The morning call., 1894-03-27
He WAS TOO FOND OF MONEY.
And Also of Passing Worthless
Bank Checks.
WHY HE WAS DISCHARGED.
The Late Manager for the California
Navigation and Improvement
Company Causes Sensation.


life has led Ira P. Smith, late San Fran
cisco manager for the California Naviga-
tlon and Improvement Company. into
serious trouble. The police were looking
Tor him yesterday, desiring to arrest him
on warrant sworn out by c. j. Hendry.
the Marktt-street ship chandler, for OBJ
tanning money under false pretenses. and
thus was the case of Smith exposed in a
somewhat sensational light.
Ira L. Smith was, about eighteen months
ago, appointed to the responsible position
in the employ of the company named, and
sometime during February last was myste-
rously dismissed to make place for George
Clarke. the California Navigation and In
provement CompaDy's present local agent.
Scarcely lumberman or local merchant
can be found who is not acQu inted with
Smith, For several years he was superin-
tendent of the wharf at the PoIt Discov-
cry mills in Washington. 1t is said that
his career in the Northwest was not q
credit to himself or to Moore & Smith, his
employers. but then that has nothing to do
with his difficulties with Rendry or the
owners of the Stockton line of steamers.
The amount secured by Smith from
Hendry is small, but it now transpires
that the ex-manager first commenced his
crooked work by embeZzling Sl150 Of the
funds of the California Navigation aud
Improvement Company collected by him
from freight and from passengers over the
river route Of the corporation. which op-
crates the steamers j. d. Peters and
Walker between this city and Stockton.
6. T. Smith, the lumber dealer, and late
partner of Austin d. Moore under the firm
name of Moore & Smith. is brother of
Ira, and rather than have the family name
tarnished by any scandal this gentleman
settled with General Manager Cochran for
the amount purloined.
For this offense Ira Smith was dis
charged, but it seems that he did not heed
the severe lesson taught him by experience,
but, according to Mr.. Cochran and the
police, he passed a check on the Anglo
Californian Bank for S505, which amount
he soon spent in riOtous living and drink.
Not content at having been guilty of this
piece of folly, he borrowed and otherwise
obtained amounts ranging up in the hun
dreds from various firms and persons with
whom he had been accustomed to do busi-
ness.
So quietly was the matter Of the steam
boat company's vanished cash kept that
quite a mum Der of downtown houses were
not aware that Smith had been removed
from office. So when he presented $50
check to G. j. Hendry to be cashed. that
gentleman's cashier was promptly told to
honor the paper even if it should take all
the money in the cash drawer to do so.
Detective John Egan, who was detailed
to look up the case. stated that it is for the
forgery of the $50 check that Smith is
wanted, but interested parties say that
there is more in the story than the officers
are willing to give out
Although the detectives searched dill
gently for the culprit all day long and
during the evening he was nowhere to be
found. The general impression is that he
has skipped the town.
It was reported that he had been seen
during the early part of the day driving
pest the Merchants Exchange in buggy,
but this was the last and only clew to his
whereabouts.
Smiths case is a very peculiar one and
tends to prove how a man can be rapidly
led to the prison doors by evil association,
Notwithstanding that there is great deal
of good ain the makeup of bis nature
Personally Smith is man of very pleas
ing manners. He was generous and kind
hearted. making host of friends for him.
self during his stay on the water front.
The recipient of a good salary he had
little excuse, however, for betraying his
trusts. His employers placed great faith
in him and considered him man of good
business judgment and ability.
eoon the g1150 chorfoUa dio
covered preparations were made to prose-
cute Smith. but his brother compromised
the case by settling for that delinquency in
fu
Now that the offender has been brought
before the public through the police 1t is
thought that he will have to be prose-
cuted on several charges, including the
passing of the sos check on the Anglo
Bank.
Concerning the private life of Ira Smith
not much is known beyond the fact that
he lived extravagantly and is supposed to
have squandered his money on women.
There are some persons who hint that
he gambled heavily and believe that the
S1150 taken from the steamboat company
was lost in enc sitting ct game of poker.
Commission merchants and steamboat
men generally were much surprised when
they heard that man Of Smiths promi-
nance among them should be wanted for
embezzlement, and as soon as the news
leaked out the story was at the tongues
end of everybody along the water front.
Up to late hour last evening the city
detectives were going the rounds Of the
uptown resorts in search Of their man, but
he was not discovered.
1t is safe conjecture that Ira p. Smith,
the late unsuspected. has decamped for
parts not as yet known to the police.