Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-11
JEvNE COMPANY
TRUSTED CLERK
LODGED IN JAIL
"JACk" FISH C0NFESSES TO
EMBEZZLEMENT
NEARLY A SCORE OF CHARGES
AGAINST HIM
Investigation Shows That He Has
Been Living In RIotous Fashion
and Far Beyond His
Limited Means

His mere nod was good at several of
the big automobile garages for the use
of high powered cars. and his name on
the back of a walters check was sufi1-
cient security at the high priced grills
for hot birds and small bottles. 1t was
by no means seldom that he worked
this privilege of his.
Chorus girls, ladies of the night world
and women of more respectable stand
ing were always his companions, and he
was lavish in his expenditures and
plans of entertaining.
Three weeks ago ]. A. Jevne, by mere
accident, happened to run across an
account of a customer Of the house
which was some weeks overdue but
which, he knew, had been paid prompt
ly. Thinking 1t to be clerical error,
he ordered the matter checked up and
was informed that the bill had not been
: paid.
The investigation started from this
point. Jack" Fish came to Jevne's
more than a year ago from the east
with letters of recommendation of the
highest character and suspicion did not
attach to him at first. When 1t was
made plain, however, that his ac-
counts were not in the best shape a
more thorough investigation was made
and his private habits were inquired
into.
1t was then that his night life with
the floss and fluff of the underworld
was learned. The investigation was
carried as far as necessary to find that
he was short in his accounts in in
stances enough to justify nearly a
score of felony charges against him,
conviction on which would consign
him to the penitentiary for nearly 400
years, and then a warrant was issued
for his arrest.
After he was taken to the city Jail
his room was visited and there blank
bills, complete set of books and ac-
counts we're found which showed that
he had kept systematic track OF his
peculations. There was also card
index system by which he kept the
run OF the bills of his customers. show
ing them when they had paid their
bills aud TO what account the money
had been appropriated.
Letters and clippings from eastern
newspapers were also found which
showed that Fish had been in trouble
before, and that he had been arrested
in Indiana and Pennsylvania for beat
ing hotel bills and passing worthless
checks.
In addition a large number OF checks
were found payable to the order OF
Jack" Fish, drawn on the wabash
Valley Trust company of Peru, lnd.,
and signed, in some instances, with
the name of Glare w, Fish and In
others with that of Eunice M. Fish
The latter Is said to be the name Oh
his mother.
1t Is said by the police that many of
these checks are out in sums ranging
from $50 to $500. and that Fish passed
these on confiding friends and others
whom he could induce to cash them. 1t
is probable. therefore, that several
other felony charges will be brought
o~o;,,gt hin, On this account.
So far as has been ascertained Ftsh's
peculations began about seven months
ago. and, while the shortage charged
against him at present is only $1,000, IT
is believed that the amount Will reach
a far greater sum.
with his accounts but partly investi-
gated, yet showing a shortage of more
than $1,000 Clare w. Fish, better known
in Los Angeles as Jack" Fish, trusted
collector and confidential clerk for the
HI. Jevne company, is prisoner at the
city Jail with nearly score of felony
embezzlement charges against MS
name.
Fish was arrested by Detectives Nc
Namara and Dixon last night at
Ioomis and Orange streets, in the vicin-
tfty of the home of a well known young
society girl to whom he Is said to be
engaged. He took his arrest coolly, and
when Informed that he was prisoner
game was up
without making any trouble he ac-
pcompanied the detectives to the city
Jail, and after a short talk in the Of
flee of Captain Auble made complete
confession of his crimes and offered to
give the officers any assistance he
could In Strengthening out his tangled
books.
Fish's system was of the simplest
kind. He first secured package of
blank bills of the Jevne company and
then, when he collected one bill, con-
verted the proceeds to his own use.
Bill No. 2 was used to pay bill No. 1,
and so on until the amount of the
shortage became of such proportions
and the number of steady paying but
delinquent customers grew so large
that suspicion was aroused.
Three weeks ago the firm began an
investigation of Fish's books. First
one account and then another was
found which had been paid promptly
but marked pending" and General
Manager j. A. Jevne became convinced
that Fish was crooked. The matter
was reported to the police department
were detailed to the case.
They found that. on a salary of SIS
a month, Fish had been living at the,
monthly rate of $500 to $500. He occu-
pied expensive apartments at 92S West
Sixth street and was a regular GUS
toner and hail fellow well met at all
the night saloons, restaurants and
grills In town.