The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-20
Frequenter of Gam
bling Resorts.
WENT THE PACE THAT KILLS
PONIES, GAMING AND LIQUOR
WERE BIS RUIN.
His Friends Think He Fled to the
Orient-Military Club Examin-
ing the Fugitive Treas
urer's Accounts.

It Is now generally thought by the army
officials of the department and by the OH
GERS of the Preside that Lieutenant John
N. Neal. the abscondiDg canteen officer,
is safely out of the country At first the
theory of suicide was suggested and en-
tertained, but that is now considered I'M
spI6Ba ole. Later developments in TINS IN
fortunate affair indicate that Lieutenant
<Neall. in addition to living beyond his
means, spent some of his time in the com
pany of women of questionable Tepute
Eie:was in the habit of coming to the city
late at night On these occasions he fire.
= quented a number Of gambling resorts,
where the stakes were high and Where
:: wonen were permitted to play
1t was in one of these places that the
lieutenant met Vivian Alcctt, who lives
on Stockton street with Mrs Laura Hill
Miss Alcott, who is an unattracllVe
. blonde, upon hearing of the trouble that
had overtaken the army officer, began TO
circulate a number OF tales about Lieu
tenant Neaus relations with her. She
stated that he was deeply in love with
her; that he gave her many presents anu
that he wanted her TO run away with him.
The woman claims to know of the where
abouts of Lieutenant Neall, ana says thdI
she has in bank $1,000, which is at his DIS
posal Not content with publishing to the
world the shame and disgrace of one man,
who has already placed himself beyond
the pale of society, she mentions as VS.
.itor with Lieutenant Neal the name OF q
weI-knoBn ot1icer of the Eighth Cahfor-
: MIA Regiment, who was stationed Tor d
while at the Preside, and who Was also
an eliminate friend OF Lieutenant NEAL
: 1.-THE statements made by Miss AlcoIt
are. to be accepted with suspicion Mrs:
E Hill positively states that Lleulenahs
Neau did not frequent her place, ana
that Miss AlCOtt was no more 10 MIN
than any OF the other inmates She ad-
inits that Lieutenant Neau met the Womz
amin a well-known ganpnng resoII, anu
that he was under the influence OF liquor
THESE are the facts that came TO light
Yesterday in connection with the expos
ure of the dual existence that Lieutenant
Neall has been leading Tor months past
1t is now generally conceded that II was
the officers ungovernable passion Tor the
card table ana the race course that
wrought his downfall
The fact that Lieutenant Neal has dis
gTaced the uniform is moruncatlon
enough for his brother officers and for
his friends, but when it was learned that
he had been unfaithfu to his nome ties
the. blow was even more severe to those
who had once been proud to number nm
as a friend. Though Lieutenant NeaIl
" led a Jekyll and Hyde life, as a trusted
Official his friends say he was not the
morally bad man his enemies declare him
TO be, and they offer in extenuation the
When he demeaned himself.
:: Ar meeting of the officers of the Pre-
sidio Club held late on Saturday evening
: Lieutenant William s. McNair was APP
pointed temporary secretary and treas
urer of the club. A committee of the Of
fceFs was appointed to make an exam
pose Of determining Lieutenant NealI s
shortage. This viii take several days.
The affairs of the organization are said
to have been balanced up to the begin
ming of the war. Since then the running
Of the club has been almost entirely in
Lieutenant Nealis hands. Whatever he
ENT TT1 E Nn1Ts EHn F,11 IA
good. by the officers, so that the creditors
of the institution will lose nothing. 1t is
impossible TO state at present how much
Lieutenant Neall took from the club, as
during the time that the volunteers were
at the reservation it did a large cash
business.
The examination into the affairs of the
post canteen is to be completed to-day,
and the board will make It's report to Cen
eral Compton, commanding the Preside.
who in turn will Immediately acquaint
the department commander with the re-
suit. of the investigation and the amount
of the shortage.
:. COMMANDED by Lieutenant Neall is still
one. of perfect loyalty to their disgraced
: officer. One of the troopers said yester-
:. day.. I'VE loved the lieutenant, and there
: is not a man in his troop who would not
have given UP two months pay willingly
to- have averted this sad happening"
yesterday. morning when the first SER
geant Of the troop informed the men that
as d result of Lieutenant Nealls abscond-
ing with the canteen funds the mess
would have to get along without it's ex-
trss, and that only Government rations
would be served, there was not a murmur.
; The men Of his troop all have only
: the ,kindest words to say of Lieutenant
,TSeall. They do not seem able 10 realize
what has befallen their commander, and
any one who should go among the men
and cast any aspersions on the name of
Lieutenant Nean would fare badly at
their hands.
There is hardly any chance that Lieu
tenant Neall VIII be apprehended. 1t is
now thought that he took passage
for China or Australia Those who know
the man best express the belief that he
will some day in the future make good
whatever his shortage may be- 1t is very
apparent from what his brother officers
have to say that none of them are at all
anxious to see Lieutenant Neall brought
back here TO stand trial If he were, of
course his sentence would be a dishonor-
ables dismissal from the army and a term
in the State penitentiary. for q court mar
tial has the same power in dealing with
such case as any civil court in the same
district.