The San Francisco call., 1906-10-31
OF MONEY
DISAPPEARS
Sent to Relief Committee In
Care of Mayor Schmitz,
1T Cannot Now Be Found
HELD $1o85 IN BILLS

"A package containing S10S0 in cur
rency, sent through Wells, Fargo & Co.
to the local Relief Committee in care
of Mayor Sctmitz has disappeared.
The Relief Committee insists that it
has not received the money; Wells,
Fargo & Co. state that it was delivered
to Mayor Schmitz and that he has ac-
knowledged it's receipt; Mayor Schmitz
in letters to the Relief Committee states
that he does not remember having re-
ceived any such sum, and if he did re-
ceiye it the money has been turned over
to the Relief Committee.
The Relief Corporation, successor of
the committee. has made repeated de-
mands upon Wells, Fargo & Co for the
money or the receipt showing to whom
it was delivered. The corporation has
received neither 1t has accordingly
made peremptory demand upon the
company for an accounting, failing to
receive which the whole matter will be
turned over to the Searchlight Relief
Committee, which will bring suit
against Wells, Fargo & Co. for the
amount.
THE MONEY DISAPPEARS.
The money was raised by the people
of Searchlight within a week after the
fire and turned over to a local commit
tee to be forwarded to San Francisco.
H. A. Perkins, editor of the Search
light of that place, was chairman of
the committee Mr.. Perkins intrusted
the money to the Broadway Bank and
Trust Company of Los Angeles to be
sent here. The money was in currency.
inclosed In a sealed package.
On April 25 the trust company, in
the ordinary course of business, ex-
pressed the package to the relief COM
mittee. in care of Mayor Schmitz, and
has Wells, Fargo & Co.'s receipt to
show for it,
No acknowledgment of the receipt of
the money reached the trust company,
and on May R. w. Kenny, secretary
of the company. wrote Mr.. Phelan for
receipt That was the first that Mr..
Phelan had heard of the remittance,
and he answered to that effect. In the
investigation that followed 1t was re-
ported that no record covering the re-
mittance could be found at the Mayors
office, although 1t had been received
by Wells, Fargo & Co. in this city.
The. Broadway BANK and Trust Com
pany accordingly made formal demand
on the express company for the
money In the meantime Wells, Fargo
& Co had been doing some investigat-
ing and replied in a letter to the trust
company that the money had been
turned over to Mayor Schmitz and that
Wells, Fargo & Co. had his acknowl-
edgment of its receipt.
I'm regard to the package of cur
rency," wrote C. n. Campbell. Wells,
Fargo & Co.'s general agent at Los
Angeles, to the trust company, under
date of August %. valued at $10S5,
forwarded April 20 to Relief Committee.
in care Of Mayor Schmitz San Fran
cisco. l beg to state that this shipment
was delivered as addressed to the Re-
lief Committee, and Mayor Schmitz has
acknowledged to us that he received
the same"
THE MAYORS DENIAL.
This letter having been called TO
Mayor Schmitz's ar.ention, he dis
claimed any recollection of the particu-
lar package in question; saying that all
moneys addressed to and received by
him had, by Rufus P. Jennings, who
represented hiFe-yi The matter peen
turned over ito those in control of the
Relief Comittee. presumably to it's
chairman Mr. James D. Phelan.
Later on Mr.. Schmitz wrote the Re
lief Corporation that he had received
several letters from Mr.. Jennings re-
garding the money, the last one indi-
eating that they will be able to run
this down very soon.
Il have not went on the Mayor,
had anything to do with this amount
did not receive it and knew nothing of
it until hearing from you on the sub
iect. At that time all donations of all
kinds were turned over to the Relief
Committee, Mr. Jennings acting for
me-"
Schmitz wrote that letter on Septem-
ber 90 But the money has not been
located. The Relief Corporation has
written repeatedly to Wells, Fargo &
Co. for the money, or the name of the
person to whom it was delivered, but
without result. The people of Search
light have now taken the matter up.
They have written the Relief Commit
fee that If settlement has not been
made they will sue Wells, Fargo & Co.
for the money. The papers in the case
will probably be sent to Nevada this
week.