The morning call., 1895-01-19
DOGGED By SLEUTHS.
Trying to Trap the Willy Bank
Deposition.
THAT BANDAGED DETECTIVE.
A Mysterious Individual Who Always
Wanted a Hand
THOUGHT TO BIZ SHEEHAN'S TOOL.
Several Indignant DepOSitOrS Tell Their
Experiences and Express Their
Feelings.
THOUGHT TO Be SHEEHAN'S TOOL

"JOnQ r. Sheelan mas q detective VINO IL
following some of thePeoples' Home Savings
d Bank depositors and trying to trap them in
to doing something wrong" said 7. H. Nc
earthly last night, speaking for dele
CATION of depositors who accompanied
him.
at may seem amusing to you, but it il
no laughing matter to u.s." he added, in
reply to iocular suggestion that he was
probably unduly excited over the turn the
banks affairs had taken.
Mr.. Mccarthy and his companions de-
clared that they believed a scheme was on
foot to discredit them and their friends in
the opinion of the public, and, wishing to
expose the plot in advance and thus take
the wind out of the sails of the schemers,
insisted or making statements of their ex-
perences with Sheehan's sleuthhound.
Mr.. Mccarthy said:
a man called on me yesterday, and under
pretext of looking for a. lost brother-in-law
asked me if 1 would afford him brief inter
view. gladly assented. He said he had a
sister in Douglas Nebr who wanted to teach
in this State and asked me If couId give her
any information about the prospects.
/ told him that l would give her, or any
other teacher, any information in my power.
He pretended that he could not write, having
his hand bound in a cloth, which was false.
He pulled out postal and asked me to write,
which did. Some matter was written on 1t
10 which he asked me TO fix his signature,
which l did. He then started 10 leave, and
asked if he could see me some other time. l
told him l could be seen at any time at my
residence.
saw through the plan at once and fastened
10 tell the bank people that plot was on foot
by these arch conspirators to further injure the
combination of depositors who were trying to
protect their rights, and after I told them the
circumstances they were Mortified, and said a
party had been to them and asked them if they
wanted General Sheehan to be killed. They
said, "Why, no; we do not desire anybody to
be killed" He answered, 81 can get him fixed
for you if you so desire" and then left.
After consulting with 7. S. Williams, another
of the committee, he said he had been ap-
preached by man with lame hand, with
dark complexion, who said he was q depositor
in the Peoples Home Bank and had recent y
come from Alaska. He asked Mr.. Williams to
write postal card for him. Williams did as he
was requested. The man then left with the
statement that he would call on the gentleman
the next day.
H. D. Pike, who has been secretary OF
the depositors' committee of the Peoples
Home Savings Bank since its formation,
said
A man calling himself Shepard called on me
at noon to-day and asked generally about the
bank. He then asked me to write a letter to
his sister in Douglas, Nebr. This did, telling
him that I was not afraid to put my hand TO
any writing and that was not afraid OF any of
Sheehans detectives / told him also that I
knew he was from Sheehan and that If l got
into any more trouble was going TO kill him
Sheehan.
The trouble is that Sheehan has been receiv-
ing letters calling him names and threatening
him, and he has laid them to me. He wanted
a specimen of my handwriting, and took this
means of getting ii. Sheehani has been rob
bling widows and orphans in that bank, and we
are going TO bring him up wi tn short turn.
He has ruined me financially, and ii he an
noys me any more propose to put an efectual
stop to it.
W. S. Wheeler, saloon-keeper, living at
107 Turk street, and his wife are depositors
in the Peoples Home Savings Bank. He
said:
was visited by stranger having bandaged
hand Wednesday morning. The visitor stated
that he was q liquor-dealer from the Eastern
States and was intending TO open place OF
business at the corner of Hyde and Post streets,
expanding at least $1,000 in the venture. Dur
ing the conversation which followed the visitor
offered TO employ me in the proposed establish
ment and otherwise made himself very agree
able.
Presently he asked me to write postal card
for him TO sister, alleging that his wounded
hand prevented him from holding pen or
pencil. did so and have since learned that
the stranger was detective sent out by the
Peoples Home Savings Bank to procure the
handwriting of certain depositors whom that
institution accuses of sending threatening and
incendiary communications TO the present
managers.
H. D. Pike said: ~ wish to supplement-
my statement with an explanation. Yes
terday morning you published John F.
Sheehan's opinion of me, and now [ think
1t only fair that you let me say what I
think of him."
Mr.. Pike read the paragraph in which
Mr.. Sheehan's words were reported, as fol-
lows:
There's Pike-an opium-fend and anarchist,
who was driven out of Colorado, and his wife
was arrested the other day for burglary. Why,
at a meeting in his house one night-a meet
ing of the depositors committee-his wife
urged the gang on. You go to the houses of
Sheehan, Thornton and Watt and the others;
threaten their wives that you will kill those
fellows, and then you have got Them said
She"
- II am not inclined to carp about what
others say if they give me an even chance
in the game. Here is letter that / have
written to Sheehan and will post tonight"
The letter runs as follows:
SAN Francisco, FRIDAY. p. M
SheehGp: You dirty, cowardly whelp of a
woman-fghter if you want to see anv of nv
writing, examine this and don't send a sneak
ing detective "a gentleman, though, Compared
with thief ike you) to get sample of it.
II. D. PIKE.