The San Francisco call., 1899-05-09
Search for the San Luis
Obi8po Defaulter Is
Successful.
LONG PURSUIT ENDS
Part of the Money Stolen by the
Tax Collector Found on Deposit
at Lima,
Special Dispatch to The Call.

LIMA, Peru, May 8.-Samuel M.
Findlay, the absconding Tax Collec-
tor of San Luis Obispo, Cal, was ar
rested here to-day on the application
of John c. Frazer, a San Francisco
detective. The latter traced Findlay
to Barranco, one of the suburbs of
Lima. where he has been living.
Findlay has on deposit in one of the
local banks $1,000 Gin golG and 294
Peruvian soles.
SAN LUIS OBISPO, May S.-The
downfall of ex-Tax Collector S. NJ
Fndlay is attributed TO his love of
gambling and desire to lead a fast life.
Findlay left this city about the Goth
Of last November, ostensibly to go on
a trip through the county TO collect
licenses. After he had been absent about
a week, and nothing was heard of him,
inquiries were made and it was dis
covered he had visited none of the
towns included in his itinerary. Fur
ther investigation developed the fact
that the Tax Collector had ridden to
San Francisco on the day he left San
Luis Obispo, citizen of the town hav-
ing ridden on the same train and con-
versed with him.
Previous to Findlays departure he
had purchased at local store a couple
of Valises, saying that he wanted one
10 carry d change of clothing in and
the other for his collection books. 1t
was found that he made extensive pur-
Chases in other stores of underclothing,
shirts and other clothing sufficient to
supply him fer long sea trip such as
he intended to make.
When FindIay's departure took on
the appearance of fight an expert was
put at work on his books. Harry
Maxwell, representing the Fidelity and
Trust Company, which has supplied
the bond for the missing official, dis
covered after a brief research that the
Tax Collector was short at least SILL
400, representing sums which his books
showed he had received but had not
turned in to the County Treasurer.
AfterWard il was found that he had
made trips through the county, pre-
sumably for the purpose of collecting
licenses but in reality TO collect taxes.
and that he had appropriated all of the
collections. II was impossible to get
at the actual amount of the defalca-
ton. but enough was learned to make
it apparent that the Tax Collector had
stolen from $4,000 to 100000
The San Luis Obispo County Super /.
visors met and declared the office of /
Tax Collector vacant, leaving in charge I.
two young ladies, who had been depu- I.
ties under Findlay. It was necessary
TO break open the safe in the office, and .
it was found TO contain less than $500 /.
when. according TO the books. there /
should have been ON hand at least SILL I
600.
1t was apparent that Findlay had
planned his fight some weeks in ad-
vance. He had collected large sums in
taxes and, to disarm suspicion, had
turned in now and then small sums TO
the County Treasurer.
When it was learned that the fugi-
tive had gone to San Francisco detec-
tives were put upon his trail in that
city. For some time they were unable
to make any headWay. 1t was their
theory that Findlay had taken ship
in san Francisco to some foreign port,
and that the investigation was con-
Quoted mainly along the line Of this
belief. Finally the detectives got a
clew which led them to believe that the
missing man had taken passage for
some South American point. This was
followed up energetically. the result be
ing the capture of Findlay after pur-
suit that led Detective Frazer to Lima.
On December warrant was sworn
out before Justice Of the Peace Lamy
by Constable George A. Knapp, charg
ing Findlay with felony embezzlement. !
When he is extradited he will be
brought back tc San Luis Obispo to
stand trial on this charge.
Findlay had love for gambling.
few weeks before the election last fall
he was very free with coin in betting I
He wagered most of his money on /
Charles A Barlow. fusion candidate for /
Congress in the Sixth District. Barlow |
being defeated he Of course lost. He |
also was lavish in spending money for /
candidates who were his friends, and |
the supposition is that he was short /
several thousand dollars before he con-
ceived the idea Of fleeing from the /
county