The evening world., 1903-10-05
Jerome J. Smith, Prosperous
Bronx Truckman Who Worked
for Several Big Packing
Houses, Cannot Be Found.
SOMEWHERE IN JERSEY,
EMPLOYERS LEARN.
Made Collections from Retail
Butchers and Failed to Turn
Over Large Sums Before His
Disappearance.

n 10 now believed thai Jerome ].
nnftth, the missing Bronx meat dis
trtbutor for big packing houses. Is hid
somewhere In Jersey. Since his $4,000
shortage became known ne has not been
heard from MOI has his family had any
word from him. as far as the meat es-
adjustments which have suffered cal
ascertain.
Smith left his home a. 70. $50 East
One Hundred and F!fty-sixth street last
Wednesday. The first intlmation his
family had that his OIL were not
ffght was when they saw the news Of
his disappearance in the papers. Mrs.
5mith has been Frustrated ever since
and is now III In bed under the care of
. physician.
Smith has interests in Elizabeth, N. j.,
and 1t Is thought that after leaving New
York he went directly to that place. He
has relatives scattered about various
parts of New Jersey, n inquiry is
being made among them.
! At the Smith home to-day 1t was said
that the man must have been out of his
mind. They declare that he had no vi
oious habits OF any Kind, that he was
0OHlCBIlC III ulSpOSltlOl All HcNcE BdLl-
lied or drank. The story that Smith
I'D q devout church member is denied
b. Father Abbot, of St. Anselm's
Ihurch. The Father said to-day:
II do not know the man and never
NV him in my church, but his children
pome here and one is the smartest boy
h New York"
He had fifteen trucks and teams with
which he did all the carting in the
Bronx for the Armour Packing Com
pany, Swift & Co., Condor Bros. & Co.
and Nelson Morris & Co.
Collected $4,000 n Week..
uaantities Of meat to tho retailers In the
Bronx, u collected for the packing
houses on an average of 5000 q week.
According to ira NJ. Thompson, Cen
erai Manager Of Condor Brothers & Co.;
Max Hirsch. of the Armour Company,
and Mr.. Halves, OF Swift q Co.. Mr..
Smith delivered $4,000 worth of meat
ssr them during the week before last
and three days In last week. He also
collected tho $4,000 from the retailers,
they declare, but did not turn q cent OF
the o over to the packing houses
ND TO the time OF his disappearance.
1--WE can't understand It." a Mr..
Thompson to an Evening World reporter
e-day. 1--WE all had complete confidence
In Mr. Smith. We never had anything
but admiration for him, for We looked
upon him as Q model man. He had al
ways been punctrtous in his business
dealings and We had ample evidence
49,. So MAJ Las . nlnar
life. We never heard him speak OF the
stock market or any other vehicle Of
speculation. We knew that he was a
man Of religious habits and that his
fellow communicates IN st. Anselm's
Church held him In the highest esteem.
shocked and Amazed.
.Vrom this you can readily understand
k1at We are shocked and amazed that he
should have disappeared under the pres
eat circumstances.
"sinoe he disappeared we ave made
frequent inquiries at his homo. but are
unable to locate any members of his
family IL supposed to hav left tho city
and gone to Jersey City. u agents
are making a careful investigation"
Germs for whi4h Mr.. Smith did the
H-osix trucking say that after he had
made collections last week he rendered
checks on an Elizabeth a a instead of
tom. The41hecks all came back pro-
tested. Theg1Sst check came back be-
fcre Mr.. Smith disappeared. He was
told about 1t n appeared to be greatly
surprised. He promised to have the
matter adjusted. but since he made that
promise nothing has been seen OF him.