The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-19
The Heirs Said to Have Lost a
Quarter of a Million on
the Fair Deal.
DRESSES DRAFTS NOT KNOWN
He Is Accused OF Base Ingratitude
by the Senior Partner of
the Firm.
Where is Eugene A. Bresse?

That was the question asked by inquiring
members OF the Produce Exchange yes
terday. The query remained unanswered.
The Fair wheat deal. the dissolution of
the firm of McGlauflin & Co. and the dis
appearance of Charles Smith, the book
keeper of the latter mentioned company,
are wrapped in a mystery which deepens
and becomes more and more elusive in its
solution with each days investigation.
But the most anxious inquirer after
Eugene A. Bresse's Whereabouts yesterday
was his late partner and senior member OF
the firm. L. w. McGlaufiin. The receiver,
T. w. Collins, who was appointed in accord
ance with the petition of Mr.. McGlauhin
for an injunction, and Mr.. Kirkpatrick
an expert accountant, began exporting the
books of the firm yesterday, and during
the course of their forenoon's work it be-
came apparent that Mr.. Bresse's presence
was sorely needed to explain certain cleri-
cal combin atoms, complications and per-
plexities which had confronted the inves-
tigators at the outset. Then it was that an
inquiry was made as TO the whereabouts of
the ex-junior member of the firm,
Mr.. NJ cGlaufiin had confidential agents
at work during the day trying to unearth
9OuLS Dub up W y " ClOCk 1dSL
evening he had not been located.
While no serious significance was at
tached to the temporary disappearance of
young Mr.. Bresse, it soon became noised
about on Change that he was wanted and
could not be found, and all sorts of chaff-
ing speculations were current as the proba-
bility Of his having gone to join the miss
ing bookkeeper, Smith.
The pioneer brokers and commission
men shook their heads and winked across
the flame of the cigar-lighter as they ig-
nited their post-luncheon conchas, and in
the gossip which followed many an inter
esting theory was expressed.
The story was told that during the big
deal and soon after McGlauflin was 'Iong'
on wheat, while his junior partner was
selling ''short"-a repetition of the scrip
tural house divided against itself. Then
followed in turn many other equally as in
terestlng speculations and queries. The
statement made by Bresses brother, Louis
c. Bresse, one of the Fair trustees, that
McGlaufin had his junior partner to thank
was taken up and vigorously refuted
by Mr.. McGlaufin's friends, who set
up the counter claim that the Dresses
owe their present business position to
McGlaufiin that he took first one then
the other into his Office and gave them a
business education. Among those who
defended Mr.. McGlauflin the most
strongly in this respect was w. Greer
Harrison.
The mutilation of the books and impor-
tant documents of the firm are also pro-
life source of speculation. MIR. McGlaufiin,
having asserted that he did not believe
that Smith, the absent bookkeeper, had
70 do flo@
act, many were found who showed no
hesitancy in suggesting Bresse as the
guilty party. On the page bearing the
index letter 'F' in one of the ledgers was
found a drop of blood, and Mr.. Bresse,
having worn a piece of plaster on one of
his fingers about the same time the books
were cut up, the natural suspicion on the
part of the senior partner was that the
court plaster had some connection with
the mutilated books. The coincidence was
recalled later on, however, but Just at
present the significance deepens.
While those who stood very close to
Senator Fair during the last few wears of
his life still adhere to the belief that he
knew nothing whatever about the immense
wheat deal in which McGlaufin and the
two Dresses figured so prominently, others
contend that the Senator certainly was
cogniZant of the transaction and had a
partner. The latter opinion took the shape
VI q obOly W t1lC CllcCI bIldI IQt money Oh
the Luning estate was interested to large
extent ana that George Whittell acted as
buyer and Fair as the principal banker.
The loss was shared equally in proportion
to the respective money invested, and the
Luning heirs were much displeased with
the speculation. Among these heirs, so
the story goes, is Mr.. Fyfe, who it was
said had lost $3.50, 200 when the settlement
came to be made.
None of the various theories advanced.
however, seemed to throw any additional
light on the recent causes leading to the
McGlauflin-Bresse disunion in its connec-
ton with the Fair wheat deal or the Fair
executors. Though it is an open secret
that one of the trustees of the Fair estate.
Attorney Goodfellow, is not on the most
intimate terms with his colleagues, no
effort had been made until yesterday to
connect the fact in any way with the Nc
Glauflin & Co. Fair deal in wheat Trustee
Goodfellow, 1t was said, had opposed the
wheat proposition, and as a result the
other trustees carried on the business sub
sequently without calling him into con-
sultation.
After all has been told, and deductions
made from the most authentic informa-
ton obtainable, the present status of the
affair may be expressed as follows:
McGlauf1in d Co. have dissolved; their
bookkeeper, Smith, is still mysteriously
missing; Bresse, the junior member of the
firm, has been strangely absent since day
before yesterday, and is wanted to explain
certain perplexing entries in the firms
books whereby he Is supposed to have
added something to his personal bank
account, and the Fair trustees are singu-
larry involved.