The San Francisco call., 1908-10-25
Former Book Keeper of City
Treasurer Charged With Put
ting IS" Before S605
Judge Cabaniss issues Warrant
and Fixes Bail Bonds
at $4,000
District Attorney Expects to
Prove TOmalty Partly Respon-
sibIe for $4,000 Shortage
Accused Protests Innocence and
Is Locked Up in Default
of Security
Charged with falsifying a

charged with falslfy1ng a
public record, James @.
Tomalty, former book
keeper of the city treasury,
was placed in a cell in the
city prison last evening in
default Of bonds for $50, 600,
fixed by Judge Cabaniss, by
whom the warrant was issued
The accused book keeper, pro-
testing his innocence, declared
his inability to furnish the re-
quired bonds and was locked up
for the night.
The specific charge against
Tomalty was that OF raising an
item of $6O5 on the treasurer's
books to $5,6O5. The original
item under date Of April 1s. tsOs. was
supposed to have been changed some
time within the four weeks following
the big fire. when 1t was understood
generally that the more important rec
ords and documents OF the various
municipal departments had been de-
stroyed-
plot existed in the treasurer's once to
take advantage OF the chaotic condi-
tion of affairs and rob the city or q
large sum OF money. the district attor-
neys Office. cooperating with the on
cials of the attorney generals ONCE.
yesterday resumed the investigation OF
the previous day and discovered addi-
tional evidence that resulted in the
mayors clerk. Harry McKannay. swear
ing to the warrant for Tomalty's ar
rest.
TWO MORE SUSPECTED
The prosecutors in the case are con-
fident that they will be able to unearth
the whole conspiracy and land those In
volved in it behind the bars In fact.
all OF former Treasurer Bantefs en-
ployes are now under surveillance and
the arrest OF at least two OF them may
occur at any moment
II is said that the evidence OF wrong
doing against Tomalty. despite his de-
malls and protests. could not be strong
er. When the accused book keeper was
before the investigators Friday he de-
MED at first any knowledge OF the
erasures and figures that had been
made on the books after the original
entries, but under the pressure OF ques-
tions by the experts he admitted hnal-
ly that the figures. old and new, were
his.
During the questioning TomaIty
h7f h. 10
been made later than the days on
which the original figures were placed
on the pages of the records, but since
then it has been discovered by the
experts that the changes were made In
different ink than that used In the
original accounts and at a different
time. Tomalty was questioned care
fully about the item OF S605 which
had been raised to s5.605. but insisted
that the had not been added 10 the
sos and that s5s05 was the original
amount.
CASH ENTRY FOUND
While going through the records Of
the auditors Office Ray Benjamin. as
sistant attorney general, who has been
active in the Investigation. ran across
the cash balance accounts OF the treas
ury department for the period In which
the alleged falsifcatiops had been
made. Scanning the figures he discov-
cred the item OF April 16-S605. prov
ing that the original entry in the
treasury books had been reported cor
rectly to the auditor
The shortage OF $4,000. for which
the district attorneys ONCE expects to
prove Tomalty partly responsible. ap-
plies principally to the accounts OF the
county clerk the public administrator
and the police court department. In
the course OF his work Handwriting
Expert Kytka found evidence OF many
faIsifcations in the figures OF what is
generally known as the special fund OF
the county clerks of7ce, consisting OF
funds due absent heirs. court fees and
other moneys paid into court, which
are sometimes not called for for months
and even years. The faIsifcations were
crude and made in a blue black Ink.
different from the original ink. and
most noticeable TO the keen eye OF an
expert
METHOD OF FALsIFICATION
The method OF Justification was sim
pie. For instance. an original item was
S285- This was easily changed to
s2,285, $3.2S5. s5.3S5 or any other higher
amount that the falsiher saw At 70
make it, The changes In the special
fund account, so far as the investiga-
tion has revealed. aggregated $4,000.
the largest falsidcation found in the
treasurer's books. and all of IL a record
OF one week In the fateful year 1905
The specific falsincation upon which