The morning call., 1892-02-19
POOR MEN DUPED.
Arrest of the Owners Of the
"NatiOnal Business Office"
They Sent Laborers to Mythical Contractor
in San Luis obispo-Arrested for
Embezzlement.

National Real Estate and Business Of
fee. Wood & Co" read the signs hung out
at 9l3 and 935 Market street
7 he conductors of these two concerns re-
Gently engaged in some rather peculiar en-
ployment schemes, resulting in their being
landed behind the bars at the City Prison
yesterday. S. II. Wood and c. s. Grille,
the members of the firm, were arrested by
Detective Dan CoffeY and PatrOlman j. B..
Cavanaush on charge of ENLIGHTENMENT,
preferred by young bO0k-keeper named
II. A. Darms.
On Friday Darms was attracted by the
advertisements Of Wood & Co. for men ito
work on tie railroad as bOok-keepers and
time-keepers at salary of 500 month
and board" He went to the Office at 93j
Market street, was referred to the private
office of the company, in room Is, 9l3A
Nj arket, and there he was met with smiles
by Wood and Grille. pushing young men
with glib tongues. They showed him a
power of attorney from IN. f. Malone"
whom they declared was an enterprsing con-
tractor Of San Luis Obi spO. Malone had
secured q contract for $4,000 worth OF
street railroad construction IN San LUIS
ObiSpO, and on March l would begin extern
sYe operations for the Southern Paclhc
Company.
DELIGHTED WITH DARMs.
Wood & Co. expressed themselves as de-
lighted with Darms. lie was just the kind
OF q man they desired 10 have watch over
the interests Of their patron, the enter
pIisng contractor; DaTms position would
be such q responsible one that certain re-
auirements would have TO be eXacted 4;
would he comply with them in order to Sc
cure the fine situation?
DarmS was equally charmed and willingly
complied with the conditions. He produced
$50 in gli-trTing gold pieces and signed a
receipt for $500 1t was merely a deposit as
security for the faithful performance OF his
duties while employed by Contractor Ma
lone. The SO was eXacted by Wood " Co..
as their commission, being 10 per cent OF his
first months salary.
Alter leaving the Office Darms was seized
with resentment that lie had parted with
his coin a little too readily At once he
wrote TO tile District Attorney of San Luis
OOiSpO County asking information about NJ.
+. Malone, contractor. The answer came
that no such contractor had ever been in
the county and no contracts there had been
let TO any one by that name. Darms' next
step was TO interview Chief Crowley, and
upon the advice Of the police he went back
to the private Office Of Wood " Co. and
asked for the return OF his money.
ACTED N GOOD FAITH."
Wood and Gri.l0 said they could do moth
ing for a few days, as they had turned over
the $500 TO Malone, and ia support of this
they exhibited a receipt signed Malone "
Bro" DaTms then sWOre 20 complaint
before Judge JOachimsed, and the warrant
for the arrest was issued.
We acted in good faith" said the prls-
Ouers in chorus, ana have been in business
here for nine months. This is the fist time
charge of any kind has been preferred
against US. SO far we have sent twenty
seven men 10 san LUIS ObiSlO and this is
the first CONF lalnI made by any of them.
We merely charge 10 pei cent Of their hTst
months salary as our commission for pro-
curing employment"
In support OF their assertions that they
acted IN good faith. tie accused exhibited
kilograms, receipts, and the power Of attOT-
ney from Malone x Bro
Malone is a myth, said Detective COT
fey. THEY cannot produce him, and do
not know where lie is. It's a swiudle Of
the worst kind. Now for the tWenty-seven
lab0rels they shipped south. They were
landed at tie wharf at Port Hartford, ten
MILES from San Luis ObIsuo. No one met
them, and they telegraphtd to San Luis
0bIsuo, and received tte same answer that
Darms did. Only one Of the tWenty-seVen
men had enough money to come back; the
others are stranded down there and in
great distress
In default Of bonds in the sum OF $1,000,
Wood WAS locked up ia a cell. GTIllO Sc
cured his release.