The morning call., 1893-08-05
BOWIE is SHORT.
Mailmen Lose Treasurer
and Coin.
THE BANKBOOKS FALSIFIED
An Ex.Letter-Carrier Deserts His
Family and Departs With His
Associates Money.

James Bowe, who for two years and
until July / vas treasurer of the San
Francisco Letter-carriers' Mutual Benefit
Association, has departed for parts un-
known, and with him there appears TO
nave gone no small amount of the organ
iZation's funds.
Just when Mr.. Bowe shook the dust of
this city from his heels IS not definitely
known, but it is thought that the event oc-
Cured on Tuesday, July II, as he has not
been seen at any of his haunts since that
date.
A week before that time the Letter car
riers' organization held its annual election
of officers, and although Bowe aspired to
reelection to the Office which he had been
filing, he was defeated by Robert d. Gun
ningham, who is in active service and
located at Branch Office d.
I'm mediatey after his selection Gun
ningham filed the necessary bonds and
then served notice on Bowe that he would
assume the duties OF office at the next
meeting, and in the meantime would be
pleased 10 receive some instructions as to
the mapuer in which the treasurer'S du-
ties should be- performed.
To this note Cunningham received no
reply, nor did the trustees OF the society
receive RESPONSE when they notified the
retiring treasurer that in acc rdance with
the laws governing the organization he
would be obliged to meet with them on a
certain evening before the expiration of
his term of office in order that his books
might be exported.
The failure of replies to come. however.
created no suspicion. 1t was attributed 10
carelessness on BOwe's part. and, as he
was employed as a special policeman on
the Barbary Coast at the time, it was con-
cluded that he had little time to spare any
way and a determination was reached to
allow the settlement of his affairs TO wait
until the evening when his successor was
TO be installed.
When the time came he did not appear.
and while his failure TO do so caused some
comment the question OF lis honesty " as
not mooted, and when James Fl. Smith. a
prominent member Of the association,
pleaded for time in consequence Of the
arduOuS work III which he was engaged,
the matter was passed over, with an agree
ment to give him further time In which To
come around.
A few days later, however, an event oc-
Cured which put different aspect on the
affair
Just what that event was no one is
anxious to tell, for the members of the
organization are very anxious TO keep the
story of their troubles from leaking out.
but from what could be CLEANED from
various sources it would appear that the
new treasurer or one OF the other officers
lad occasion to 60 to the Hibernia Bank,
where the OTgan!Zation'S funds are on de-
pusit and that when the handbook was
presented it was discovered that Il number
If signatures which were purpOrted TO be
those of the receiving tellrrS were in
reality forgerles and that between $500 and
.at,Y bod q.
POSTED had been disposed OF in some other
way.
This discovery proved slartler, but
then as Bowe had given bonds to the
amount of $4,000 when lie took Office the
}etier-carrierS did moi worry much. for
they felt that they had his bondsmen to
tall back Oh 10 secure them against loss.
THIS feeling. many Of those interested
now assert, was not justified by existing
circumstances, for the signatures 10 the
bonds, they claim, like The signatures in
the bankbook are forgerles.
The oOndsmen given are Boae's father.
JOhn Bowe, who resides in Contra COSTA
County and is reputed TO be worth con-
siderable, and merchant OF this city
whose place OF business Is on Fourth
street.
The manner in which the money of the
society was withheld is simple. and that
SO large an amount could be taken without
the person engaged IN the work being
detected is due in 10 small degree to care
lessness on the part Of the officials of the
association.
At each meeting of the carriers many of
them paid in amounts which We're owing
as dues. Upon the conclusion of each
meeting the money collected was turned
over by the financial secretary to The treas
urer and receipt was taken. Then, in
stead of depositng it in the bank, as he
tn n fla frpa atarrl nod
il in his possession and made the fraudu-
lent entries in the bankbOOk.
That this trick could be worked success
fully for any length of time had ordinary
vigilance been exercised seems i'm POSSIBLE,
and yet ii is very apparent that Buwe
must have been playing his game for many
months in order 10 create the shortage IN
his accounts which now exists, for at 40
single meeting would the amounts col
lected aggregate over $50, and it was I'M
possible for money TO be drawn from the
hank without an order signed by the presi-
dent secretary and trustees of the asso-
laCioD.
In addition to leaving the Letter
carriers Association in the lurch Bowe
left behind him a wife and child, who are
now in impoverished circumstances and
are residing with his sister-in-law at 80
Mnna street
The police have been asked to keep their
eyes open for the ex-treasurer, and a
committee is now at work upon his books
trying to unrayel the tangle which they
are In.