Los Angeles herald., 1905-10-05
SAYS ATTORNEY
DID NOT GAMBLE
MYSTERY IN DISAPPEARANCE e
OF GREELEY BENTLY
Trusted Clerk Of Title Guarantee and
Trust Company Accused Of EN-.
hezzlement-Wife Almost
Heartbroken

The mystery surrounding the disap-
well known attorney and trusted clerk
of the Title Guarantee and Trust COM
pany, has not been unraveled by the
detectives in whose hands the case has
been placed.
All those who have been quoted and
suggested as having heard from the
missing man deny it, and so far as can
be learned no one in this city has the
least idea of his whereabouts.
People who knew him intimately say
Bently was not at all a reckless
gambler, nor even a heavy one Conse-
quently it is not believed that either
the races here last winter or the Britt
Nelson fight in San Francisco are re-
sponsible for his downfall. During the
racing season last winter he was seen
a very few times to play them, and then
it was not more than 81 or IS.
Spent Little Money
F. P. Wilson, also clerk Of the Title
Guarantee and Trust company, who ac-
companied Bently to San Francisco on
the occasion of the Britt-Nelson fight,
declares that while there Bently did not
bet any money on the fight, and that
their individual expenses, including
their tickets there and back, did not
exceed $35 each. Wilson also denied
that Bently made any display of money
which it was alleged that he took with
him when he left this city to go to San
Francisco. and that while they We're
there they visited friends and no op-
portunity presented itself for the spend
ing of much money.
Another opinion that has been sug-
gested is that iS Bently did any heavy
speculating it was in the bucket shops
No one has been found to support this
suggestion. All of his associates de-
clare that he did no heavy speculating
of any kind, that is to their knowledge.
But what has become of the $4,000 and
more which the Title Guarantee and
Trust company alleges he has embezzled
is far from solution.
Bently did little business for himself
except that he kept his own home in
East Los Angeles in the best of shape.
His wife and three children. ranging
in ages from years to 9, were at al;
times we'll dressed, and according to
many who knew him Bently was low
ing and kind husband and father.
Wife Remains at Home
His little wife has not left the house
since the story of her husbands down.
fall became public property. She abso-
Iutely refuses to see anyone, and when
callers come they are obliged to talk to
her mother, who is a gray haired
woman and advanced in years. Shs,
too, shows that she is suffering much.
She said yesterday:
1--WE have heard absolutely nothing
from Greeley. He left us a week ago
last Saturday night, saying that he was
going to San Diego, where he had some
business to attend to. We became Il
little worried at first when he did not
come back at the promised time, but
we dismissed the subject from our
minds upon the supposition that he had
been detained longer than he had eX-
pected. But when we neither heard
from him or saw anything of him we
began to fear the worst, but never
dreamed of anything like this. How he
could do such a thing is far beyond
our understanding. He has depending
upon him solely wife and three small
children, aged 2, and . years."
Byron w. oliver of the law firm CT
Martin, Oliver & Jackson, who was said
to have heard from Bently from San
Francisco denied having had any COM
munication with him at any time dur
ing his connection with him, legal or
otherwise.
The examination of Bently's books
has not yet been completed, but it is
said that from present appearances
the shortage will amount to consider
able more than was at first reported.
@~S-O-