The San Francisco call., 1908-10-24


without giving the excited Tomalty
time for a response those present had
plunged into an inquiry that lasted for
nearly nine hours. al the end of which
TomaltN. pale with excitement or fear,
and begging for further time TO an
swer some Of the questions that had
been propounded to him, was led away
by the detectives and locked up for the
night.
Every one present took turn at
questioning Tomslty. I.angden was
the first. The district attorney. turning
10 the accounts of the treasurer's office
just after the fire. demanded OF Tomalty
an explanation for the many erasures
that marked the forward columns and
the totals Of numerous pages. Tomslty
denied any hand in the erasures. He
was asked to identify his own hand
writing on many OF the pages on which
changes and erasures had been made.
lie even denied the writing
DO YOU mean TO tell these gentlemen
that YOU did not write those entries in
that book suddenly asked Langdon.
Tomalty hesitated and then in a low
voice he answered:
Well Mr. Langdon. ] can't remem-
Der. Account after account was gone
over. Tomalty denied at first any
knowledge Of erasures. but would take
might have been made by him. but he
could not remember"
REPLIES WITH DENIALs
In the same denying way Tomalty
replied TO questions put TO him in re
gard to numerous receipts. bearing diff
ferent signatures. which were sup
posed to OFFSET various sums Of money
that had been paid out of the city's
funds. AS the inquiry proceeded it be-
came apparent that IL Tomalty had
been guilty Of any Of the offenses that
his inQuisitors were trying to trace to
him he must have had the assistance
Of some other person or persons con-
nected with the treasurer's office. In
other words Tomalty was the book
keeper Of the treasurer's Office and had
no access to the coin. II, guilty the
evidence would suggest a conspiracy.
Along this theory the investigation
proceeded.
Duffng the afternoon the inquisftors
adjourned several times to an adjoining
room. where they discussed cut of To-
malty's hearing many phases OF the in
quiry and returning TO the main room
pursued the inquiry with renewed
vigor. Expert Accountant Anson Her
rick followed Langdon in the examina-
tion OF Tomalty and in a very short
time he had the book keeper all tangled
up ia his statements. The expert by
his questions piled up evidence that
placed TOmalty in a very awkward po-
siti0n.
Did you make that erasureg Her
rick asked, pointing 10 a certain change
in the original figures on a page.
Il did not" replied Tomalty in q fall
tering voice.
Herrick turned to other pages. made
Tomalty ADMIT his own handwriting on
them and then turning back 10 the first
page he asked again:
Are you sure, Tomalty. that that is
not your writing over that erssureg"
Tomalty paused and answered with
apparent difficulty as he turned toward
the assembled officials:
Well, gentlemen, ! may have made
those changes. it may be my hand
writing, bat at this time am not pre-
pared 20 make a definite admission.
Give me more time Let me have a
night TO think il over and refresh my
memory. have not done any wrong
it'll come cut all right"
Confused BY KYTKA's REPORT
Handwriting Expert <ytka in an ex-
pianatOry report on the similarity Of
the handwriting on the books. further
embarrassed Tomalty, whose confusion
could no longer be concealed. His ner-
Nousness had reached such a height
that il was decided finally to postpone
further inquiry until this morning
III try to answer your questions to-
morrow" was Tomalty's answer TO the
suggestion that he be excused. and as
he passed out Of the room. accompanied
by the two detectives. he exclaimed in
q voice that was husky:
Everything viii come out all right.
i have done no wrong
Later in the evening the officials. ex-
cepting District Attorney Langdon met
again in the district attorneys office
and discussed plans for ferreting out
those who are supposed 10 have been in
the conspiracy TO rob the city of its
treasury funds. It is expected that
several Of former Treasurer Banters
employees will be called before the con-
ference this morning. Among them
VIII be David Davis, receiving teller,
and Fred Winters. paying teller.
50 Tar as the investigation has pro-
ceeded IL shows that the falsif7caffons
OF the trcssurer's books were made TO
cover up shortag in the accounts of
funds received from the police courts.
the county clerks special fund. which
consists mostly of moneys paid into the
superior courts. and funds due foreign
heirs. Whoever stole these funds took
them from accounts wherein moneys lie
sometimes for years before being called
for The falsifcatfoHs cover sums rang
ing from $50 to 81 .00e, 81. 0e0 and as high
as $1,000. In nearly all instances. so
far as the experts were able 10 find. the
discrepancies We're covered up by what
the experts were satisfied were bogus
receipts In all the shortage up to da te
amounts to s62, Geo.
BANTEL DENIES SHORTAGE
Former Treasurer Bantel insisted
last night that there could be no short
age IN his Office. He said he would
stake his life on the honesty of any OF
the seven men who had been asso-
clated with him in the treasurer's Of
ice during the time he had charge OF
The city's coin.
Every afternoon our accounts were
checked up," said Bantel. and I can
not understand how at this late date
70 months after / had been succeeded
by McDougald. these experts have found
the discrepancies they claim. I have
full clearance from my successor
and I am not worrying a bit. This
whole affair oftoday was news.to me to-
night when I learned for the first time
that conference had been going on
during the afternoons What is meant
by placing Tomalty in the custody OF
two detectives and subjecting him to
rfsrar -. 4