The San Francisco call., 1901-11-17
ISAD0RE LESS
IS A DEFAULTER
Secretary Of BARRIERS
Union Departs to
Avoid Arrest.
Spends Organizations Money
in Attempt to Secure
City Office.

1sadore Less, secretary of the BARRIERS
Union, has departed from this city and
there Is well defined rumor that he was
compelled to seek other parts because he
was short in his accounts. Less was
candidate for Auditor on the Union La
Dor party's ticket. In trying to secure
election he was compelled to spend money
for printing and making himself a good
fellow. Being without the necessary
funds. Less borrowed the money that be-
longed to the BARRIERS Union.
When the news of his defeat was pub
lished to the world Less was in a guam
dary. Ruin stared him in the face If he
could not make up the amount he had
taken from the organization. Rather than
be arrested for embezzlement and suffer
imprisonment the secretary made up his
mind to depart. Without telling anybody
of his intentions Less left, it is said, for
the City of Mexico.
meeting Of the executive COM
mittee of the BARRIERS Union was
did not put in an appearance, the sus-
picions of the officers of the organization
were aroused. An investigation of the
was short $500. 1t was decided to keep
the matter quiet in the hope that Less
would return and make good his defalca-
soon leaked out. and it was decided to re-
port the matter9to the police. Detectives
have been put on Less track but up to
the present time have obtained no trace
of him.
A member Of the BARRIERS Union stated
last evening that Less had little trouble
securing money with which to make his
campaign. As secretary Of the organiz-
alton 1t was his duty to handle the funds.
The treasurer, after receiving the money
from him. usually turned over a certain
amount which Less was in duty bound to
SEND to the parent organization in the
East: He was In the habit of delaying
the forwarding Of these sums until they
aggregated many hundreds of dollars. 1t
is charged that he not only withheld
money In this way, but also falsified his
books in order to show that dues paid
Inquiry at the home of Less last
night developed no clue to his where
abouts. His wife admitted that her
husband had not been home for two DAYS
but said she had neither seen nor heard
from him since last Thursday morning.
My husband left home as usual last
Thursday. morning In good spirits. He
said nothing about leaving town. but on
the contrary told me to have a good din
ner ready, as he would be home early.
When he did not show up Thursday night
l became uneasy and when Friday came
| knew something had happened to keep
him away. Mr.. Less was in the habit of
carrying large sums of money around on
MS person and 1T may be that he was
help up.
any of the money belonging to the Bar
bers' Union. Mr.. Less is an honest man
and don't think he would steal. If he
had stolen the money or gone to Mexico
he would have said something to me about
1t or left the family provided for He
did not leave me cent and for that rea-
son do not believe he has gone.
Mr.. Less may have been held UP and
robbed and even hidden away by thieves
There are plenty of men who knew my
husband carried money on his person all
the time who might do an act of that
kind. Until I hear 1t from his own lips
l will not believe that he has run away
with any of. the funds belonging to the
BARRIERS Union"
Mrs. Less could offer no explanation for
her husbands act. She said if he had
spent the money during the recent po-
litical campaign she knew nothing of IT.
She had not been out with him, she said,
and therefore knew nothing of how much
or how little he had spent in the hope
of securing his election.
/ AT the regular meeting of BARRIERS
Union No. 14S Monday night the propo-
sition Of deciding what steps will be
taken on the part of the BARRIERS to aid
the local police in discovering the where
abouts Of the absconding secretary will
come IN