Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-05-03
TAX COLLECTOR
SMITHS C0MPAN
Leona Brooks Registered at Jef-
ferson Hotel, st. Louis, as
His Wife.
CAME FROM HOT SPRINGS, ARK.
She Lelt Sas Francisco Four Weeks
Before he Did, lie Giving
Her Money,

ST. Louis, May S.--Following the ar.
rest here Of Edward j. Smith, former
tax collector Of San Francisco, ON d
charge of having ombozsed city funds
loonN Brooks. who was registered Al
tive jefferson hotel M "Mrs, Smith,
WAS taken into custody. She donlc'
that she had lett san Francisco VIII
Smnh or that they had been together
II went TO Hot Springs four weeks
before nc lett San Francisco she said
Gle gave me the money 10 go on, anc
rent me money after ! got there, by
mail ana wire, | heard from him while
he was IN the east
Monday got o telegram from him
telling me To meet him IN 81 Louis
Tuesday at the jefferson hotel came
al once
Soon after had registered he sent a
chdmhormNld Ia sec me, ANA ] went to
his loom, whore h. told me the first
knpw OF His trouble felt sorry Tor
him, bat there was nothing ! could dc
" hcr him That was the only time
we met during the day,
81 don't want 10 so back 10 san Fran
cisco with an officer" she continued
n have no objection to going back
there r they viii let me 90 by myself
hut | have done nothing to be arrested
FOR and don't W,nt To be taken back,
Smith talked freely today OF the
charges against him admitting TO the
police that he he'd cmbcgalcd, saying
the amount Of his shortage was In the
ncphborhood Of 100000,
A hA
iio then told ~ having spent money
lNvishly In having n good time and IN
entertaining friends,
"But I never neglected my WIFE" he
added, and gave way 10 emotion for the
first time, The news received here
that Ms wife IN lying Mt the point ~
death IN san Francisco was not told
him,
Smith later resumed the conyorsa-
ton,
~ never took anything which would
affect people who were not able 60
stand the loss" he said, Large cor.
porntIons would send IN their checks
FOR taxes, would convert some Of
these 10 my own uses,
"Onc Of these was u check for nearly
10000 from tho Southern Pacific rail.
rond aid not take all Of the sum,
always hoped 10 be able 10 pay back
the money had taken, but got IN too
deeply, and when exposure became cor-
tain fed,
"For weeks before exposure came I
suffered torments, ! could not sleep,
] could not eat, ] was under n con-
slant nervous strain, Some times I
would be seized with fear that some.
body was coming 20 examine my books,
and ] would remain NJ the Office all
night TO prevent II, Now | hnvo ma
friends here or anywhere else he cons
cludod,
when told OF the arrest Of Loona
Brooks he etcadfnstly denied that no
knew her or had met her AT the Joftor-
son hotel Tuesday
Smith arrived IN g. Louis Monday
evening,
he registered nj tho hotel as ~,
smith New York" Yesterday force
noon Loonn Brooks arrived and at tho
hotel registered M Mrs, H. Smith"
Lewiston, H." lie had n room on the
nfih loor and she was given room
ON the third floor
Detectives Ind received Information
Ia be ON the watch for Smith, and for
several days had been scanning hotel
arrivals, The names registered gave
them the clew thn, led TO tho arrests,
IA Smith talked IN his coll he smoked
cigarettes constantly ana appeared Ia
be very nervous lie declared he could
not eat, and begged newspaper 70.
, portorN 10 remain near him, na he did
NO, want TO be nlonc,