The San Francisco call., 1897-10-21
WILLIAM LYONS, the Cashier Who Committed Suicide at
Berkeley Tuesday Afternoon.

improvement Company. ended his life to
avoid being branded a defaulter and
spending some of his days in prison.
Immediately after the fire last Monday
night patrolman in the employ of Harry
n. Morse reported the fire at headquarter rs
as a suspicious case, and Captain Ca lun-
de n visited the premises early Tuesday
morning 4 brief examination sufficed to
show him that the building had evidently
been set on fire by some one very familiar
with the place.
For the first time since his connection
with the company Lyons failed to appear
on Tuesday morning. This aroused sus-
picIon, and hasty examination OF his
books showed shortage OF $3.50.
Captain CallunGen a once put two de-
tectlves on the case, and 1t ha- been de-
veloping in very interesting manner.
While Lyons has been in the employ of
the company for ten years and has always
been supposed to be quiet, hard-work-
ing, trustworthy man, joying the con-
fidence of his employers anG the respect
OF his feilowmen, he has, in reality, been
Leading a double hie.
The detectives had not long been at
work on the case before they discovered
that instead of ID quiet, respectable man,
Lyons was In reality q gambler, but so
carefully has he concealed his operations
in this line that few even of his most init
mate friends knew OF The vice which was
fast working his ruin. His operations con-
sisted chiefly in playing the races, both
on local and Eastern stakes, and small
deals in stocks which were almost in
variab V carried OH through an agent who
is known to the police. LYONS was also
in The habit of buying lottery tickets.
At the office oil the gas company / is not
yet known Just what the shortage is al
II - Tk kr, In,, "A
an expert accountant. Albert Miller, pres
ldent of the company. i, greatly surprised
at the developments and feels very down
cast over the matter. he says:
THAT Lyons should turn out to be such
man occasions me much surprise and
grief l took him in when he was a boy
and have always reposed the utmost con-
fdence in him, and have given him what
assistance l could when he needed it, and
this is my return. l have never b ad the
talntest suspicion that he was q gam bier
or, perhaps, he might have been watched
more closely. His salary was $3.50 per
month, and it is said that out of this he
managed to buy nice house in Berkeley
and kept horse and buggy, besides living
in good style"
Lyons was last seen in this city on Mon
day night in a Market-streei saloon with
two or three companions.
An inquest was held last evening at the
Berkeley branch moTgue over the body.
The jury brought in verdict of death by
gunskot wound in the left breast in
| fiicted with suicidal intent.
X. ID. Peat, collector in the company
office, testified that the deceased cashier
had seemed morose during The last few
weeks and had com planned OF headaches.
Peat declared as his opinion that Lyons
killed him self in ii t of temporary insan.
ity caused by overwork
Peat, accompanied by A. E. Clark and
j. A. Lyons. the brother of the cad man,
went to Berkeley Tuesday evening to see
| why the cashier had not been at the office
! during the day. They went TO his house,
where they found his wife, but she knew
nothing of his wherea bouts. They then
! started uptown, and as they passed the
| branch morgue they learned that his
| dead body was inside.
Both Peat and Clark declared that
! Lyons was never in the habit of gam bling,
! betting or playing the races, although they
said he occasionally went 10 the various
| prize-hghts and boxing contests in the
| city. They declared that Lyons, although
naturally of a taciturn disposition, was
| very popular in the office.
LYONS, the head bookkeeper and the
! manager OF the company each had the
! com blnatlon to the vault in the Office
! The books Of the company, according to
| the testimony of Peat anu Clark, had moi
been examined bv experts for ten Yeas,
the monthly balances having always been
satisfactory to the directors.
The testimony of a. F. Holland, a