The San Francisco call., 1897-06-11
MADE NO WILL.
Evidence Gathered by Mr.. Ach
Tending to Show Murder.

| Attorney ACn Is Stlll lHuSidIlSdOAo III
his efforts to solve the mystery of the
death of Isaac Hoffman and will not in
any manner admit that the suicide theory
is tenable. He is very desirous OF exam
lining witnesses at the inquest 10 be held
next week and to that end wrote strong
letter to the Coroner, asking the privilege
OF assisting him in examining witnesses.
This request was denied by the Coroner,
who construes paragraph 1890. section OF
the Political Code. defining his duties. to
mean that be should 60 no further for as
sistance than to request the services OF the
District Attorney.
Late yesterday afternoon Attorney Ach
stated that he had no new information to
| give out further than that letter bad
been found that was written by Hoffma n
or June l, which showed that he was
| negotiating with parties in Washington
and Oregon for the extension of the firm 5
| business.
Attorney Napthaly is positive that Hoff-
man was murdered and he is backed up IN
this theory by the fact that the dead
! merchant lett no will, and a most careful
search made by him personally utterly
failed in disclosing as much as q scrap of
paper indicating wha: disposition Hotf-
man desired 10 make of his estate. He
said that on the arrival of E. S. Rothchild
| he would apply TO the court TO have an
appraiSemenL made of the est tate and that
Mrs. Hoffman would be guided in her
| actions very much according TO Mr.. Roth
| chiId's advice. She has taken no interest
! in the matter as far as endeavoring 10
solve the mystery or advance any theory,
being utterly pTostrated by her bereave-
| ment.
For the first time since the tragedy the
clothes worn by MIR. Hoffman at the time
OF his death were submitted for inspection
| by the Coroner to-day, and while they do
not disclose any additional evidence. the
! blood stains tend to carry out the descrip-
! tion of the scene given by Mr.. Ach.
! The shoes worn were dark tan, and were
/ more or less spatiered with blood. The soles
| showed that the deceased merchant had
stood in blood, and near the toes gave
evidence of having been dragged over a
rough substance, as there were scratches
| beginning a point two inches from the
/ toes and running 10 the extreme point.
! Whether these marks were caused at the
time of the removal of the bouv or at the
| time of the shooting is an interesting
| point Attorney Ach made diligent inqui-
ries about, but failed 10 get any satislac-
| tory reply.
| The right knee OF the trousers was
| soaked with blood, as was the right knee
! of the drawers, while the left knee was en-
! tirely free from stains. This would seem
10 indicate that when Hoffman fell near
! the telephone door upon which the bloody
| finger marks were found he sank on one
! knee only.
One seam on the overlapping tail of the
! !rock coat Is heavily outlined with what
| appears to be dust or DIRT. 1t is ground
| into the cloth 10 such an extent that
| brushing and rubbing failed to remove il,
and furnishes iurther indications that the
dead merchant had been dragged over the
| floor. The text of the letter addressed by
| Henry Ach to the Coroner was as follows:
SAN Francisco, Cal, June 10. 1897.
DR.. ". ). Hd0kiRs, Coroner Of the city aud
County Of San Francisco, 6SS-6L1 Merchant street,
! City-MY DEAR SIR: As one of the attorneys
| representing the firm of Hoffman. ROthchiId
! & Co., and the widow of Isaac Hoffman, de-
ceased, beg leave TO advise you that have
/ devoted considerable time aud labor in en-
desvoring TO determine whether the violent
death OF Mr.. Hoffman was a suicide murder.
J As a re- ult, for whatever IL is worth 1 will
! state that from my Investigations am salts
! fed that a murder was committed. have de-
voted some time To an investigation of tie
/ books of Hoffman, Rothclild & Co., and to
other matters, for the purpose of discovering
/ q motive. and l nave in my possession sufi-
cient facts to warrant me in stating that va
rions important statements made by Theodore
| A. Figel are not true.
! Relative TO the $500 receipt which Mr..
! Figel produced. and concerning which he has
| made certain statemen Is, which, If true, might
! furnish a motive for suicide by Issac Hoff man
! | have secured expert testimony that it is a
| forgery.
| l have communicated many facts to the
| Police Department OF this City. and deem il of
| importance that the Coroner's Jury should
| commence to hear the evidence in this case
| ct the earliest moment.
viii you kindly advise me when the Inquest
| will begin, and also whether YOU will accord
me the privilege OF examining and crossexam-
| lining witnesses as ! desire.
| l wonld thank you Tor an early answer
| Respectfully yours, HENRY AcH.
The following is the Coroner's reply:
June 10, 1897.
Henry Ach. Esq-DEAR SIR: Referring 70
your letter OF even date, this office is awaiting
| the completion OF the investigation by the
Police Department before setting date for
| the inquest
As the law does not admit the examining
and the cross-examining of witnesses at a
! CoroneT's inquest by attorneys, /, therefore,
cannot giant that privilege. Respectfully
yours, W. J. HAWKINS. Coroner.
Mr.. Ach denied the statement credited
to Chief Lees in an afternoon paper to the
! effect that the Chief had been denied ar
cess to the books and samples of Figers
and Hoffman's handwriting.
The books" said he, "haye ALWAYS
been at the disposal OF the Chief, and he
is entirely welcome to as many specimens
| OF handwriting as he may desire. Why
Chief Lees makes me the object of such
and similar remarks IS more than / can
understand. Ny only desire is to bring
out the facts i'll this case, and to that end
/ Will work in conjunction with the Chief
as far as submitting to him every detail OF
| evidence that has come into my posses
| sion."
a further bit OF evidence as to the time
of Figel's arrival at the ferry oil the even
| ing of June 1 vas unearthed yesterday
and proves beyond doubt that he pur-
chased q monthly commutation ticket not
later than $50 o'clock. The number OF
| Figel's ticket is A 243, and the date on the
back of the stub shows that it was pur-
chased on June /. Mr.. Johnson, one OF
the clerks at the ferry Office, sold the
ticket to Figel and positively asserts that
ne delivered it not less than five minute,
before t he departure of the boat.
AS the boat, according TO the official
! record, left at 6:34, this likes the time ol
| FigeIs arrival at not later than 6:3C
| O'Clock.
Mr.. johnson, who knows Figel by sight,
said that he noticed nothing about Figel's
| appearance or manner that would indi
cate th at he was la boring under any ex-
| element, and that there was nothing un-
usual about his appearance or demeanor
to attract his attention.
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