The morning call., 1895-01-31
MYSTERIOUS VISITOR.
He Calls at the Office of the
County Clerk.
HEARD OF THE STOLEN WILL
Half an Hour Before Its Loss Was
Discovered.
STTLWELL And DAVIS ARE SENT FOR.
There Vas an Air Of Mystery in the
Office Of Executor Angus
Yesterday.
STILWELL And DAVIS ARE SENT FOR.


had been stolen.
Shortly before the hour for closing the
Office of the County Clerk had been marked
on the dial of the clock a medium-sized
man, with heavy, full, gray whiskers, his
body enveloped in q heavy overcoat and
wearing a plug hat, made his way into the
private Office of Mr.. Curry and in a mo-
ment was engaged in a whispered CONVEX
sation with Chief Deputy Harry Piper.
The information he impaired caused the
chief deputy to start, and then in a few
moments the elderly gentleman was led
out through a side door and escorted to the
Office of the Chief of Police on the floor
below.
This was all done quietly, but it was
evident that there was something up which
the chief deputy was trying to keep dark.
After a brief conversation with the police
officials, the office of G. J. Stilwell was
called up by telephone, and the message
that went over the wire was: "Stilwell,
come out to the Chiefs office without
delay and bring your man Davis with you"
OF course, Stilwell did not know what
was wanted, but he did not care to disre-
gard the summons, so he, in company with
his man, Davis, hurried to the City Hall,
where they were ushered into the presence
of Chief Crowley, Captain Lees, the elderly
man and one or two more.
When the pair entered the man with the
gray whiskers ives asked, "Do you know
either of these gentlemen" Without a
moments hesitation he replied, 81 do
not"
'Is the younger one the one?" was then
asked, as his attention was directed to
Davis. His reply was, at is not"
The private detective and his man,
Davis, were thanked for their prompt re-
spouse to the invitation to call, and they
retired wondering what it was all about
Well, it was this: The old gentleman,
whose name is J. II. Ardnet, stated that
on Monday afternoon at half-past 2
o'clock, Just half an hour before the Fair
will was missed, he was riding on one of
the cars of the Valencia-street line, when a
young man who was a total stranger to
him said: ''Jim Fairs will has been
stolen; and when they find it out to-mor-
row there'll be the mischief to pay" He
did not tell how he knew, and the old gen
tleman paid no more attention to the mat
ter until he read in the papers of the steal
ing Of the will.
Then there was a quiet consultation, Sc
crecy was enjoined on all present and each
went away.
The will is still missing, and the author
tiles are cropping in the dark in the vain
hope of laying their hands on it.
County Clerk Curry wore troubled look
on his face yesterday when in answer to a
question he said, "No, there is no clew to
the missing document, but the inquiry is
being continued.
Nothing has occurred since yesterday"
he continued 'tthat has caused me to
change my expressed opinion as to Davis,
Stilwell's man, who last examined the
paper"
One result of the loss of the paper, Mr..
Curry said, has been the adoption of new
rule in regard to papers handed out for ex-
animation. This rule is that hereafter
any one wishing to examine any of the
papers on fire in the Office will have to, as
is done in banks, identify himself to some
of the clerks, and having done this he will
not be allowed to handle the papers until
he obtains permit from either the County
Clerk or his chief deputy.
During the afternoon an official envelope
bearing upon its face the seal of the County
Clerk and the superscription ''To the fore
man of the Grand Jury" was passed into
the jury-room. This was request from
the County Clerk to the grand inquisitorial
body to make full and careful inquiry
into the abstraction of the will to the end
that the thief may be located, arrested and
punished.
There was another individual who was
waiting to be summoned before the Grand
II L j I
Stilwel Agency. He had sent to the fore
man of the jury a letter in which he set
forth that he sent Davis with a note to
Deputy Casserly asking him to permit
Davis to look at the Fair will, and then de-
tails what occurred when the document
was presented, which, substantially, is
what has already been published. His
letter contains these words: ''That Davis
knows nothing about its disappearance
am absolutely certain, but / am willing,
indeed anxious, to give all the time that is
necessary in assisting to bring the guilty
person to justice, whether it should be
proved to be Davis or any one else" He
declares that he does not "care to discuss
Mr.. Curry's right to openly accuse people
of theft without particle of evidence, and
asks for an immediate investigation in this
matter.
Shortly after this had been received in
the Grand Jury room the writer was in
vited inside, and in few minutes told
what he had to say.
During the afternoon the Office in which
the late millionaire transacted his business,
and in which J. S. Angus, one of the exec
utors is to be found, was occupied by quite
a NUMBER of persons, including several
clerks. In the inner Office sat Mr.. Angus
in close conversation with two or three
gentlemen. Everything was as silent as
the grave, and each man in the place
looked as solemn as the first graye-digger
in Hamlet"
every sorry, sir" said one of the solemn
faced clerks to a request for moments in
terview with Mr.. Angus, "the gentleman is
too busily engaged to give moments
time to outsiders"
1.-THE stolen will2" suggested the ques-
toner.
eyes" said the clerk, "but as one who
had answered without thinking he hur-
riedly added, 81 mean that there smoothing