The herald., 1898-12-11
STILL A MYSTfRY
2HEREABoUTS OF AGENT ROSE
s REMAIN A PUZzLER
,
Aren't Coffee Arrives From Frisco to
| Assume Charge of the Fire Alarm
Company's Affairs

The sudden disappearance OF H. "A. nose'
p,o6c coast agent of the Gamewell Fire
Alarm company, is as much mystery as
aver Although efforts have been made to
locate him, so far the work has been uhsuc'
cessful. Investigation has she'd no light as
"A. the cause of his disappearance. SO lar as
is known his accounts with the company are
straight.
a, !. Coffee of San Francisco arrived IN
the city yesterday afternoon He has been
stationed in San Francisco and since Mr.
Roses disappearance has been appointed
Pacific coast agent to succeed Rose.
MIR. Coffee, in speaking OF the matter, SAID
that the report in an evening paper statlhs
that he knew OF the whereabouts OF hose
was incorrect, as he made no such state
ment.
u do not know where Mr. Rose has
gone" he said, "and have had no communl'
cation with him since his disappearance.
He added that he was not aware that the
company knew OF Mr. Roses whereabouts,
and if it did had not informed him. lie
earding the $4,000 Rose drew from the bank,
he supposed it was his, as Rose had means OF
his own, one piece of property being situated
in Alameda, and he was always well supplied
with money.
Regarding his letter to Mr.. Rose, asking
for money, he said it was simply his request
that Rose send him his salary, as he was ac-
customed to do every month. The day after
he wrote Rose he received letter i'll which
there was enclosed check for his salary,
the letters having passed en- route. The
reference in one of the papers regarding the
failure of the Gamewell company to COM
plete the San Jose contract was mistake.
The company had contract with the city
council OF San Jose to put in a storage bat
tery fire alarm system within Iinety days
from the date of signing. Owing TO the fact
that the council did not furnish room to
place the new plant in, as was understood
by the company, the material tor compIet'
ing the storage battery was not ordered IN
time to complete the contract. In fne
meantime a new council having been elected
the contract was declared to have been for
feited and new contract asked for by the
council There the matter stands, and the
company is ready to take up the new con-
tract.
Referring to the statement said to have
been made by him to reporter III San Fran
cisco, Mr.. Coffee said his remarks had been
distorted. What he did say was that Mr..
Rose had probably gone away from the city
during the city election, as he had found 1t
impossible to- do business during the excite
ment of the occasion. That Rose skipped to
avoid the demands of councimen or oftic-
ials, as was stated by another paper, was
also a distortion of facts, for he made no
such statement. He did say that Mr.. Rose
had probably taken advantage OF the time
during the city election to attend to matters
outside of Los Angeles, as the company had
been requested to submit bids to several
towns near the city and that he would prob.
ably return in short time.
'Where Mr.. Rose made his mistake >
ead Mr. Coffee, ''was in submitting the com
pany's bid with shortage OF $4,000. The
company stood willing at that time to take
the contract at the corrected price of Sll, It's
as per statement of Mr.. Rose, but by mad
yertance Mr.. Rose overlooked, the $4,000
and put the price at S6l75. This mistake is
what cost him his job
As regards Rose being in Los Angeles with
a woman not his wife Coffee knew nothing,
as that was his private affair and could have
no bearing on the company's case.
Mr. Coffee said he now represented the
Gamewell company and should put in a
bid if the opportunity was offered him. He
did not like to be misrepresented in matters
o. this kind, as his company was out for
business and was willing to stand on the
merits of its system. Mr.. Coffee will stay
in the city and will present a new bid on
the fire alarm system, which will be opened
on the 10Th.