The San Francisco call., 1898-07-31
Police Exercised Over the Theft of the BeCker-Creegan
 Papers.
Mysterously Vanished From the County Clerks Office-Chief Lees Attempts to
 Cover Up the Crime.

The greatest excitement prevailed at police headquarters yesterday, due to the discovery that the papers in the now eel ebrated case of Becker and Creegan, the noted bank forgers were missing.
 Shortly after Il o'clock Chief Lees, who was ignorant of the theft of the papers, sent for Captain Seymour, intending to consult him as to the decision rendered by the Supreme Court granting the forg- CTS a new trial.
 After discussing the advisability of fur ther prosecution Lees sent for the papers in the case. To his great astenishment he was told that they were missing, evil dently having been stolen. fingered be- yond measure and determined to recover the valuable documents at all hazards Lees called in several of his best men and in lugubrious tones told them of what had happened. He carefully in- structed them to spare no efforts to find the missing papers, as they were essen tial in case he decided to again try the Nevada Bank forgers. The County Clerks office was searched but no trace of the papers was found.
 In the meantime Lees, realizing his use lessness in proceeding with the second trial of Becker and Creegan without the all-important documents, sent for As sistant District Attorney Black, to whom he confded the discovery that the papers were missing. It was claimed by Lees shortly af- ter his conversation with Black that the papers had been recovered, having been found in the office of the Assistant District Attorney. Despite Lees asser- tion, 1t is known that the transcript Of the testimony in the case Is still missing. The District Attorney, however, has CODY, which fact evidently was not known to the Chief
 For some time past rumors Of an at- tempt being made to steal the records in the case have been heard, but the police, thinking that they emanated from friend of the defendants, paid no atten- ton to them. Becker, who Is known as the king of forgers, has frequently de- clared that he would not be sent to the penitentiary if money could save him. He Is said to be worth considerable money, and often boasted that he would spend ev- cry dollar he had to beat" the case. The belief is that he handsomely rewarded tle thief who stole the papers for his trouble.
 Not knowing that the authorities had copy of the transcript he conceived the bold plan of getting away with 1t.
 The thief presumably expected to find the forged check among the papers, but in this he was disappointed, as 1t had been placed in the large safe in the Coun- ty Clerks office.
 Like the theft of the will of the late James G. Fair, the parties interested did not count on the attorneys in the case having had copies made which were of fered in evidence and accepted by the court.
 Last night Chief Lees and his men were diligently striving to find clew which would lead to the identity of the culprit who disappeared with the papers in the Becker and Creegan case. They are de- termined to leave no stone unturned to land him in prison.
 The County Clerks office was turned inside out last night in a search for the papers in the Becker-C -Creegan forgery case. County Clerk Curry was routed out of bed to assist in the search. and he called to his assistance Deputy Mulcahy, who has charge of the papers in all the criminal cases.
 Records could be found of the filing of the original papers but no papers could be found, with the exception of a solitary affidavit of a witness of the ex- penses he had incurred in attending the trial to give his evidence. Not even the transcript of the evidence could be found, and there was no record 70 show that 1t had ever been filed.
 Deputy Mulcahy, however, had knowl- edge of the papers being in the possession of the office. They had been sent to the Supreme Court at the time the case was on appeal, and they had been returned. They had also been sent to the printers for the official printed copies to be made and they had been returned, but they are now missing, and even a printed copy cannot be found In the possession of the County Clerk.
 Yesterday Assistant District Attorney Black notified Deputy Mulcahy that d typewriter copy of the evidence in the case had been found in the possession of the trial judge, but nowhere could be found the original papers.
 NAI IEnnAIA LID