The morning call., 1894-05-10
A CAPTAINS LOSS.
Insurance Men After an
Alleged Arsonist.
The New Public Improvement Asso.
citation Asks Mayor Pardee to
Dredge the Harbor.

OAKLAND.-If the stories told of Cap
tain c. d. Rogers are true the late Elm
hurst merchant had better keep out of the
way of the police.
Some mon tbs since Rogers was plaintiff
in suit for money against the First Ma
tonal Bank and won his case. 1t was
alleged that the bank had pal the money
out to some one else who had forged
Rogers name to a check. 1t is now stated
as a matter of fact Rogers was not en-
titled to the money he then recovered.
However, he got II, and with portion
of the funds purchased a stock of goods
for little store at Elmhurst, and which.
when it burned out few weeks ago. was
found to carry an insurance of $500.
Rogers consulted the insurance people
and ran afoul of shrewd adjuster,
named William Chalmers. who told the
captain that it would take some time to
adjust the loss, as there was certain
amount of red tape to be unwound before
insurance money could be paid. II Is
stated that the captain burst into tears and
protested that it was an honest fire and
that he had lost all of $4,000 by the blaze.
This outburst rather surprised the cold
blooded adjuster, and he began to open his
eyes little. He concluded it would be
we'll to investigate. He consulted people
living in the vicinity of the store and they
told many peculiar stories. There was
one story TO the effect that a team had been
driven up to the store at O'Clock in the
morning and some said goods or something
were loaded into 1t.
The insurance people also sifted the
ashes OF what had been store and stock,
but there seemed to be no remnant left Of
nf fhnHQhf
strange that the barrels Of -four had burned
and not left the caked flour, as is usual.
On the night the fire occurred the cap
tain told local insurance agent that he
was going to Alvarado that very night,
and after he was gone the flames burst
out suddenly and soon cleaned out the lit
tie store. stepSon OF Rogers was seen
about the store shortly before the fire
broke out This stepson is now on his
way to the Arctic on whaler.
The strange part of the story comes in
now. and it is a portion which it will be
hard for Rogers to explain. The insur-
ance people felt 50 suspicious that they
determined to watch Rogers. Two weeks
since, they found that he nad chartered a
schooner, Star of Freedom, in San Fran
cisco, and had promised To pay part of the
charter money with merchandise. This
merchandise consisted of the identical
goods supposed to have been destroyed.
aud was identified as such by the whole
sale dealers from whom they had been
purchased.
The schooner was held and the goods
seized, and Captain Rogers would have
been had he not dropped out OF sight.
The police are looking for him.
Mrs. johnson Is the owner OF the
schooner. and IL was under The name of
CAPTAIN John Martens that Rogers negoti-
ated with her for the charter Of the
schooner.
The insurance people are warm after
the ex-merchant and seem to think they
have pretty clear case against MIN.
Drowned While Despondent.
Z,Ths body of an elderly man was found
In the mud at the foot of Fourteenth street
yesterday morning by an estuary Doatman
named Frank Mcguire. The Coroner was
notified aud the body was removed to the
Morgue.
On Investigation it proved to be the re-