The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-07
The Assistant Secretary of
the School Board in
Trouble.
He Was Suspended Pending an
Investigation Into Irregu-
lar Acts.
Found by Friend He Was Taken
Home Last Night in Dazed
and Low Condition.

The mystery with which George w.
Wade, assistant secretary of the Board of
Education, has enveloped his queer &C.
tions of the past few days was in meas
ure cleared away yesterday afternoon
when he returned dazed and asked to see
his family
His return was great relief to his wife,
who had almost mourned him dead since
Saturday morning, when Mrs. Wade re-
ceived a letter in which he babe her good
by and threatened to commit suicide.
Wade twice attempted in his absence
from home to carry his threat into execu-
tion, but either by the Intervention of
people about him or errors in preparation
he was not successful. Now, however, he
will be closely watched lest a third at
tempt be made. 1t will be some time,
though. before Wades condition is such
that he can be examined by the Board of
Education in connection with Irregular
acts for which he was suspended by Henry
T. Scott, president of the board. Mean
while the greatest curiosity exists among
public school teachers and acquaintance
OF w ade as to how he had fallen to pieces
all of a sudden.
For Wade was popularity supposed to be
n quiet, sensible jelIow, with no expensive
habits, ana how he could have borrowed
something like $1,000 and spent it, in addi-
tion to a salary of $I75 a month, while
living modestly remains to be explained.
Tuesday last Wade took sick and had to
go to bed. His health seemed utterly
shattered. DR.. McNutt was called in next
day. and he gave instructions to keep the
patient quiet, rs it was apparent to him
that Wade had some nervous mental de-
rangement in addition to severe attack
nE ipor
Mrs. Wade was surprised to find him i'll
the hall ready to go out. You must not
leave the house against the doctors or
ders," she urged.
"Oh, that will be ali right" he replied,
with an air of unconcerp. I've some
very important business down at the hail
and will be back In an hour"
So Wade left his home at jackson and
Jones streets, and, to all intents, disap-
peared. The wife, as time wore on, be-
came distracted, but no friend could bring
her any comfort.
Friday passed without a word from the
missing man, but next morning brought
the letter with the threat OF suicide. This,
with the fact that he paid up his dues in
the Legion of Honor Friday night to cover
q death certificate was taken as conclusive
that. Wade contemplated taking his life.
a search was instituted at once here and
in Oakl and, and yesterday the description
of Wade was read to the policemen going
out on duty.
Toward evening W. H. Haight of 4o2
Geary street, friend of the missing man,
notified Wades friends that he had been
found, and soon after Wade was taken
home by his brother-in-law. He was so
weak that he could not uDdress and the
family physician was summoned. The
doctor remained some time with his
patient and refused to let anyone but Mrs.
- -
Wade's condition was serious and it de-
manded extreme care to effect cure.
81 found him on Geary street, between
Mason and Powell, this afternoon" said
Haight He was walking toward Powell
street and looked like he had been drink
ing. I learned to-day that he was miss
ing, and started out to find him. l knew
where to find him. He could not give an
account OF himself. Then l took him to
my room and held him here till his
brother-in-law took him home. He at
tempted to commit suicide twice by as
phyxiation. but the gas was too weak"
Haight would not say where Wade tried
to die, though he admitted it was in a
lodging house. The suppositiou is that
Wade was among some OF his downtown
friends and they saved his life and at last
prevailed on him to go home. He spent
some time in the house at 400 Geary street,
the landlady of which said that he had
been brought over from Oakland yester-
day.
Two orders signed by Wade Efor his
salary warrant for Novem Der were pre-
sented Saturday to the secretary of the
Board of Education by different brokers.
The orders were returned, as the demand
had been handed to another broker. They
were taken up. however, by friend.
Besides, it was charged that Wade had
borrowed freely from school teachers.
President Scott of the board made an in
vestigation which resulted in the assistant
secretary's suspension.
Secretary Beanston said that Wade's
books were correct, and friends of the sus-
pended assistant secretary asserted that
there was positively nothing wrong in
legal sense. Only Wade had allowed him
selfto become involved financially and Dor
rowed nearly $1,000. This debt, coupled
with the fear that the new Democratic
Board OF Education might remove him to
give a Democrat the position, is said to
have so preyed upon Wade's mind that
the troubles turned his head.
Wanted for Forgery