The herald., 1897-07-21
THEY WILL CONSOLIDATE
THEIR CLAIMS AND PRESS THEM
TO THE END
There Seems to Be a Niger in the
Pacific Steamship Company's
Woodpile

distinguished. the brief career Of John W.;
Kapus. which we've presented to THE.
readers OF The Herald yesterday mornrs
ing have since been the talk Of the street
and numerous oonfirmatory and addi-
tional evidence is forthcoming OF people
who have had dealings with this would
be lfinan eier and have had the hardest
possible time in getting their money out
of him.
The feature OF the whole case which
appears to excite the most surprise is
the success attained by this boyish APP
pearing and irresponsible schemer in
wheedling large sums of money out of
prominent business and professional
men for investment in propositions
which they were not allowed to investi-
gate The profits held cut as induce
ment were large and. It was explained,
could only be- obtained, by covering UP
the transactions from the knowledge of
the steamship company. The under
standing all round appears to have been
that the trusted claims adjuster" OF the
company would lose his job if II were
once to get out that he furnished ad-
vance Information to Kapus Of the al
lowance of claims to facilitate the skin
game practised here. .'"' "'''A- .''
The statement made by the steamship
company that they have no claim ad-
juster," that the man. by the. mama, oil
Vincent claiming to be such official Is,
unknown to them; that they are alleged
TO have approved loss claims on vessels
which they have never owned are. sir.
cumstances which Mr.. Kapus may be
able to explain when the proper time
comes but as to which .he-has only his
own assertions to oppose at present,
The attorneys who are trying to make
Kapus disgorge on behalf of their clients
who are so deeply in the consomme are
understood to be much exercised. over
the publica ton. of the facts appearing
in The Herald yesterday. They used
every effort to prevent publication, not
out of regard to Kapus, but because they
are more intent upon collecting the
money than upon protecting other peo-
pie from becoming victims, or even'upon
furnishing the guilty party or parties
whoever they may be, who have fabri-
Gated and forged the approval to claims
pronounced by the steamship company
to be spurious.
Kapus" appears to have been in the
loss claim business for considerable
time and in the course of his career
has, it is conceded, handled consider
able number of genuine claims and has
paid up on them. 1t is evident. however.
that with the expansion of his business
in that line he became an undesirable
servant to the steamship company. and
hence his DISMISSAL was not surprising.
The young man became noted for the
large sums of money he handled. his
habits were expensive, he lived high, and
even negotiated for the purchase of
steam launch. Added to all of which
drains upon his exchequer there was the
usual woman in the case. AS natural
consequence his friends were curious
as to the eource of his sudden wealth.
and were not inclined to believe any Of
the different versions he gave of its orr
gin.
The assurance With which he con-
Quoted his business was partly founded
on the knowledge that people who go
into such affairs are ashamed to let their
participation in them be known-a fact
which is confirmed by the strenuous eff
forts that have been made to keep the
names of those now implicated from
being published. In addition, Kapus
appears to be fellow of infinite resource
SO far as promises are concerned and
even now proceedings against him are
suspended on account Of his positive as
surance that if he were let alone for
day or two the money would be forth
coming. Needless to say, he is under
surveillance for the time being.
The resolution was arrived at yester-
day by the parties interested to consoli-
date their claims, amounting to over $780,
900, and to take united action for their
recovery by every possible means. DR..
Pepper, who has been buying similar
claims through Kapus for the past three
years. admits that he has made a good
Z deal of money out of them. Kapus bring
2 ing him his returns in currency with
:. more. or. less regularity UP to the time
when his expense increased to such an
extent as to make him slow. Kapus APP
pears to have tried his work upon al
most everyone in the city who does any
loaning business, and might have been
more successful if he had not excited
distrust by his constant failure to keep
his engagements. One man whom he
induced to invest $1,000 on the promise
of return of $3.50 in twenty days be-
& came first annoyed and then alarmed
at the failure of the smooth young finan-
cier to come to time and went after Him
energetically. and finally succeeded in
getting his money In small installments
and is now congratutalng himself on
his luck.
There is quite strong feeling tina,
Kapus has been all along assisted in
his operations by some person or per-
sons in San Francisco: and that conee-
quently there may be some truth in his
statement to that effect made yesterday
Whether his assistant is or is not in
the employ of the Pacific Coast Steam
ship company. as he claims, is quee-
tion that the company itself is interested
In solving. There is possibility that
other facts may be brought to light If
this case is vigorously inquired into.
Reeds First Speech ,.a ,
The IN vxbso h N