The San Francisco call., 1898-04-21

table defaulter in the city's employ was Chief Deputy Treasurer Cassebohm, who served under Charles Hubert. Cas- sebohm got away with $20,000 He also committed suicide by shooting himself when his crime was discovered. When Cassebohm saw the experts come into hIs office he took his hat, went home and blew his brains out.
 As shown by the City Directory. Widber lived with his mother at the Marchioness, 15S Golden Gate avenue, Inquiry at that place revealed the fact that son and mother had moved several months ago and had taken apartments at the Baldwin. Their apartments were upon the second floor. Widber occupied room 132, facing upon Powell street, while his mother had room 16S, which is on the opposite side of the house.
 Widber and his mother went to live at the Baldwin upon December l. 1897. and at the office the head clerk de clared that the Treasurer's bill was paid in full to date. but that he had given no intimation that he was going to give up his room. He always paid his bill promptly and appeared to live a quiet and unaSSuming life.
 He was not at the hotel yesterday nor had he been seen by any of the employees of the house. It was posi- lively learned that he did not sleep there on Tuesday night, for when the maid went into his room at noon yes terday she found that the bed had not been slept in, but that it was slightly disturbed, as might have been caused by any one placing a valise upon 1t to pack clothes in.
 Mrs. J. H. Widber, the mother of the Treasurer, and her sister, Mrs. s. A Miller, had just gone into the ladies cafe to dine about o'clock when they received the first intimation of the big defalcation. The ladies had taken their seats when the waiter told them of the report that Widber had defaulted. For a moment the mother of the unfor- tunate man seemed hardly to realize the dreadful news: then as the terrible meaning of the words gradually ! dawned upon her she managed by al- most superhuman control to rise | quietly from her seat and go to her l room, accompanied by her sister. ! Once behind the friendly protection l of her own door the poor, heart broken
 woman gave way to her grief in tears | The severe agitation of her feelings 1 completely prostrated her and she was unable to speak. Mrs. Miller, with sis 1 terly solicitude, did everything in her i power to comfort her. and finally got 1 her to bed
 Mrs. Widber told her sister that she l knew nothing of the whereabouts of l her son or of his habits, for he was ] supposed to be by the entire family a model young man. The last time that 1 they saw Widber was on Monday even ! ing. Mrs. Widber and Mrs. Miller were walking upon Market street when they passed him, and a few words were ex- 1 changed between mother and son. He seemed then to be in the best of spirits
 and there was nothing in his manner
 to show that he was financially en- i barrassed.
 Mrs. Miller said that Widber's fam
 fly knew nothing about his business or
 of his having any financial troubles
 She said: We would the very last to
 know anything bad about him, for we
 had no reason to expect anything of
 that kind. We had not seen him since
 we met him on Market street on Mon day afternoon. Neither his mother nor
 any of us have the slightest idea where
 he Is or has gone to-
 For the present Mrs. Widber will re-
 main at the Baldwin, as she Is said to l possess considerable means of her own 1 She would see no one last night except ! her sister.
 Attorney Thomas A. McGowan, who ! is reputed to be an agent of Treasurer Widber, was rather reticent last even ! ing when questioned concerning any scheme operated by the Treasurer which could result in such an amount of money being spent in such a short space of time.
 T have handled a few legal cases for the missing man." said MT. Mo Gowan last evening, but I have never had any dealings with him on the race l courses or other gambling places. It has been reported that he was an owner of certain horses which are run ming at the present time, but if so I am not aware of the fact. The only thing in which he has placed his money is in a mine situated in Grass Valley. am well aware of the fact that he has spent considerable money there, but just how much is a question am surprised that he has taken advan- tage of his position and hope that the entire matter will soon be satisfactor- ! fly settled"
 i At midnight Mayor Phelan gave out the following as result of the investi- gation held last night Ee said: ! The total amount of Widbers defal- cation is not positively known, but so i far it has been ascertained that there ! is a loss of $116,0O0, of which amount S15,000 belongs to the collateral in- heritance tax fund and $25,0O0 to the l Public Administrator, while the amount distracted from the sacks is probably s76.oOO.