Los Angeles herald., 1907-10-04
OLD FRIEND
VS. FALSE
TAKES WIFE, BABY, NIECE AND
$3.50 IN CASH
BETRAYED MAN FOLLOWS TO
LOS ANGELES
Only Wants Baby and Money, and VIII
Let Former EmpIoye Have
the Two Women, He
Says


and friend. Alphonse Estivalegos, broken
in health and spirit, made a pathetic
picture at police headquarters yesterday
afternoon as he told his troubles to Sec
retary Eilf of the patrol department,
asking that a warrant which he held
charging his wife with grand larceny
be served by the local police.
Estivalegos is one of the best known
and richest market gardeners of South
San Francisco. For number of years
he has had the contract to supply
number OF wholesale produce dealers with
all of their green grocery stuff and he
has made fortune at it.
A number of years ago he went back
to sunny Italy and married beautiful
young girl there whom he had left be-
hind when he emigrated to this country.
Returning to California he brought with
him as a companion to his young bride
his sisters daughter, Julia Argolus, to
keep her company and drive away the
longings which all emigrants have for
the old country.
Made Beautiful Home
Estivalegos had prepared in South San
Francisco beautiful cottage home for
his bride There he installed her and
his niece and in the course of time there
came a little girl to brighten the home.
In honor of the father the girl wife
insisted on naming the baby Alphonsina,
and this name was in time changed to
the pet appellation of Tina.
A year ago there appeared at the
Estivalegos home August Maigre, hand
some youth from the native village of
Madame Estivalegos. He had come to
America to win his fortune, but he had
had a weary time of it, and finally as O
60 fhatr m
ask for shelter and assistance.
Because the youth was friend of
his wife Estivalegos took young Maigre
in and gave him employment on the
vegetable ranch.
The youth proved bright and willing
worker and was soon foreman of all the
workers, taking a great deal of the
direction and running of the ranch off
the shoulders of the proprietor.
That he and the wife and the young
niece should be very, very friendly, in
deed, was no surprise to the husband.
Was he not the friend of both in their
native village? So when the three sat
around in the evening and talked in low
voices, or Maigre played the guitar while
the two young women sang love dittles
to his accompaniment, Estitvalegos smiled
and went about his work contented that
his wife and niece were happy.
Fly During His Absence
There were times when he had sus-
picion that Maigre and his wife were too
friendly, but he put 1t aside as an In
Justice to her, and then he went to
town and bought her some pretty trinket
to pay for his unspoken jealousy.
Estivalegos sold all of his garden truck
to the produce dealers on time. Twice a
month. on each collection day, he went
arounds and got the money which was
coming to him for his vegetables.
| Last collection day his bills amounted
| to nearly $500, and of this sum he
brought home with him $3.50 to be carried
to the bank the next morning and placed
with the hoard of gold he was accumulat-
ing against the day when he and the
wife and niece and baby should return
to sunny Italy.
The money was placed in the little old
fashioned sea chest which was the family
strong box, and Estivalegos took a sick
horse to a veterinary some two miles
away.
He was gone nearly three hours and
when he returned to the house it was
dark and vacant.
Wife, baby, niece and hired man were
gone.
Estitvalegos thought nothing of this.
They had tired of wal,ing for shs return
and had gone to a neighbours to visit.
Clothes Are Gone
He sat down and waited. They did
not return, and then he happened to
notice that his wife's best dress was
gone from the wardrobe. Also valise
and trunk and a lot of other articles
were missing from their accustomed
places.
Then he looked into the sea chest. The
money was gone.
| Estivalegos then went to a neighbours
1 to inquire
Yes, the wife, baby. niece and hired
man had gone to the street car with
several bundles and packages and a
small trunk and went cityward.
Estivalegos went to town. He easily
traced them to the ferry. but there he
lost track of them.
He searched Oakland and Fruitvale and
Alameda, but found them not Then he
heard they had been seen IN San Jose,
and he went there. They had left three
days before he got there. He went back
to South San Francisco and swore out
warrant for the arrest of his wife,
charging her with grand larceny, and
then he took up the chase again.
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