The San Francisco call., 1905-06-07
F IND CLERK S
ACCOUNT SHORT
John P. O'Donnell, Collector
for Woodmen of the World,
Embezzles Sum of $4,000
CASH SPENT FOR DRINK
Commander David Oliver Jr.
Swears to the Complaint
and Warrant Is Issued

complaint charging John P. O'Don-
nell, until December 1 of last year COL
lecting clerk for the Golden Gate En-
campment of the Woodmen of the World
with embezzling the funds of that organ
ization, was sworn to by Council Com
mander David Oliver Jr. yesterday after
noon and a warrant was later issued for
ODonnel's arrest by Judge Cabaniss.
The missing funds amount to about $5000
ana We're part of the benefit depart
ment maintained by the Woodmen.
ODonnell accomplished khis defalcation
by railing to properly credit payments
made by the members on their monthly
accounts
The fall of the clerk is due to his un-
comfortable desire for liquor. For over a
year he has given himself over to the
excesses caused by the drinking habit.
AS result he has been very i'll at times
during the last two months. His resi-
dence is S079 Twenty-third street, where
he has a wife and two daughters. At
late hour last night the detectives had
not found him, and no arrest had been
made up to that time.
ALL BELIEVED IN O'DONNELL.
O'Donnell was elected collecting clerk
Of the local encampment of Woodmen
two years 40. His accounts were kept in
a perfectly straight condition as far as
the members of the organization knew.
1t was his duty to collect the dues of the
members and to pay the money into the
hands of the banker, 7. F. Quinlan. AS
near as Mr.. Quinlan can remember, 1t
was last July that the accounts of the
clerk began TO fall behind. At the end of
each month the banker receives the bene-
fit fund from the clerk, and sends the
money to the general treasury at Denver.
This money was paid four or five days
late by O'Donnell, and when questioned
about it he said that the members were
delinquent. His word was taken, and no
investigation was made, although a new
clerk was elected in December of 1904
When the new clerk, John Wisnom,
took office the membership books were
looked over, not because of any suspi-
cion, but as a matter of precaution. In
them was found a discrepancy between
the individual accounts of the members
and the amount turned over to the
banker.
COMMITTEE INVESTIGATES.
A committee, consisting of M. T. Moses,
T. F. duinlan. E. L 4aacs, John Wisnom
and David Oliver Jr4 was appointed to
members of the fraternity. and to their
surprise they found that there was
shortage of over $50co in the payments of
-ODonnen to Quinl4t BY the time the
books had been thoroughly gone over the
calendar had reached the middle of May,
and a report was nanueu III 10 luS SeH-
eral body of the Woodmen- In the mean
time Cuinlan had seen O'DonneH and
asked him for the money. O'Donnell
said: '.I have spent it, Quinlan." That
was his only explanation.
Following the announcement Of the de-
falcation of the clerk an attempt was
made by friends of the unfortunate man
to have the matter hushed up Affairs
dragged along thus for two weeks and
nothing was done about the matter. In
the meantime O'Donnell lay Ill in bed
He still offered no other explanation
than that he had spent the embezzled
money. At the regular meeting OF the
Woodmen held Monday evening vote
was taken, and 1t was decided to cause
the immediate arrest of their faithless
officer. Accordingly Council Commander
David Oliver Jr. filed the complaint late
yesterday AFTERNOON.