The San Francisco call., 1905-04-27
Infatuation for Miss Lillian Leslie, For
merly on Vaudeville Stage,
Chiefly Responsible
LEADS A PACE THAT is WRECKING
Said to Have Given Actress Large Sum
Before Her Flight From City
Two Weeks Ago
OFFICIAL MAKES HAUL AND FOLLOWS
Enormous DefaIcation Year Ago Made
Good by Brother, but Close
Watch Is UnavaiIing
OFFICIAL MAKES HAUL AND FOLLOWS

Tax Collector Edward J. Smith is d
oefsu utter 10 the extent OF over $4,000
The exact amount of his DecUlations
could not be estimated yesterday. but
X is expected that they viii aggregate
nearly that sum.
An insEne iafatslztioEi- for Lillian.
Leslie. 2 vaudeville actress. led Smith
astray. Tor her he sacrificed honor
and honesty. betrayed his friends.
wronged his generous brother deserted
his wife and baby and became a Grim
inaL
About 2 year ago Smith was short in
his accounts S165, 600. When the short
age was about to be made public the
Tax Collector went 10 his brother.
James B. Smith. the Grand Jurvman.
and q man of integrity. with a piteous
appeal. He begged hi brother TO pull
him out of the hole. For the sake of the
family and in a spirit OF brotherly
love that is rare. James B. Smith faced
bankruptcy TO save hiTn- The shortage
was never made public.
The Tax Collector promised to redeem
himself and the brother took him at
his word. To make sure. as he thought
that the man would not rob the city
again James 3. Smith had another
TO see that Edward J. Smith did not
again disgrace the family.
But the woman that clUng 70 Edward
J Smith like a vampire wanted more
money. Smith tried to get it for her by
manipulating the taxes of the Sharon
estate. He was caught by James Nc
Cabe, the man who has been appoint
ed to~succeed him Somehow he man
aged TO secure $4,000 to make good.
GAhTRT ED IN STOCKS
In an effort to get back the money
he had spent on the woman and Incl
dentally 10 lavish more upon her,
Smith took to gambling in stocks and
on the races. He managed somehow
to conceal these operations and out
side of three or four people no one
knew that he was specializing He
placed his bets through commission
ers and no one ever saw him in a
brokers' Office.
The woman left town on April 9.
It is believed that she and Smith had
arranged TO meet in some foreign
country. Women who know her say
that before she left Smith gave her
t25, 900.
Smith left town Thursday. He told
his unfortunate wife that he was going
70 Los Angeles on business and gave
the same tale TO his friends. The po-
lice believe that by this time he is
well on the way to Mexico or South
America.
The woman had been living at the
Luxor under an assumed name. She
attended the opera clad in costly raj
rnent that had been bought with money
stolen by Smith She left the place in
an automobile, surrounded by trunks
and band boxes containing apparel
worth over $4,000
Smiths wife is broken-hea over
saws little, but his grief is keen.
Men that knew Edward ]. Smith
around the City Hall now brand him
as unsneakable for the way he treated
his brother. James generosity kept
the news Of the former defalcation
quiet and the announcement came
Ike a thunderclaD out Of a clear sky.
EXPERTS ARE AT WORK.
The methods employed by the de-
faulter were so involved that the ex-
perts now engaged in tracing the
shortages have not yet computed the
full amount
known SO far.
Taxes paid by the SoU -hern Pacific
Company. $39. 113.
OBTAINED on personal check from
chief Deputy Treasurer Devote out of
the city treasury, S15,290.
About $1,000 or $1,000 secured from the
license department.
Possibly s14,735 obtained by manipu-
lsffnq money Of the United Railroads.
check for $50, ,290 from the United
Railroads unaccounted for and may
have been taken by Smith.
Smiths infamy was discovered by
his brother John. James McCabe told
John Smith that he was certain that
something was wrong. The Tax Col