The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-03
IT IS STILL A MYSTERY,
Effort 60 Connect Smiths
Absence With the Fair
Will Contest.
MIR. Angus Non-Committal on the
Senator's Alleged Wheat
SpeCulations.

McGlaufin & Co. do not yet admit that
their missing bookkeeper, Charles s. Smith,
is defaulter, although Mr.. Bresse has let
statement fall from his lips, in a manner
rather hard to interpret, that there might
possibly be discrepancy, and even an
amount of SIS, 900 has been mentioned.
Smiths father has been closeted WITH
Mr.. Bresse in an examination of the books,
but the results of the investigation are
kept secret.
4 rather curious admission was made
by Smiths father at his home 72S Fell
street, last night. Asked if he would COM
municate his sons temperance should he
turn up, said:
1 do not know that would. Matters have
assumed such character that cannot say
that would
Beyond that Mr.. Smith Sr. was nom
committal, but his manner did not tend to
dissipate suspicion. The missing mans
relatives do not appear to think he is dead.
An effort to connect Smiths disappear
ance with desire on the part of certain
persons interested in the estate of Senator
Fair to get him out of the way so as to con-
ceal some wheat speculation OF the Senator
was ridiculed by all parties to the contest
yesterday. Special Administrator James
s. Angus had been made to father an ad-
mission that the Senator had backed Nc
Glaufin & Co. heavily in some heavy
wheat transactions, but Mr.. Angus stated
last night that when he was questioned on
that point by reporter he told him he
would neither affirm nor deny anything"
that he was IAN officer of the court and
could not give away any of the courts
business" He explained further:
was not the confidential man of Senator
Fair. 1t is true that in some transactions
was taken into his confidence, but the state
ment which would make 1t appear that was
his confidential man." and therefore fully
informed of all his business affairs, is not true.
AS to whether any of Mr.. Fairs money was
neither affirm nor deny, owing to the
position l occupy as an officer of the court.
Being special administrator OF the estate, /
cannot reveal any OF the courts affairs. That
there was anything to be gained by having
young Smith put out of the ways simply
laughable. There cannot possibly be word of
truth in it. Now, the counsel for Charley Fair
and Mrs. Oelrichs know just what l know
they have the same Information that have.
1t is an odd coincidence that just as
Attorneys Lloyd and Wheeler, who repre-
sent Mrs. Oelrichs and Miss Virginia Fair,
began their inquiry into the supposed
wheat investments of Senator Fair Book
keeper Smith and an account book of the
year an alleged wheat deal was made both
ested in the Fair estate admit that Book
keeper Smiths disappearance is many way
material. Nevertheless quiet investiga-
tons are being made by the legal repre-
sentatiyes of the Senator's children.
1t has been OWNED that an established
investment of the Senator in an attempt to
corner the wheat market might serve the
purpose of an attempt to prove that Mr..
Fairs mind had become slightly deranged
considering his characteristic caution in
business matters and his knowledge of
is based upon the advantage it is thought
might be gained in having both wills now
before the court set aside on the ground of
mental arrangement
One thing can be taken as assured:
Smiths relatives do not think that he has
been murdered or has committed suicide.
His father last night felt rather indignant
that report had been circulated about a
body which had been found in the bay be-
ing that of young Smith. why, nobody
ever thought any such thing, I believe" was
the sharp comment he INDUCED in to ex-
press his utter skepticism as to any tragic
end his son might have met with. On the
other hand, Mr.. Angus, even as late as
almost 10 O'Clock, was as innocent as he
could be in supposing the report to be true
that it was young Smiths body.
Messrs McGlaufin and Bresse still
express the belief that Smiths mind might
have become suddenly unsettled, and that
he simply wandered away to nobody
knows where They are 10th to think he
has been guilty of any intentional crooked
work, and Mr.. Dresses brother, who is
also a special administrator of the Fair
estate, scouts the theory OF Smiths posi-
BILE connection with any advantage to be
gained by Mr.. Fairs heirs.