The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-10
A WIDOWS SEARCH
Mrs. SamueIs' Endeav0r
to Find Her Own.
HER HUSBANDS THOUSANDS.
The Late John Louis Samuels Left No
Intimation of His Business
Affairs.
HER HUSBANDS THOUSANDS

There is a peculiar mystery involved in
the whereabouts Of the effects OF the late
John Louis Samuels.
His widow has been unable, after pro-
tracted search, to find even piece Of paper
to tell the state Of his financial affairs at his
death.
Samuels at one time was q prominent
merchant of this city. During 1858 and 1860
he conducted a sugar refinery which had the
misfortune to "blow up" from defect in
its machinery.
For many years after this he was in sev-
eral other ventures. some of which proved
successful and others rank failures.
Still through all his ups and downs SAM
uels managed TO pull through, though during
the past ten years Of his life he found much
difficulty doing so.
He was very seeretiye about his business
affairs. and rarely spoke of them even to
his wife. Being an EDglshman of retir-
inc nature he was never given to the mag
NATIVE, and dollar in the prospective was
something he never counted upon.
During the past ten years Samnels earned
q livelihood for himself ana wife, the pair
having no children, by making translatiOnS
and as an expert accountant. He fire.
Quentiy spoke TO bis wife about several
thousand dollars he expected as fee Tor
the sale of mine In Arizona for $4,000
He appeared for a while TO be very much
discouraged over a rupture that occurred
between the former owners Of the mine over
the division of the proceeds. He said they
had gone to law about it and until the
matter was settled he would have to wait
for his fee.
A few weeks before his death, however,
he told his wife that he expected the case
a
He said: when | get that money,
Sarah. we viii go 10 old England and end
our days there"
About the same time he said he would be
paid an old bill of $3.50 that he never ex-
pected TO get. He referred TO it as being
claim that had been outlawed. bat the
party owing it was again IN good ercum-
stances and had given him note for it.
Six or seven years ago Samuels spoke to
his wife about an opportunity he had for
investing in some paying proposition if he
only had few hundred dollars.
The wife happened to think OF her jew
elry, and said: "Nhy. Louis. there is my
iewelry. You paid Sl1O0 for It, Maybe
you can get some one. to loan you the
money on 1t you require"
Samuels was loath to take the lewelry,
bnt at last his wife persuaded him to do so.
That night he returned ing he had
gotten money broker to advance $3.50 on
it at high rnte Of interest
For several months afterward he fire.
QuentIy referred 10 the pledged security.
saying, Il hope to get 1t out soon He's
wearing your watch around and l don't like
that"
Samuels was taken suddenly i'll few
days before his DEATH but nothing serious
was anticipated.
just the day before his death the doctors
announced his case as hopeless. When his
wife spoke TO him of theirdecisi0n, he MUIR
INJURED. "Oh. ! guess it's rot so bad as that"
Mrs. Samuels then urged MIN 10 tell her Of
his business affairs.
'Oh, l will do SO Tomorrow" he prom
iSed.
But to him that tomorrow never dawned.
he died just about daybreak. mutterug as
he gasped his last
Among you you have murdered me as
you did Terry"
While in his ipeoherent state he fire.
quently charged some one by the name Of
Petersen with having robbed him.
Mrs. Samuels had just 20 cents in the
house at the time of her husbands death.
Some of her friends secured for him
Christian burial.
The poor widow at last realized that she
was penniless and alone in the world. and
she st ence began search to find IL her
husband had left anything from which she
could realize few dollars.
Bat not a scrap o. paper that might fur
nish a clcw to his financial affairs rewarded
her search.
She visited nearly every lawyer in the
city to make inquiry as to whether they had
ever been consulted by her husband On any
of his affairs. The sorrowing woman found
that none Of them knew him.
Through the kindness of several attorneys
q search was made through the court
records, hut nothing was found and n
friend had an advertisement inserted in a
legal journal requesting information from
any attorney who might know of the affairs
of the late John Louis Samuels. So far no
answer has been received.
That her husband had valuable parers in
his possession Mrs. Samuels fully believes
"A year or two ago." she said yesterday
to a CALL reporter, "he had small port
able Nriting-desk. Some burglars entered
our rooms one night AMI made off with q
trunk during our absence.
"Mr. Samuels appeared alarmed at this.
and he took the wTiting-deSk away with him
the next day. saying that il contained some
valuable papers. and he did not want them
stolen.
NOW. where have they gomez" she
Queried.
Mr.. Samuels never was given 10 build
Ing air castles. He WAS very retcent, and
no one could tell by his actions whether be
was making money or losing II. lie never
drank anything aud was never given to deal
ing in stocks.
but have nothing, not even a piece of
paper, with his handwriting on.
He evidently intended TO tell me all
about his affairs before he died, but death
came 10 him like shock.
when he was first taken Ill he spoke to
10 g frequently about his efforts to get his
affairs in shape so as 10 leave me comfort
ably well eff.
But he did not dream that death was so
near, and here l am as much an object OF
charity as any one ever was"
Mrs. Samuels is woman gifted in many
ways. she speaks French fuently and
translates. She is accomplished In music
and bears IN her face an air of refinement
and rosb.
She is seeking employment at the present
time, though she says she has not quite
given up all hope of finding some docu-
ments that might enable her to solve the
mystery OF her husbands affairs. She Is
completely alone in the world and says that
death in any form would not be un-
welcomed. Just at present she is rooming
at 63S Green street.