The San Francisco call., 1896-04-27
THE GOING OUT
OF HARRY McG|LL,
Promised to Return to Din
ner-Missing for Three
Months.
KNEW TRADE SECRETS.
Men in Yokohama Who Were
Interested in Watching His
Movements.
THE DETECTIVES MYsTIF1ED.
Left All His Personal Effects Behind.
Was Warned Of Spy Eel.
lowing Him.

The going out of Harry McGilI has mys-
| titled and troubled his friends in this City
not little. Diligent search and inquiry
| have been made, but no trace of him has
| been found. For three months he has
been missing from his home with the Nc
| Clure family, at 1859 Guerrero street. He
| promised to return for dinner and had an
engagement with two ladies that evening.
The Police Department has struggled
| with the case fruitlessly. Detective An
| thony was given the case for some time,
but he was unable to solve the mystery.
There are grave fears OF foul play, for it Is
| known that McGill had enemies who were
at least interested in watching his move
m ents. He was the custodian, also, of i'm
por.ant business secrets, some of which, it
| is thought, he must have revealed to the
Pacific Mail Company just before his dis
appearance.
Saturday, February l. Henry A. Nc
Gill. young man "a years of age, lately
resident of Yokohama, Japan, left the
residence of William Mcclure, chief engi-
ner of the Pacific Mail Steamship Com
pany's steamer City of Peking, 1859 Guer-
rero street, where he was stopping, for
short visit downtown and has never been
| seen by them since.
| McGill was well known in business
circles in Yokohama, being connected
| with the well-known firm of T. M. Latin
& Co., ship chambers and stevedores of
| that city. He had resided there for six
years. Every American vessel visiting
| that port had more or less dealings with
| the firm through young McGill, and he
was very generally liked and respected for
his good business and social qualities.
He resigned his position with the firm
and went to Kobe, from which port he
took passage on the Rio Janeiro for San
Francisco early in November. He arrived
here via Yokohama on the 26th of that
month, putting up at the Golden West
II otel. January 4 he went to reside with
Mrs Mcclure, whose son, George Morse
engineer on the Zealanda and formerly
on the Pacific Mail steamer China run
ming to Yokohama, was about the only
acquaintance he had in this City on his
arrival.
1t is now learned that McGill and his
employer. T. M. Latin, had a disagree
ment ana McGill resigned his position,
though Mr.. Latin made strenuous efforts
to retain him and made him very tempt
ing offers.
McGin, in his capacity of bookkeeper
and clerk of the firm, was fully acquainted
with certain transactions and business
methods carried ON between La fin & Co.,
who had valuable billet with the Pacific
Mail Company, and some of the Y Yokohama
employees of the company.
McGill had an idea that Latin feared he
would reveal these transactions if be came
| - HaI; IL.
this fear which made Latin so anxious to
. retain him. 1t was for this reason and
because he thought Latin might seek to
prevent his departure for America that
McGill went to Kobe and took passage
there instead of embarking at Yokohama.
After his arrival in this City McGill was
warned several times by friend whom he
had met in Yokohama that he was being
shadowed by man sent from that city for
the purpose of observing if he communi-
Gated with the Pacific Mail authorities,
+ and probably with view of preventing
him from doing so. II such was the case
the espionage was fruitless, for McGill did
: have conference of several hours dura.
ton with the general manager of the COM
!, pany some days before his disappearance.
/ The news came by the City of Peking,
which arrived Friday, of some startling
changes at the Yokohama end of the line.
T. M. Latin & Co. it appears have lost
their good paying billet, and Captain w.
A. WALL tug and lighter master, and his
forman have been discharged.
McGill told his friends here that an
agent OF the Pacific Mail Company ap-
preached him on the steamer at Yoko-
hama and offered to refund him the money
he had paid for his ticket to San Francisco
at Kobe and give him free passage, but
that he had declined to accept it, saying
that he was able to pay for his passage
with his own money. 1t is known that on
the Monday following the:disappearance OF
!. MoGill an important written communica-
tion was sent to him from the Office of the
! Pacific Mail Company in this City.
1--WE are all greatly worried over the dis
appearance OF Mr.. McGill," said Mrs. Nc
Clure, the wife of the chief engineer of the
| City Of Peking, to a CALL reporter at her
residence, 1859 Guerrero street, yesterday
afternoon. 'All of us were very fond o1
him. He had gentle disposition. no bad
habits and was very considerate of the
younger members of my household. His
relatives live in Nebraska and Illinois. He
became intimate with my son, George
Morse, when the latter was running as an
engineer on steamers Of the Pacific Mail
On the arrival Of the Rio on November &c
George met young McGill on the dock and
subsequently induced him to visit me and
my family. We all liked him so we'll that
Invited him to make my house his home.
He gave up his room in the Golden Wesi
Hotel and about the first of the yea,
moved his belongings to an apartment in
my residence. He was with US about q
month before he disappeared, but during
that short stay he endeared himself to all
of Us.
HE was delighted with his surround
ings, and frequently spoke of home life
as being new and very enjoyable expert
J ence. He addressed me as ma and
traatad with the courtesu and