The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-06-03
NO DELIVERY MADE.
Complications Caused by the
Tearing Up of a Telegram.
The Messenger Steals the Money to Spend 1t
in Pool-Rooms-A Railroad Grant
Jeopardized.

proveTbial slowness, Is very. responsible menu
| Der of the community, and at times important
events turn upon his fidelity.
! TrustwOrthlness is his essential qualification.
! and Ih Ough his dilatory motions may be some
! times pardOned, breach Of trust has no exculpa-
! ton.
| A case came to light yesterday, which shows
| how much sometimes hinges upon the delivery
| Of a telegraph message, and how many serious
| complications may arise simply by tile dislOyalty
OF messenger boy in failing TO carry out his in
stTuctions, and instead OF delivering his message
tearing it to pieces.
The failure to deliver involved a telegraph
company in suit. diSorganlzed for time a
syndicate OF eapitalistsin deal with a foreign
| Government for a large railroad grant, threw
suspicion upon an honorable and trusted EN-
plOye OF tie Palace Hotel, rendered several pool
| landed lie culprlt messenger behind
The prison bars with peniten-
tary cell staring him in the face.
| Some four or five nights ago, Clerk Rucker OF
| the Palace Hotel rang for messenger boy from
the Western Union box. One soon responded
ana message was handed him for immediate de-
livery TO certain bankers In the CIV ot.iMe4lco.
| 1t was an imnOrtant telegram. The cost OF the
| dispatch was S21 Z o, and the money was given
| 10 The messenger boy for immediate payment.
| Nothing further was thought of the matter for
| some days.
! Several days after, the gentleman who sent the
| dispatch discovered that il had been mscarTied,
! ana learned moreover, to his dismay that a
| most important transaction had been Knocked
III the head by The failure Of The message 10
| carry. An investigation was set afOOt, and IL
| was learned that the dispatch had hot only not
| been received, but had never been sent.
UNJUsTLY SUSPECTED.
Suspicion unjustly fell upon Clerk Rucker.
! who bears the reputation OF being one OF the
| most reliable, trustworthy and gentiemanly
| hotel clerks on the Coast. The gentleman was
very much hurt at the position in which lie was
placed, ana at once set theoretically to wOrk 10
! discover the cause OF the complication.
| He had not taken the boys number or signed
his cara. SO many messengtr;D9ys came IN and
| out Of the hotel that II would be impossible TO
| do this, aud cards are only signed when a dis
| patch IS received.
| Superintendent Jaynes Of the Western Union
! had BEEN notified OF the transaction. Accord
| ngly lie sent TO .he Palace tive or six boys who
| had been employed on the hotels that night.
| Clerk kucker examined them all aud failed TO
| positively identity any one. They all denied
having had anything TO do with the message.
| There WAS one handsome, bright looking boy
! among the LOT. and from his actions Rucker sus-
| pecied INN OF the delinquency The boy, whose
| name is Frank Anderson, was taken aside, and
al first lie denied emphaIcAlly having received
the message.
Rucker Explained TO him the situation, telling
him IL must finally come out, aud that il was
best TO tell the Truth. Finally Anderson broke
down, and with many SObs confessed that lie
HAD taken tue message. His chief aim alter his
confession was to eXonerate Rueker from all
blame, and this lie uld IN a handsome manner.
LOST IN PoOL-RoOMs.
lie stated that on the night ON bases 20, tho
message and tn S2l 10 p Iao,. ,,1,,,es 'v
seie OF te 2.ys iro6 the pUol-rooms on LeIdes-
~ Il Street. having been told stories OF the fabu-
Ous accumulation OF wealth by small invest
In a moment OF temptation he invested the
money lie had received on the races, Not KNOW
| Ing anything of the turf, aud trusting Dhudly TO
| those who advised, nlm lie staked all his money
| aud was Understandable many another poor
fool to discover that he had lost all on The cast
In the terror OF his situation he tore up the I'M
| portapt message, which, instead OF flying over
! the wires TO cap The climax OF an important
financial transaction, was thrown INTO The street
| like so much chan.
Anderson, Gu his return to the Western Union
Office informed the officer on duty that he had
been called TO the Baldwin Hotel and showed
| card which was duly signed. This signature he
| himself forged in u scrawliug hand.
