The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-01
The Murder Theory Concern
ing G. S. Smith Is Not
Accepted.
WILL PAY ANY SHORTAGE.
The Missing Mans Father Says
His Son Has Been Foully
Dealt With.

|
Smith, McGlaufin & Co.'s confidential
the street. The murder theory has been
practically abandoned by all except the
family of the missing man, they stoutly
affirming that he has been foully dealt with.
| The general consensus of opinion among
those who pretend to know something
about McGlauf1in & Co.'s connection with
the late Senator Fair is that Smith has
dropped out of sight at the instigation of
| parties who are more or less interested in
the dead milIionaire's speculations, it
being thought that the bookkeeper knew
more than it would be safe to have him
tell. 1t is also believed that as soon as the
Fair estate is legally adjusted Smith will
| bob up safe and sound. This is mere
rumor, however, and has no foundation in
fact except that McGlaufin e. Co. are
understood to have acted as brokers for
| Fair when the latter made his big wheat
purchase.
| The brokers in question will not say that
they acted as agents of Fair, yet on the
| other hand, when the direct question is
| put to them, if they had not bought certain
| lots of wheat for him, they answered that
all business with their patrons was strictly
confidential.
All of these rumors may be nothing but
| the idle talk of "the street," yet they are
| none the less significant when taken in
connection with the great struggle that is
now going on for the possession of the Fair
estate.
| Not single fact developed yesterday
| that would throw the least of light on
Smiths mysterious disappearance. At his
| former office business was progressing in
| nd fnr n ont
Interruptions by persons seeking to secure
the position held by the missing man, to-
| gether with callers innumerable to learn if
there was anything new" there was
nothing to indicate that such prominent
individual as the cashier was missing.
In spite of the fact that McGlaufih & Co.
| positively affirmed on Monday that
! Smiths cash and bank book balanced to a
cent, these gentlemen are not nearly so
positive concerning the generally accepted
| theory that Smith is defaulter-
"We are having the books exported, :"
said Mr.. Bresse yesterday, "and it will be
several days before we can announce posi-
lively concerning Smiths accounts. Moth
ing has developed to-day to change the
opinion expressed yesterday, to the effect
that the missing man had not defrauded
US. Of course it would be possible for him
to make false entries, and our business is
of such large dimensions that a question of
| $4,000 or $4,000 would not cut much of a
| figure. That is, it is not probable that we
| would discover such theft except on the
closest investigation.
| cit is possible that he might have 'kited'
his accounts, which, of course, will make
the work of exporting the books that much
more difficult. However, do not believe
that we will find anything wrong, and as
far as Smith s disappearance is concerned
| | still think that he wandered off in tit
of dementia and will eventually turn up all
right.
s'Now, will you please correct one thing
for me, and that is concerning our credit
with the banks. An afternoon paper
quotes me as saying that this thing is hurt
| ing us like the devil and that the banks
will not take our orders. That is all rot,
for our credit has not been questioned nor
have our orders been refused. Matters are
| running along just the same as though
Smith was here, though we are worried
a great deal by frequent Interruptions"
At the home of Mr.. Smith the affair has
| quoted down somewhat, though his wife
and family still cling to the opinion that
he has been murdered The missing man s
father and brother arrived from Oroville
yesterday and were seen at 72S Fell street
last night. They hold to the murder the
Dry, though they say that if he has not
been foully dealt with they are confident
| that his disappearance is the result of tenn
consequences resulting from wrongdoing
They scout the idea that young Smith is
still in the City in hiding, though they
would be very glad to know that such was
| the case.
81 was naturally shocked on hearing of
my sons disappearance, said the elder
| Mr.. Smith last night 'though do not for
one moment believe that he is defaulter
l think that he has been murdered and the
body carefully concealed. If he specialized
| did not know it, and [ am inclined to
| think that the janitor has drawn on his
| Imagination concerning the big amounts
of money he is said to have invested. l
will say this, however, that if my boy has
| lost money that did not belong to him
will make good every cent of it, if it takes
all have. know absolutely nothing of
| his whereabouts. I only wish did. Char
| ley was good boy, and | will not believe
| i'll of him until the evidence is brought be-
| fore my eyes,"
Mrs. Smith, when seen yesterday, was
much calmer and apparently reconciled to
| the peculiar circumstances surrounding
her husbands disappearance, though she
! has not wavered in her belief that he has
been murdered. She thinks that the fact
| of her husband finishing a letter to his
father and then beginning another to his
brother, ending abruptly in the middle of
word is strong proof that he was forci-
he started to write the word could" but
only got as far as "cou."
! When asked ii she believed that her hus-
| band was still in the City, Mrs. Smith an
swered emphatically that she did not.
| ''Why should he conceal HIMSELF" she
said. s'He has done no wrong, and do
not believe all these stories about his spec
ulating heavily. am sure that if he had
done such thing would know some
thing of it."
| There is an unauthenticated rumor
afloat that Smith is still in the City and
| that his family have been notified of his
whereabouts. In this connection gen.
| tleman whose word is not to be questioned
| tells story that would show the POSSIBLE
| ity of the truth of this report.
On Monday morning he was passing 73S
| Fell street, and cha ring to look across the
street observed II an standing between
the church and the fence, partially con-
cealed by the steps.
| He watched the face for few seconds,
and then walked half way across the street,
when the man dropped down behind the
steps. Not caring to take any chances, he
walked toward Webster street, when the
face and body appeared again, the man