The San Francisco call., 1909-05-27
TURNER TRIES
TO KILL WIFE
AND END LIFE
Former Secretary of Native
Sons Prevented by Friends
From Committing Suicide
Grand Officers Meet Saturday
TO Determine on Action
Against Enbezzler

His reason almost unseated as a
result of the exposure of his defalca-
tions while grand secretary of the
Native Sons of the. Golden West,
Charles H. Turner attempted TO take
the life of his wife and himself al an
early hour yesterday morning 1t was
not until A. X. Daggett his attorney,
reached the residence that Turner
could be pacifed.
Contrary to expectations, Turner was
nots arrested yesterday. There is to
be meeting of the grand officers of
the Native Sons Saturday morning at
10 o'clock. and at that session an Off
cial report viii be made by the nnance
committee. showing the shortage TO be
approximately $500.
While Attorney Daggett viii not ad-
init that there is a shortage. he said
yesterday that if the official investi-
cation developed the fact that Turner
was short in his accounts his family
would try to reimburse the order
Turner is brother in law of State
Senator A Caminetti. who is expected
10 come here from Jackson TO assist
in the attempt TO straighten out the
tangle.
Heavy drinking incident to his cam
paign for reelection as grand secretary
is said by Daggett TO have befuddled
Turner's brain so that he was unable
TO keep his accounts straight. 1t is
admitted that Turner has borrowed
money from the funds OF the order in
the past but his defenders are now
contending that his predicament is due
20 faulty book keeping.
SAYS SHORTAGE Il s6,7OO
Louis H. Mooser. a grand trustee and
chairman OF the finance committee.
insists that Turner's shortage is nearly
SIS. zoo. He has checked up the accounts
of the former grand secretary and is
prepared to make a complete report to
the grand officers when they meet
Saturday.
The National surety company, with
which Turner gave bond of $4,000. is
carrying on an independent investiga-
ton. but viii not take any action until
after the meeting Of the grand officers
Saturday. Frank /. Gilbert. manag ger
of the company. was notified of the
deficit by MoOser. Charles NJ Belshaw.
Daniel Ryan and Judge Lennon. A H.
Sayers, adjuster of the company, spent
the day yesterday in carrying on his
inquiry. The fact that the bond Of
~-AN EAnll4 s,0NAtAdi WHO ndnQleS
thousands of dollars annually. is only
$4,000, while the grand treasurer, who
rarely sees any Of the money, is $40, 600.
has caused comment
BY a strange coincidence AIooser who
discovered Turner's peculations. is the
man who six years ago unearthed the
shortage of $500 in the accounts of
Henry Lunstedt when he was grand
secretary. Because Of his activity in
that disclosure Mooser has been on
posed in the politics OF the order ever
since. and il was not until the recent
grand parlor that he was able to gain
reelection as a grand trustee 1t is
said that several Lunstedt supporters
have already gone TO Turner with prom
ises Of assistance.
IRREGULARITIES ARE KNOWN
Fred II. Jung, who succeeded Turner
as grand secretary, admitted yesterday
that he knew there had been irregular
tiles in the Office, but he did not hear
Of the scene on April %, 1903. when
Turner tried to kill himself in his office
when confronted by the grand trustees.
until he had reached the grand parlor
which met in MarysviIle April 2s.
I heard of it in Marysville." said
Jung, and also heard il contradicted
When took charge of the Office I went
far enough into the accounts to see
that there was something wrong. and 1
told the members OF the finance com
mittee they would have to conduct an
investigation. There are certain things
about the books TO indicate to an expe-
rienced book keeper that there is some
thing wrong"
Whether Turner will be as fortunate
as Lunstedt TO escape prosecution by
making restitution TO the order is
doubtful. Members high in the coun-
cils Of the order were yesterday disin-
clined TO favor leniency. They believed
ii would be establishing a bad prece-
dent. 1t viii rest with the grand Off
GERS at their meeting Saturday to de-
termine whether or not Turner should
be prosecuted.
MOoser and Daggett were both called
up by telephone shortly before o'clock
yesterday morning by Charles H. Tur-
ner Jr-. asking them TO come TO the
Turner residence at 1852 Larkin street.
as the disgraced former official was
greatly excited and attempting to do
violence to himself and Mrs Truner
4 received word that Turner was
trying TO strangle his wife" said Dag
gett, and / hurried to the Turner res
idence- 1t took his son and myself
some time TO quiet him down. He is a
nervous wreck. He has not had a good
sleep for six months. He has been
drinking heavily In making his cam
paign for reelection. His brain be-
came inactive and in consequence he
got his accounts muddled. 1 don't be-
lieve there viii be any shortage found
after the investigation Saturday.
Turner is quite unstrung He is raw
ing and cursing in his home, believing
that the grand officers of the order are
trying TO wreck his home"
Turner is not to be seen at his home.
HIS son is carefully guarding him and
is telling interviewers that his father
has been wrongfully accused of having
embezzled funds Of the order.