Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-14
DOUBLE LIFE
IS REVEALED
BY ABSENCE
Police Search for
Stationery
Clerk
Leaves Wife and Child
In Destitute
Condition
Is Believed to Have Carried on System
of Petty Thievery at the Store
Where He Was En1=
pIoyed

Detectives from the central station
and representatives of private agencies
have for more than week been seek
ing some trace Of F. M. Truman. for
merly city salesman for the Crimes
Stassforth Stationery company, 234
South Spring street. According to the
detectives Truman has in his possession
information which would aid the Off
GERS greatly in running down gang
of clever thieves which has for long
time annoyed shop keepers by a petty
system of thievery.
One other person besides the detec-
tives and his former employers Is
seeking trace of the former salesman.
This person is Mrs. Truman, wife of
the young man, who claims her hus-
band deserted her and their baby girl
and left them without money, food or
shelter.
Since Truman left his position June
4, no cleWs to his whereabouts nave
been found, despite the fact that the
officers have passed many days seek
ing them. Instead, tales have reached
their ears which now cause them to be-
lieye that the mild hammered, popular
young salesman was In reality man
of two lives and that while to all out
ward appearances he was model nus
band and father, to his intimate ac-
quaintances there was another exist
ence which now casts a deep shadow
over his good qualities.
Liked Wine and Women
1t is claimed by these acquaintances.
as well as by Mrs. Truman, that the
young man passed his nights with
CAV companions, drinking and gam
bling. With women of the underworld
he is said by Mrs. Truman to have
/, nassed MANY hours each night and
that he was seldom seen at his own
hearthstone. Horse races are said to
have been his hobby, and often When
his employers supposed he was cover
ing his route, the young man IS sald
to have been at Ascot park, placing
his money on the ponies and indulglng
in expensive fancies.
It was a sad tale and one that re-
vealed a life of neglect by the hus-
hand and of patient submission by the
wife that was told by Mrs. Truman to
a Herald reporter yesterday.
1--WE were married five years ago." she
said, "at my fathers house on the east
side. During the years Of my married
life my husband has been away from
home about half the time. He would go
AWAY suddenly without giving any rea-
son for leaving and when he came pack
he would give no account of where ne
had heen or what he had done. Dur
inc his absence we would do the best
we could, my little girl and l. MY
friends were always kind and they al
ways helped me. / did not ike 10 go
nv parents, for. they have hardly
enough for themselves.
"Sometimes he would be gone for
weeks at a time. Once, about a year
and half ago, he did nothing put
NAV the races 1 don't know how
,,,,cb money he made, but he was good
then.
"sbortly after that he went away and
was gone six months. had no money
to keep me and went to work at the
old Hotel Palms on South Broadway.
7 left the little girl with friends. When
he came back he did not tell me any
thing about where he had been and
when asked him he got mad.
1T do not know why he went this
time. hut he may come back, as he did
before. lie has relatives in the east
Perhaps he has gone to them.
Mrs. Truman is suffering from cat
aract on the eyes and can see only with
difficulty. but she is looking Tor some
thing to do. The courageous little wo-
man. while she is despondent, is oe-
ternined to support her child even at
the sacrifice of herself.
Tn spite of the hopes of his wire, the
detectives who are working on the
case do not think Truman VIII re-
turn No suspicion was cast upon MS
GOOD name until Jacob Neupoff was ar
Tested on June A. Naupoff is supposed
to he the confederate of Truman.
The attention of the police was 1rst
directed to Truman by his almost I'M
Yoadiate disappearance after the ar
rast of Neupoff. Neupoff was arrested
81 ~ o,c1ock on June and Truman left
Crimes -Stassforth's place OF business
at go and has not been seen OF hearu
of since
Suspicion Strengthened
The suspicion of the detectives that
Jeunoff and Truman were working
together is strengthened by the fact
that the goods found in Neupoffs s
Inssession bore the mark of the
Grimes-Stassfort company and no
record of their sale could DC iounu
on the books of that firm
The first intimation that anythlns
was wrong came to Manager u. H.
Pocl1els from Mr.. Jones, the manassr
of the store of Cunningham, Curtis
& Welch, 252 South Spring street.
This store is only a few doors away
from Grimes-St Stassforth's and It was
here that Neupoff went to sell the
suspected goods. He had between
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