The herald., 1898-04-21
GOLD COINS TAKEN OUT
REPLACED WITH SILVER OF
EQUAL WEIGHT
TREASURER WIDBER ARRESTED
THE City and County of San Francisco
Hopes to Recover 81 16, 900 From
His Bondsmen
Associated Press Special Wire

SAN FRANCISCO, April N.-Augustus
C.. Widber, treasurer of the city and county
- Of San Francisco, has embezZled Sll6,Voo OF
the municipal funds The suspicion OF
nther civic officials that something was
amiss in the treasury department was
aroused last night, and today Mayor Phe-
Ian and Auditor Broderick began an inves-
tigation which resulted in some startling
discoveries. The sealed bags Of gold In the
@city treasurer's office had been surrepti-
tiously opened. Care had been taken not to
break the seals but the strings had been
deftly cut, the gold distracted and silver
inserted to leave the weight Of the bags
unchanged. Then the coin sacks had been
fastened and the severed ends of the strings
concealed in the folds Of the canvas bags.
search was made for Treasurer Widher,
but he could not be found in the city. The
police followed several unsuccessful clues,
but the defualting official was finally dis
covered this evening at his ranch near Wall
nut creek, in Contra Costa county, fifty
miles from San Francisco, in company with
4 local reporter, another friend from this
city going to Walnut creek by rail to guard
Widber, his family having reason to be-
lieve that he might attempt to commit sui
night, the officer starting at once for this
city with his prisoner.
Y widber refused to make any statement.
It has not yet been developed whether he
lost the money in speculations. or whether
he attempted to make big haul at the
city's expense.
The municipality will not be loser by
the defalcation. being protected by $780,
900 bond. Among Widber's sureties were
Chief of Police Lees. Private Detective
Harry N. Morse and surety company,
the last two mentioned sureties being down
for 100000 each and Lees for $4,000.
Widber is young man, about 80 years Of
age, succeeding his father as treasurer.
Widber, senior, was pioneer druggist and
served two terms as city treasurer. Young
Widber was his fathers chief deputy and
upon the treasurer's death during his Sec
ond term, three years ago, the son, at the
request of his fathers bondsmen, was ap-
pointed to serve for the uneXpired term by
the board of supervisors. At the last NUM-
cipal elections eighteen months ago, young
Widber was elected to the office for the
regular term.
Widber made a confession of his guilt to
M. de L'Montanya, chief deputy OF the
treasures office, on Tuesday afternoon. He
asked De la Montanya to allow him twen-
ty-four hours in which to make an effort to
cover the shortage before exposing him.
To this arrangement the chief deputy con-
sented. AT 2:30 o'clock this afternoon Wild
ber had not deposited the $4,000 in the
treasury, neither had he sent any explana-
tion nor given an account of his where
abouts.
Then De la Montanya informed Mayor
Phelan and Auditor Broderick Of the sit
uation. Chief of Police Lees, Assistant
District Attorney Hosmer, City and Coun-
ty Attorney Creswell and the mayors Sec
retary, W. P. Sullivan, were called in con-
sultation. A cursory examination of the
contents of the vaults by these officials
was sufficient to assure them that the
treasurer's stealings amounted to at least
$4,000 An order for his arrest was at
once issued.
The detectives learned that Widber had
gone on Tuesday night on visit to his
ranch near Walnut creek, to which point
q message was sent that resulted in his
arrest.
The fact that Treasurer widber was a
defaulter was discovered entirely by acci-
dent. On Monday Chief Deputy De Ia
Montanya. jr., went into the vault where
the sacks containing the general fund
money are kept and lifted one of them to
put it aside. 1t felt light in weight-so
light. in fact, that De la Montanya was
moved to examine carefully the seal. 1t
was one of sixteen sacks bearing the mint
seal, which is a small round disk of lead
through which the string passes that
closes the mouth of the sack and on which
is inscribed "U. S. Mint, S. F.''
This seal is supposed to be guarantee
that the amount said to be contained in the
sack is correct. The sums of $4,000, $40, 900,
$4,000 and $4,000 should have been inclosed
IN the respective sacks. Assistant Treas