The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-05-15
TEN YEARS A THIEF.
Paul Schulze Stole Whenever
He Had a Chance.
GOT AWAY WITH OVER s25oOoo.
II HIS speculations Had Been Lucky
He Might Have Paid Up-The
Spokane Crookedness.
GOT AWAY WITH OVER s25o0oo

Tacoma. May H. - Special - After a
months investigation into the affairs OF
the late Paul Schulze. il is now known
positively that his shortage is between
S25G.oO0 and 5000. 090. Tonight General Land
Agent Cooper of the Northern Pacific.
gave out a statement of the result of the
investigation SO far. In the land depart
ment the shortage amounts 10 over $780,,
oD and IL is thought that $4,000 Will cover
il. rnIaincludes the recently discovered
Shortages In the Northern Land and De-
velopEent Company. OF sHuth Bend, and
the Olympic Land and Investment Com
pany, of OcCSta. Both OF these were
Northern Pacific enterprises, and Schulze
was president Of each. The shortages In
these two companies We're small. Seventy
distinct cases of embeZZiement have been
discovered. The facts in each case have
been transmitted to ST. Paul as fast as
accumula ed. The cases range from $50 to
$1,000. the largest being the enbezzlement
of timber land contract. Mr.. Cooper
does not state the situation of the land.
but II is presumed to be the Mason county
land described some days ago. The meth
cd of the embezzlement was simply to hold
out payments made by purchasers on land
contracts.
Schulze in all cases. so far as known,
gave various kinds of receipts or certih-
Gates of payment. and made no entry in
his books He, however, kept all the let
tiers transmitting money, indicating that
he expected at some time to make good
the embezzlament. Some of these letters
We're found filed al home and others at
the office. Receipts and certificates Of pay
ment all made out in his private office and
mostly in Schulzes own handwriting.
were found. BY this it is known that no
one else was implicated. His system of
embezzlement had been carried on for
ten years 1t IS now believed by those
-Fr CfNh no "a hp LONG
ago determined that two courses lay be-
fore him, TO make good the embezZlement
by a lucky stroke in investments or 10
end all by suicide For years he had
studied suicide. evidently 10 that end.
Mr.. Cooper believes that SchulzeS pri-
waite fortune was myth. and that the
money he invested in different enterprises
was all misappropriated funds OF the land
department. AS stated some time ago, in
& few cases OF large entertainments the
uartfes from whom deeds were withheld
after they had paid their money. became
uneasy and made complaint TO the land
commissioner at St. Paul. Commissioners
Phipps was on his way here 10 secure an
explanation when Schulze committed sui
eide.
Mr.. Coopers statement tonight covers
only the above transaction. From an
other source is learned the details of the
Spokane syndicate deal. about which con-
siderable has been printed OF late. In
1890 the railroad company authorized
Schulze 10 sell large amount of acreage
I'm Spokane. SchulZe fixed the price on
good lands very low and on poor lands
very high, and sold 70 dummy buyers.
The contracts for poor lands we're never
paid and reverted 10 the company. Some
time ago the coed lands sold 10 the Dill
man syndicate were plated. sold and
deeds given Schulze cleaned up between
$1,000 and 800, 90 On this deal. This. with
the shortage in the land department.
brings the total up 10 about $50 coo. The
remaining shortages. II any, were in the
Tacoma Railway & Motor Company and
the Yakima Investment Company. Inves-
legations looking 10 the discovery OF
crookedness IN these two companies are
now going on.