The San Francisco call., 1905-04-29
Fugitive Official and His
Woman Companion Travel
to the Southern Pacific
Depot in an Automobile
C0LORED MAN AWAITS
COUPLE AT STATION
Railroad Employees Certain
That Collector and Leona
Brooks We're Passengers
on SOuthbound Express

The Southern Pacific officials are
lending every possible aid to the de-
tectives in the effort to apprehend the
fugitive Tax Collector. Yesterday the
employees at the railroad depot at Third
and Townsend streets and the crew OF
the Sunset express that left here on
the evening of April 20 were called
upon for statements and these fully
confirmed the report published in yes
terday's Call to the effect that Smith
and a woman, commonly known in the
tenderloin district as Leona Brooks.
We're passengers on the south bound
express on the night mentioned.
According to the statements of sew
eral employees at the depot Smith and
his female companion arrived at the
depot in an automobile five minutes
before the train left and Immediately
proceeded to the car in which their
drawing-room was located. They car
ried hand satchels with them and were
met just inside the depot shed by a
colored man who had preceded them
at least ten minutes with two grips.
Smith had evidently had a friend in
the railroad office procure tickets for
him. He did not buy them at the main
office on Market street and the ticket
agent at Third and Townsend streets
says the fleeing couple did not stop at
his window.
DID NOT LEAVE TRAIN.
Shortly after getting aboard the car
Smith reappeared a moment on the
platform and asked where his colored
man had gone. but failing to see him
he returned to the drawing room.
When the train agent passed through
the car Smith was not in evidence IN
n l7a 7Fax in
sented the tickets.
It was reported early yesterday that
Smith had left the drawing-room just
before reaching Gilroy, and for a time
it was supposed that he might have
got off the train at that station with
a view of eluding his persuers, but
Conductor Hunkins is positive that the
occupants Of all the cars went through
as far as San Luis 0bispo. where the
run Of the train crew from this city
ends.
Smith had made frequent trips dur
ing the last few months to Los An
geles in company with a well-knoWn
politician. and is reported to have
plurg ged heavily on the races in the
south HIS operations on the track
there had caused considerable COM
ment but no one ever suggested the
possibility of his having used funds
IIdh Ills Wv - " Ah0rNO MS - -
He spent money literally around Los
Angeles at night, and this fact caused
some of his acquaintance there to sus-
pect that he was preparing the way for
some political nomination in the fu-
ture by getting acquainted with the
push"
BUYS WOMAN, A NECKLACE.
1t was common talk in Los Angeles
that Smith was showing q deep at
tachnent for l.eona Brooks, and no
surprise was expressed by. her friends
when they learned that she had been
furnished money and transportation. to
return to this city, where, it has since
been shown, she was still the object Of
Smiths attentions.
The fact became known yesterday
that before leaving San Francisco
Smith purchased from Market-street
jewelry firm magnificent necklace for
L.eona Brooks, who had, in the mean
time, been making extravagant pur-
chases of dresses and other articles of
clothing, presumably at the expense of
her peculating admirer. The local
friends of Leona Brooks, among them
Alma Russell, who was the confidante
of Leona while they were inmates Of
a house on, Ellis street, declare that
the woman had no suspicion that
Smith was spending. the money of the
city, but supposed. that he had made
several big winnings on the race
track