The San Francisco call., 1896-04-23
The Defaulting Collector Was
Given Far Too Long a
Start.
YEARS INVESTIGATION.
The Italian Benevolent Sociaty Has
Suffered Long ana Was
Kind.

There seems little hope that the Italian
Mutual Benevolent Society will ever again
see either A. Cassasa, its absconding col
lector, or the three thousand eight hun
dred odd dollars belonging to the society
which disappeared with him.
The warrant issued for Cassasa's arrest
and the instructions issued to the Sheriff
OF Santa Rosa County TO employ detectives
if necessary have not had the effect OF
bringing Cassasa from his lair, and all the
people who have studied the case say that
if the defaulting cashier is not far away
from the power of the law by this time it
is not the fault of the long suffering much
forgiving Societa Italiana di Mutua Bene-
icenzia.
Chilly" Cuneo, one OF the bondsmen
who believed implicitly in the untarnished
quality of Cassasa's honor, and who loses
$500 by his defalcation, observed yester-
day with frank candor, eve wanted to see
justice done, but do not think any of US
were desirous to have CassasaJ put in the
dock, for an investigation would have fol-
lowed and that would have shown very
plainly that we had all made fools of our
selves"
There is good deal of talk in the
Italian colony over the fight of Cassasa
mand for an investigation.
The history OF Cassasa's defalcations
began about year ago. The Italian
Mutual Benevolent Society averages about
500 members, each of whom pays $12 a
year, and in return receives relief and
medical attendance in sickness, etc. The
expenses in medicine and doctors and hos
pltal fees are heavy and about year ago
f. Cavagnaro. the treasurer, noticed that
not enough money was coming into the
treasury to defray running expenses.
The paid secretary, B. Morone, was not
able to give any accounts, and Cavagnaro,
suspecting something was wrong, de-
| manded the appointment of an auditing
committee. Cassasa, when summoned to
appear before the board, pleaded sickness
and inability to collect, but an auditing
committee was appointed, consisting of f.
Cavagnaro, G. L. Peri and L. di Grazia.
The auditing committee tooks its own
time. which proved to be months. The
end of the year had been reached and Cas-
sasa hat been reelected for SO by the
subscribers before the com mittee reported
the amount of his defalcations.
Even then he was not removed from his
| position, but continued to harvest the dol
lars OF the subscribers till early in March,
when he resigned, or was made to resign,
and another collector was appointed. By
that time ne owed the society over $500.
From that time on Cassasa temporized
and was granted more and more time by
the board. A meeting was held on the ID
inst, at which the auditing committee was
instructed to secure a warrant for his ar
rest that night if he did not Immediately
refund the last $500 he had collected.
The order was not obeyed, Cavagnaro
stating at the succeeding meeting that he
| had wished to swear out the warrant, but
that Peri and Di Grazia had been in favor
OF granting more time. On the 18th inst
Cassasa wrote from Santa Rosa, stating
that he was at the ranch of his brother, D.
Cassasa, and was still examining his
| books. The probability IS that his friends
telegraphed to him that even the extraor-
dinarily patient Societa Italiana di Mutua
Benefcenzia considered that patience had
ceased to be a virtue, for that letter was
| the last heard of him.
But the society still seemed to have a.
faith that was child-like and bland in it's
collector. He had promised to attend the
second board meeting of the month. The
meeting came, but Cassasa did not, and
then the officers resolved to take action
A warrant was sworn out and instructions
were wired the Sheriff of Sonoma
County to capture the defaulter at all
costs. 1t was too late, however; the bird
had flown, and now the people who suffer
by Cassasas defalcation are asking why
he was treated so leniently.
Some subscribers blame President Kala
for not informing the board of the state of
things, others blame the secretary; and
the auditing committee comes in for a
share of the censure. BILLY" Cuneo and
q. Calegaris, the two bondsmen, have
not yet received any official notification of
Cassasa's defalcation. Had they done so
it is probable that more active steps would
have been taken for his arrest.