the courts, and it is
even probable that the valuable personal
property she Is known to possess
will be levied upon by the Sheriff to-day
w. a. Shaw, the ex-member of the firm
has already commenced suit against son
and stepmother, to recover upon one of the
notes. which matured last week, and an at
tachment is now In the Sheriff's hands. A
fourth attachment has also been issued at
the instance of the Black Diamond Coal
Company, to recover S134S but as there is
nothing TO levy on this hangs fire in the
Sheriff 8 office. A fifth attachment will in
all probability be taken out to-day by the
Oregon Improvement Company, ana it is
this which is likely to most nearly concern
Mrs. SlarD the ( n hrn1d that har
furs, diamonds and other yauables will
ornament the Sheriif'5 office before night
falls.
HE WAS A GAMBLER.
Several curious stories about the runaway
attribute his fail, among other things. to
Chinese lottery. He is also said to have
owned third interest in the Spanier cigar
store, where gambling for high stakes was
known 10 be carried on for years-in fact
the cigar business was but cloak for the
other. Here he, no doubt, dropped the
large sums ne drew out of the partnership
of Shaw d Sharp in 1SSS-S9, and possibly
continued to do so up to the time of
SpaBier's death. That he was fast is also
admitted to-day, as readily as 1t was denied
yesterday, and the names of many frail
women are banded around in connection
with his.
No secret is now made of the fact that
Meyer, Wilson d Co., the wholesale IRON
dealers, are large losers by their transactions
with him, and II is freely charged that while
purchasing pig iron from them at $50 per
ton on time, he Immediately disposed of it at
S27 to SIS for cash or short credit. The great
er part of this material went to Reno, Tus-
carora and other mining centers, and it was
TO that part of the country that Jake went,
presumably TO make collections, before he
dropped out OF sight. He was seen at the
Yosemite House, Stockton, on Tuesday last,
by several San francisco commercial mem
and must have been al Reno two days later,
as Telegram was received here from that
town ON the 18th ult, making an appoint
ment with his legal adviser for the following
Saturday.
HIS FRIENDS LOYAL.
There are staunch friends who still affect
to believe in Jake's entire innocence of
wrong-doiDg and assert that some accident
has befailen him. They base their belief
that he went away with a small hand bag
ana without even change of clothing. But
the general cleanup he is known to have
made on collection day. the deficit in the
Spanier estate. the worriment Of his bonds
men, VINO are even anxious TO secure his
arrest, II possible, and his career when a
partner Of Shaw's are sufficient to convince
most people of his knayery.
In ADDITION TO the creditors mentioned in
yesterdays article in The CALI. the follow
ing firms are also found to be losers; Rem
ton Coal Company, $500; Hubbard &
Brooks, $500; A. NJ. Ebbets, $500; Meyer q
wilson, S140O; Charles r Allen, $500; p.
u. Cornwall, $1,000; w. A. Shaw, $500
Inc Anglo-Califorhia Bank is said TO lose
$4,000. and the Spanier estate from $1,000
to $4,000, with probability that the first
figure IS the nearest to being correct.
A Bad Beat for Migrants.
George Allen, an idle young fellow, well
dressed and apparently the remains of
what had been once respectable man,