The San Francisco call., 1896-02-03

the wrong lot and afterward found out
that the young man had no title, but
might have one when the case was settled.
"Such mix-up [ have never seen, but
II an understanding can be reached with
George +. Smith then everything will be
plain sailing, but if not then some other
steps will have to be TAKEN"
Lawrence Sutton, the bookkeeper for
George f. Smith 6 Co., has nothing to say
IN regard to the trouble. He asserts that
his books are all right and that nothing in
the shape of investigation can hurt him.
Still those who are conducting the in
curry say he can tell more than he admits
and they want power to compel him. Just
where the screw will be put on remains to
be seen.
Young Schmidt, who is now absent from
the City, was gay liver, it is said. In
spite OF the fact that he was a married
man, they further say, he contracted a
great friendship with Miss Bessie Bonehill
OF the ''1492" company. w hile the company
was here Miss Bonehill and her husband,
Lawrence Seely, and Walter Watson, the
sparring instructor of the Olympic Club,
were his guests night after night IN the
Louvre. People on the water front assert
that Schmidt has followed Mrs. Seely TO
the East, but his friends deny the rumor
in an emphatic manner, and say he has
really gone East to visit his grandmother,
who is slowly dying.
at is lucky ! didn't crack that bottle of
wine, or else l would have been out an
other So is the remark made by Gus Ger
dan when he was told of the failure of
George w. Smith & Co. A few days pre-
viously he had cashed an $50 check
| for the firm, and the next morn
| ing got telephone message asking him
not to present it as Smith 81 Co. were a
little short with the bank. Gerdan held
| the check for four days and then got a
message from Smith saying '.I will be
down in the morning and take up that
/ check; in the meantime crack bottle of
wine at my expense" The bottle of wine
was not cracked and Gerdan is still out
the $50.
In talking about the matter, Captain
Lee, late of the bark Sonoma, said: "You
can quote me as saying that there has
been crooked work going on IN that firm
for years. When / sailed on a voyage
some years ago 1 left an amount due the
vessel in the hands of Captain Paul for
| collection. Seven or eight months later
when l got back to San Francisco / found
that the money had not been credited to
| the Sonoma and Captain Paul said he had
never collected it. 1 went to the mer-
chant who owed the freight and he showed
me the receipt of George f. Smith & Co.
for 1t. Then and not till then was the
| bark credited with the money.
"Some months later there was a new
hawser that we did not want and l sent ii
ashore. 1t was stored over Wright, Bovine
d Co.'S store, and during the fire that
| gutted the place was supposed to be burnt
up. On my return | made some inquiries
and found that Paul had removed the
hawser months before the fire and had
placed it aboard one of the other vessels
he was managing. That was my expert
enee with them and | guess other ship
masters are in the same box
Just what will be done in the premises
remains to be seen. If the shortage is
made good probably nothing more will be
heard of the matter. Smith, however
does not feel like shouldering the whole
| responsibility. Paul has no money and
Schmidt is sin the East" At the meeting
to be held this afternoon it is thought that
some understanding can be reached.