The important message, which failed to carry,
had been sent by Colonel Sutherland oil the
Palace Hotel and a Mr.. Cook OF syndicate
| largely interested in Mexican railroads and
| mines, who for some months have been eon-
| Quoting negotiations with lie Mexican Govern
| ment for large grant Of land for the purpose OF
| building new railroad.
| INVOLVED NEGOTIATIONS.
| The negotiations became very much involved,
| and the obtaining of the grant was beset with
| many difficulties. The delicate nature of the
| deal with tie Mexican Government required the
utmost caution. and kilograms relating 10 the
| transaction were continually passing between
this city aud the Mexican capital.
A partial idea can be had OF the importance OF
the Interests involved when ii is stated that pend
| ing the negotiations about $1,000 has been paid
| for dispatches alone. Tie message which was
given 10 Anderson 10 take 10 the Western Union
/ Office was one Which held the key 10 the entire
deal
1t was virtually a settlement of the grant and
| conveyed Tue most important instructions 10 the
| Mexican bank which banded the financial oper-
| atlOns OF Tire syndicate. By The failure OF the
| instructions TO arrive In Mexico the negotiations
were crippled. THIS was not known BY the par
| ties In This city, who believed that their dispatch
| had carried all right.
h.
they learned The true state OF affairs, but IL has
since been sscertained from dispatch received
| By MIR. Cook Rom Mexico that things are begin
| ming 10 look somewhat favorable.
| THE LOSS INVOLVED.
But the delinquency of the messerger-boy has
| caused the loss OF large amount OF money, and
will possibly necessitate the expenditure OF much
more 10 bring the negotiation to the same f00ilDg
| II bafore the sending OF the message.
The loss involved by the failure of the dispalc h
to carry has been so great that the men who
sent 1t have detet mined 10 bring suit against the
| Western Union for damages. The case has al
| ready been placed in The hands OF an attorney,
! and he Is engaged in drawing up complaint.
When the company discovered its liability 10
| an action at law and found out the disl0yaty Of
| its messenger Superintendent JHynes at once
| had The case thoroughly investigated. the COM
| pany claiming that ii Is not liable. Ii Is also
| held that Clerk Rueker only rang for two mes
sengeTbOyS that night and that Anderson was
| not among the number.
| Yesterday afternoon young Anderson was ar
rested on The complaint of Superintendent
| Jdyues Dy OUlCef AntnOny ana charged at tue
| Central Station with felony and misdemeanor
ENLIGHTENMENT The ENLIGHTENMENT charge Is
based on Anderson converting lie S2l 20 to his
! own use, while the felony charge is founded on
| his forging signature to his card.
TALK WITH ANDERSON.
Young Anderson was seen by CALL reporter
shortly after his Incarceration. He IS a fine
looking bog, about &c years OF age, and tells a
simple, straightforward story.
IL am only 1G years DID," said he. my father
resides in Los Angeles. For years have had TO
| q mVgelf | ted he nm
pauy for number OF months. ore that mes
sage up, and am so sorry L yielded TO tempta-
| ton. but did not mean to do wrong.
| 81 expected TO win the money on the races
when went Into the poo-rooms. L was led In
there by other boys, who gambled ana who told
| me all sorts OF stories about winning. The pool
room was TO blame for my downfall.
81 Will never 20 Into another one. / did not
want to do anything bad. did not at first know
how great had been my olfense. When l found
! out what was the position OF MT. Rucker went
| 10 and confessed IL.
g Gould not see him blamed. They can do
with me what they want, but L acted fright by
| Mr.. Rucker."
NUMBER OF POOLS BOUGHT.
Anderson stated that he had bought pools In
! several places on LedesdorH street. Tie cards
he purchased are IN the hands OF the police and
! Will be used as evidence. ii further stated that
he bought pool Of Rose & Co.
| NotwIi hstanding the law which was recently
passed prohibiting the selling OF pools TO minors.
Anderson stated that there are numbers of boys
buying pools aud That the pool sellers are only
too glad TO dispose OF THEM 10 the boys. The
police Will probably at once take renewed pre-
cautions against the infringement Of the Super
yisorial ordinance which prohibits the selling OF
pools TO minors ana If the evidence In The present
case Is complete prosecution will be immedl-
ately instituted.
A number OF people are already interesting
themselves in young Auderson's case, and II Is
thought that II the company released from
| all liability IL VIII not prosecute him. 1t Is also
said that the sender OF the message Is disn.
ciDed TO press the charges against him.
All connected in the case are loud IN their de-
nuncaton OF lie existence OF pool rooms. where
| young men and boys are ufed into temptation,
and IN moments OF excitement aud weakness
meet their ruin by betraylng their employers.
| Sacred Heart Parish Fair.