The San Francisco call., 1897-06-19
NO PROOF OF ARSON.
store Was Either Accidental or
lnCendiary.


lnCendiary,
Much space has been wa sted in specula-
tion as TO whether in the event of the tes-
timony of two important witnesses going
TO prove that the burning of the store of
Hoffman, Alexander & Co. was a case of
arson the insurance companies who paid
the losses would take any action toward
recovering their money.
Ali the circumstances attending the
fire have been recalled and reprinted, the
statement of Fire Marshal Towe, made
shortly after the occurrence. being urged
TO justify the suspicion that the fire was
not purely accidental.
Great stress has been laid on the fact
that Theodore + gel was the last one to
leave the store and, contrary to his usual
custom, left his books spread out on his
desk lns .ead OF locking them in the safe.
Strenuous efforts have been made to
connect the clrcu instances of the fire and
It's suspicious character with the late
tragedy and involve young Figel in the
mesh. Had the story of the aftermath of
the burning OF the store OF Hoffman
Alexander & Co. been given full pub
hcity the time and space given to these
| theories, speculatlons and statements
that have been in1ulCed IN would have
been spent to some better purpose.
At no time was the integrity of the firm
called into question, and among those in
suTance men whose suspicious were
aroused, and who thought 1t a case of in
cendiar sr, it was considered a case OF
spite YOEk to inlure the firms business
As to the adjustment of the loss that was
made IN New York, where it VIII surprise
some 10 know accounts were kept, which
! Tor al insurance purposes furnished abso-
lutte and accurate information of the
| amount of stock carried by the firm in its
store here, and practically formed du-
pllcate set of books.
Peter OutcalI, tue well-known fire-loss
ad iuster, was EN- ployed by Hoffman, Alex
ander q Co. 20 represent them, and Joseph
q. Lavery, who, besides hls excellent
standing as an adjuster, is an expert book
Keeper, was selected to act for the insur-
ance companies.
The loss as adjusted was in the neigh
! borhOod OF $l2S 900, and 1t can be posi-
lively stated that not now, nor at any
time since the payment was made, has
any company thought Of bringing suit for
the recovery OF the portion of the money
paid by II, nor could evidence i'll the fac &.
of the facts be adduced to warrant any
attempt to do so.
Peer Outcalt's version of the part he
took N the Hoffman Alexander fire is as
follows: Il was retained by the firm of
Hoffman, Alexander & Co. to look ont for
loss.
Joseph G. Lavery was selected by the
underwriters committee to act for the
insurance companies, as he was emineftly
fitted for the position, being an expert
bOokkeeper as we'll. as a competent ad-
iuster OF fire losses. The men constitut.
ing the committee which selected him
were the most prominent figures IN insur-
ance circles at that time. They were
Colonel William Macdonald, George D.
Dornin, William J. Callingham, George
W. Spencer and George f. Butler.
This committee, appointed by the un-
derwriters for the ad justment ascertain
ment and settlement of this loss at all
times. co-operated with Mr.. Lavery and
acted as an advisory board as far as his
investigation and action were concerned.
"Mr. Lavery spent the best par of five
weeks IN New York, and obtained during
his stay there detailed information from
books of accounts there, which it is en-
tirely safe to say, by reason of their ampli-
tude, afforded better opportunities for a
clear understanding of the loss than is
generally afforded by fires occurring under
similar circumstances.
at was the opinion of Mr.. Lavery and
of the committee as well, which is fully
evidenced by the prompt settlement made
on Mr.. Lavery's return from New York,
that the hre was in nowise attributable TO
the firm, and the mem bers OF it were
never for an instant brought into ques-
! ton. AS regards those Impressions which
exist in the minds of some people, as to
the possible culpabilily of the persons
chiefly interested, The TACT remains that
Charles Nichols, the very capable sur
veyor OF the Pacific Insurance Union, in
stituted in his position as such surveyor
! investigations as 20 what may have been
the cause of the rapid acton of the tre,
which was one of the most suspicious c.r-
cumstances attending it.
''If l am not mistaken his researches
resulted in the discovery that a recent IN
ventlon applied to cheap fabrics for fixing
the dye colors and cheapenlng the pro-
cess resulted in the use OF some extraordi-
narlly volatile su distances, and so i'm pressed
were some of the managing underwriters
by the result OF the researches of the Sur
veyor that it was seriously. considered
placing thenceforth wholesale clothing
stocks on the prohibited list"
There was no uncertain sound in joseph
q. Lavery's voice when be said yesterday
after hearing the statement of Mr.. Out
calf: Yes, / was retained as adjuster
in the loss referred 10. and the fact Of my
being an expert bookkeeper as well as
adiuster had much TO do with my selec-
tion.
"As you know, the representatives of
the companies interested appointed a
committee, and TO that committee | re-
ported progress as my work progressed.
and had the benefit of their advice in all
things, as well as the satisfaction of their
approval when the settlement was made.
After / had exhausted the work here
| found 1t necessary 10 go to New York,
where l spent over a month going over
The hooks OF the firm there. The New
| York house did all the manufacturing for
| the San Francisco end anu shipped in
voices of goods regularly every two weeks.
AZ ah ha l.
preserved intact from the Ere here, and