The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-06

State and found employment in Mex
leo. He passed a checkered career. now
in prosperity, again in distress. flnan-
cial, physical and mental. The record
of his life has been published. with the
exception of it's concluding tragic de-
tails. In his last days he was forced to
depend upon his friends for assistance.
and to these friends he owes now the
defense of his memory. If it were not
for few faithful spirits Burns would
add to his record the theft of dead
mans name.
Several years ago Reynolds returned
to this city. He had no reason to eX-
pect consideration of any sort from
Burns, who had reviled him whenever
a quiet opportunity presented. Burns
had declared that Reynolds was the
thief. The Mexican certainly had no
reason, except a prompting of fear, to
succor his former deputy. An honest
man would have resented the ap-
proaches of one who had betrayed
trust. But Burns acted otherwise. He
extended political favorS to Reynolds
in small way. He gave Reynolds
small sums of money. He tried with
parsimoniouS shrewdneSs to hold his
former deputy in check. The bludgeon
OF exposure was above the head of the
Mexican and he did not dare repudiate
the overtures of friendship made by
reynolds The ex-deputy could yet tell
what he knew of the defalcation in the
office Of Secretary of State
But death was coming upon him and
the Mexican breathed more freely.
Soon there were whisperings that
Burns held Reynolds confession of
guilt that he and not Burns had stolen
public funds. These whisperings grew
louder, but not loud enough for Rey-
noldS to hear upon his bed of death
n hod fr;o
him in his last illness. Among these
friends was William A. Stuart, an at
torney of this city Mr.. Stuart had
been lifelong friend of Reynolds and
was with him until death came
When Stuart was told of the story
that Reynolds had made a confession.
he declared that he did not believe
such a thing was possible Stuart
added that he had been with Reynolds
very often during the long illness of
the latter and almost every day was
with him toward the end. During that
time and up to within two hours of his
death Reynolds was in full possession
OF his faculties. Whenever he referred
to the crime that had been committed
in the office of the Secretary of State
1t was to deny absolutely that he had
anything to do with it. The thought
OF confession of something he had not
done never found expression, if it ever
entered his mind.
When death was close upon him he
gave Mr.. Stuart a sealed envelope that
was not to be opened until after his
death, which occurred last Tuesday.
Stuart thought that this envelope con-
tanned Reynolds biography which the
dead man had spoken of writing time
and again for ten years Reynolds
had also told his sister, Mrs. Thomas J.
Birch, that he intended to write his
biography and both Mrs. Birch and
Stuart believed consequently that the
sealed envelope contained Reynolds
own story of his life
After death came the envelope was
opened, but 1t contained neither a
biography nor a confession. The old
man wrote despondently of life and it's
incidents. He spoke of the friends he
had assisted and whose gratitude
oh -nged to neglect with his vanishing
insurance upon his life and made the
final request that he be buried by the
Society of California Pioneers. These
are the facts that Burns has warped
into a malicious SANDER of the dead
This is one of the certificates of char
acter that the Mexican asks the people
of the State to believe and accept, Civ
ing to him what he has stolen from the
dead.
Nor is this all the testimony that the
friends of Tomas H. Reynolds have to
offer in defense of his name. Another
friend Of the dead man, Police Sergeant
John Moff1tt Of this city, adds his words
of condemnation of the SANDER that has
been circulated. Moffitt declares posi-
lively and emphatically that Reynolds
did not make a confession and, as far
as he knows, never intended to make
one.
Last and perhaps the most import
ant witness of all in the array called
forth to defend the dead against Mexi-
can Dams attack is Joseph P. Cochran,
to whom Burns made his dramatic de-
claration and called upon his God to
witness his plea of innocence That
cry was made upon bed of death It
is the answer to the shocking SANDER
of D. M. Burns.