The San Francisco call., 1905-04-29
AMOUNT OF MONEY SMITH STOLE
GROWS AS EXPERT PROGRESSES
More DeIinquents
Hold Receipts
for axes.
Investigation Is by
No Means
Ended.

The known shortage of defaulting
Tax Collector Edward ]. Smith was
increased by over $4,000 yesterday.
Discovery was made that two prop
erty owners whose taxes were not
marked paid on the records held re-
ceipts from Smith for the amounts
The additional moneys appropriat-
ed by Smith are 1922, representing
the taxes of the Protestant Orphan
Asylum, and s4e86 "a, the taxes paid
by Isaac Kohn. Two pieces of church
property standing in the name of
Archbishop Riordan are marked de-
linquent for taxes aggregating $500 81,
but Expert. Thomas E. Atkinson has
been unable as yet to ascertain if
payment was made.T He has a list of
other large sums standing delinquent
and will prosecute a ,diligent inquiry
to ascertain If they were actually paid.
If they were. the pecnlations of Smith
will be still further increased.
smith used a stamp to receipt the
tax bills for which he received the
cash. The stamp had not been used
in the Office for some time. It was
known as stamp No. s" and was dis
carded when a. new stamp was OBJ
tanned. NO. 81 was not destroyed,
however. and Smith took the stamp
away from the Office and stamped the
Bills at his leisure, afterward collect
ing the amounts the bills called for.
The taxpayers saw nothing irregular in
the proceeding, as Smith invariably
signed the stamp with his initial 49,"
LIST OF DEIINQUENTS.
Acting Tax Collector McCabe has
made up list of all delinquencies in
excess of 500 and an attempt will be
made to ascertain If the persons
standing delinquent have paid their
taxes in order to straighten out the
roll. All those who can produce re-
celpted bills will be fully protected, as
the money appropriated by Smith will
have to be made good by his bonds
men.
Considerable comment was heard
yesterday as to why Chief Deputy
Treasurer Devote had not Immediate
ly presented Smiths personal check
for $15,590 08, which Devote cashed
Thursday of last week to the Crocker-
SO and learned that there were no
funds to Smiths credit he could have
reported the matter to the proper au-
thorities and Smith might have been
apprehended. AS Devote did not
make known the check incident until
the day of Smiths exposure as de-
faulter Deyoto's delay gave Smith a
tention that Devote had no right to
cash the personal check of Smith or
any one else. the point is raised that
Devote should have cashed the check
before the close of the days business.
SMITH GETS TWO HATS.
The. spirit of appropriating things
stuck to Smith almost up to the last
moment before he left the city on his
southern trip. He stepped into Korn's
hat store on Market street and
asked for a Panama hat. Korn did
not have one to suit his customer, so
he went cut and got $50 hat. Smith
took the hat, put 1t In his grip and
left the place, telling Kern to charge
it. Smith then went down to Tom
Dillon's place and got another Pana-
ma hat which he also had charged.
The count of the sacks of gold in
the joint custody safe in the City
Treasurer's Office was concluded yes
terday afternoon and the amount of
S5,940,000 was duly checked. To-day
the city officials and members Of the
Grand Jury will begin the counting of
the coin In the main vault. This
amounts to between $2,000,000 and
$4,000, 600 and the task will take all
day 1t will then be known If the
funds in the Treasurer's office are in
tact.
Two new candidates are in the field
for the vacancy caused by the remov-
al of Smith. Ex-Supervisor Horace
ing to serve the city as Tax Collector
if the Mayor Is willing. His Honor
said that he may not announce the
appointment until next Monday, al
though he may make up his mind to-
day.