The San Francisco call., 1904-07-16
LIST OF ASSETS
PROVES ELASTIC
JOsua Eppinger's Method of
Estimating Standing of
Firm Subject of Inquiry
MORE BOOKS IN COURT
Orders for the Issuance of
Warehouse Receipts Come
From a Mysterious Source

Josus Eppinger occupied the stand
in the trial Of his uncle. Jacob. for the
greater portion Of the day yesterday
and from his unwilling lips Attorney
Campbell wrung admissions as 10 the
business methods Of the firm OF Ep-
pinger & Co. not calculated 10 elevate
the standing Of the bankrupt firm in
the minds Of the jurors. II was also
shown that Josua had a very peculiar
but convenient method Of estimating
the assets OF the firm at the time o. its
failure. This method consisted Of
simply adding 70 the value Of each
piece OF property as shown by the
ledger an amount sufficient TO bring up
the sum total TO the desired aggregate
That this property had already BEEN
decided away Professionally 10 various
baaks 10 secure loans apparently wss
immateriaL JOsua also admitted that
Watson ". Topping. bOokkeeper Of the
firm. had issued warehouse receipts for
IF" lots OF wheat from memoranda
furnished by him when he did not know
that such lots existed. The actual re-
spOnsi bility for this was. as usual.
Thrown upon the missing Bernard
Ettlinger.
Josua testified that he had never
taken any active part in the negOtiat-
ing Of loans, or. as il was termed, the
banking business, OF the firm, but
that the major portion of this work
was attended 10 by Jacob Eppinger
He did not know who negotiated the
loan from Colonel Beck, but remem-
bered that. a few days prior TO the
c0nsummati0n Of the deal. Beck had
expressed a desire 10 loan money on
California wheat JOsua reported this
on his return from Beck's bank, but
was positive his uncle was not in the
Office of Eppinger & Co at the time
and did not remember whether or not
he was in the office that day.
MORE CHARACTER WITNESSES.
Al the opening of the morning ses-
sion Leo Kaufman. a grain dealer.
Judge Currey. Tax Collector Smith. VIII
liam Baehr grain dealer. and Ed
ward L. Eyre 0f the firm Of GirVin &
Eyre. one Of the big four" that at
tempted TO corner the grain market
testified that the general reputation Of
the defendant for truth. honesty and
integrity prior 10 the failure Of the firm
was good.
The examination Of Eyre provoked
another wordy war between the Dis
trict Attorney and Attorney Dunno.
Byington asked the witness if he fully
understood a question propounded and
Dunno in reply said the question was
couched in good English and as an
educated man the witness certainly un-
derstood IT,
do sou understand the tone Of AIr.
DUNES vCice?" asked Byington.
DO you understand Mr Byington's
nasal tone2' interjected Dunno.
This aroused Byington's ire and ne
retorted hotly. DO you understand tie
sWeil=d chest and swelled head Of Mr..
DUnne2"
AT this point Attorney Campbell
poured oil on the troubled waters and
the trial proceeded.
Josua Eppinger was recalled to the
stand for Examination and tes-
titled that he had been employed by
the firm q Eppinger & Co. for about
twelve years. first as bOOkkeeper and
afterward taking charge Of the foreign
correspondence. at the same time at
tending 10 a private brokerage business
of his own. he had never negotiated
any loans. but had sold bills of ex-
change and frequently examined the
money book merely out Of curiosity
70 see what was coming in and going
out He did not know the financial
standing Of the firm on April a. 1903,
until a few days ago when, in company
with Nr Mitchell he went over the
books and made out a list Of assets,
which he footed up as 81. $50. 600.
ASSF7TS OT- TTTTT- T7TT1M