Los Angeles herald., 1905-01-28
JURY INDICTS
HAYS AND D|SS
MISAPPR0PRIATI0N OF FUNDS
is CHARGED
SHERIFF OUT WITH WARRANTS
Wife Of the Former Bank Cashier
Asserts That Her Husband Is All
Right, Notwithstanding the
Latest Developments
SHERIFF OUT WITH WARRANTS

BY report of the Riverside grand
jury yesterday afternoon II. T. Hays
of Ocean Park is indicted on six diff
ferent counts, three of which allege
embezzlement from the Orange Grow
ers' bank of Riverside and three charge
him with obtaining money under false
pretenses from the San Pedro Los An
geles & Salt Lake railroad.
AS an alleged confederate of Hays in
obtaining money under false pretenses
Col. j. w. F. Diss is also indicted by
the grand jury on three different counts.
Bench warrants for the arrest of the
two men were placed in the hands of
Sheriff Coburn of Riverside, who came
at once to Los Angeles to serve the
warrants, but up to a late hour last
night he had not found either Hays or
Diss.
Hays, who is charged with wrecking
the Orange Growers bank of Riverside.
is out on $2S.000 bonds. but this is the
first time that in an official way he has
been brought into connection with the
alleged defrauding of the Salt Lake
road.
His trial on the former charge will
take place in the Los Angeles federal
court on February 9. His alleged de-
falcations under the three indictments
made out against him yesterday
amount to $1,000.
Diss in Ventura
j. W. Dss last night was reported
to be in Ventura on business for the
Equitable Life Insurance company, of
which he is the travelling representa-
tive.
When Mrs. Hays at Ocean Park was
asked over the long distance telephone
whether Mr.. Hays was at home, she
said he had spent the day in Los An
geles and had not yet returned. This
was at 9oclock.
did you know there was another in
dictment out against Mr.. Hays?" she
was asked.
"Is there?" she replied. 'There may
be hundreds of them perhaps. but he
is all right" and then she hung up the
receiver.
Hays has protested his innocence of
being connected with any defrauding
of the Salt Lake road, and asserts that
it was unknowingly.
Fourteen months ago Diss was right
of way agent for the Salt Lake road.
Acting as the local representative for
Riverside and taking instructions from
Col. Diss was H. T. Hays.
Misappropriation Charged
When the Salt Lake road had pur-
chased as much of right of way as
it was possible for it to do without con-
demning property, it's management as
serts that it discovered the road had
been paying more for the property
purchased than the original owners had
received from the right of way agent.
Officials assert that various tracts of
land were purchased for smaller sums
than Col. Diss had mentioned in his
accounts, and that the difference went
into the Diss treasury. This dis
crepancy ran all the way from $1OO up
to $780,
Diss was discharged from the en-
ploy of the road in November, 1903.
at which time Hays had already fin
ished his work for the company.
"Mr. Hays has asserted to us his in
nocence" said T. E. Gibbon. third vice
president and general counsel for the
Salt Lake road, last night, "but it seems
the grand jury has found sufficient evil
dence to hold him as a confederate of
j. w. Diss, now under a similar charge.
There is nothing more to be said until
the case comes to trial."