Arizona republican., 1905-04-27
FRlSCO'S TAX COLLECTOR
He Went Wrong and Many ThOus.
 andS Went With Him.

San Francisco, Cal, April 26.-Ed ward c. Smith, tax collector of this city and county was officially declared a heavy defaulter and today the police authorities sent broadcast telegrams telling of his disappearance and asking for his arrest The amount of his al legged embezzlemen is said to be at least between $54. .O00 and $69,000 but the actual condition of the financial affairs of his office is yet unkonwn Ow- ing to the shortness of time the experts have been working on his books.
 Six days ago Smith announced that he was going on a vacation. He stated that he intended visiting the southern part of the state. No attention was paid to his departure until this fore noon, when John Smith. cashier of the office, who is a brother of the. tax col lector, found an entry in the delinquent tax account by which it was made to appear that the Southern Pacific com pany had failed to pay $39,112 within the legal time. Cashier Smith at once telephOned the company and was in formed that the money had been re- gently paid Tax Collector Smith per sonally in two insta!lments and that the company held a receipt for the money.
 Cashier Smith after conferring with Chief Deputy McCabe reported the matter to Mayor Schmitz, who imme- diately formally suspended the tax col lector from office and appointed Me Cabe temporary tax collector. The po-
 lice authorities were also notified and all important points throughout the country were furnished with informa- tion concerning the case and requested h.o of I,a fax
 Experts from the grand jury finance committee of the supervisors aided by a corps of clerks at once began checking up the accounts and it is eX- pected that a report will be made to- morrow at a special meeting of the su- pervisors that will to some extent show the financial situation by the tax collectors office.
 Soon after the mayors announce ment that Smith was short in his ac- counts came a statement that the ab- sent man two weeks ago secured S15.OO0 from Chief Deputy City and County Treasurer Devote. Smith by virtue of his position had had many financial transactions with the treas urer's office and according to Devote had often given his personal check to cover withdrawals of money paTticu- : laTlY Tn the matter or cnanSlnS lilLO gold the great amount of silver col lected by the united railways. It ap- pears according to Devoto's story that Smf accommodated the United rail- ways by acting for them in reducig their bulky silver receipts into gold and Devote said he probably altogether had given Smith a quarter of million dollars where only personal checks were given. This transaction was only from day to day and Smith always made good his check except in the last instance Of s15,OO0.
 It was reported tonight tha an ad- ditional shortage of s15.OOO had been discovered in Smith'c office. With the suspension of Smith there came to light the statement that two years ago he had appropriated to his own use $165. 900 of the city's money and that his brother James B. Smith made good.
 Smith was the authority for this statement. Schmitz said that following this discovery Smiths family decided to put him under surveillance and his brother John was made cashier in or der to protect the funds. Smith is married man and a druggist by pro fession.
 The police profess to be hopeful of securing his arrest, although admit ting that six days start will greatly handicap them.