The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, April 10, 1900, Page 1

LXXXVII-NO. SAN FRANCISCO, TUESDAY, APRIL 10, BRITISH ADVANCE IS BODIES SEEN | BANKER PITCHER CHECKED BY THE BOERS, FLOATING IN COMMITS SUICIDE TH[ "]RR[NT Livermore Financier and Trustee of the it of VAR o s e Big Varney Estate Ends Life Flood Will Contain Wi t h a Bu l le t. Many Names. e LOSS OF STOCK AND PROPERTY ENORMOUS VOLUME 141. 1900. PRICE FIVE CENTS Republican Forces Close to Bloemfontein in Several Directions, While Brabant’s Division Is Seriously Menaced. Special Cable to The Call and the New York Herald. Copyrighted, 1800, by the New Ycrk Herald Company. 0o | | @b etei et eib e B e e S o o I o o o o 2 River Farms Have Been Ruined and | the Railway Companies Re- port Hundreds of ‘Washouts. —_— ONZALES, Tex., April 9—The flood situation here to-night is not | much improved, the river having | | fallen only ahout four feet since | vesterday. There has been great | loss of cattle in the river bottoms and it is feared a dozen or more lives have been lost. A Bohemian and his wife, panic stricken, jumped into the turbulent waters ten feet deep and were almost im- mediately drowned when they could have remained in safety. It is thought a negro boy of Marcus Tate's was drowned and two Mexicans are missing. Reports coma in that a number of bodies have been seen caught on snags and barbed wire fences. The river farms are ruined, but the total loss cannot be estimated as yet. | The Aransas Pass track Is blocked for | five miles north of here. Several bridges and a hundred yards of track are washed away. The last train has come down from Luling, via Harwood, on the South- ern Pacific tracks. | Great Loss of Property. AUSTIN, Tex., April 9.—The flood situa- tion here is improved somewhat, but the reports from points below Indicate that the full effect of the immense volume of | water is being felt in Wharton and La- | fayette counties, everything being inun- dated and much loss of property and live- | stock being reported. | In Bastrop County the flood has caused great damage and something like fifty | washouts and losses of bridges are re- | ported by the rafiways. Advices from O-4-04-04-0-9-04-0-0- 1 ® + @ B B R S S SO PITCHER L4000 0600000000080 000006 0060930000030 : & D S R S S S 1 & . Lord Roberts and Staff Studying Approaches to Bloemiontein. b e et et eieiebeieieteietsiei et sieiei e eieioieiebeteteie® ALIWAL NORTH, April 10.—@n engagement took place yesterday at Wepener. The Boers’ Vickers-Maxims did consideral?le execution atm.e SLbY. e Peliwiin Soadie o first, but the British guns soon got the range and did great havoc. |bastrop County are to the S The Rouxville commando has gone to Wepener. et e e ol 8 el The fighting was severe and lasted all day lond. The Boers re-|wave. but outside of an unconfirmea | ceived a check. The casualties were rather heavy on both sides. Ap-| other commando is advancing toward Wepener from Dewetsdorp. rumor that eight lives were lost nothing | | doalstroom. The ferry has been destroy~" L HOMAS H.2, AR ES can be learned. In the southern part of this county several persons are missing, the number representing a family of six Ttalians and (wo.negro families, whose houses haye.Dbeégn weshed :way. THE PITCHER & RESIDENCE. R B e i e e e e I SRS S N realize that Lord Roberts is in for a win- ter eompaign. lasting several months. |ed. There is a Boer commando at ROUX- | “que” iver ig ing rapidly at this - : This is the end, in a few words, of the | \'lvlle. A larger one has left Smithfield for | point and above, notwithstanding the fact * high hopes based upon Lord Roberts’ bril- | Wepener. ~There are two commandos |ing; another heavy rise was reported RESIDENCE OF PITCHER AND INSTITUTION OVER WHICH HE PRESIDED. * dash to Kimberley and Bloemfon- n. t around Wepener, but thus far there has | been only outpost firing. A leutenant of | ary this morning on the Concho, 1% > Preparations are being made to hold id. of t force as to con- to his colonial d Bloemfon- and com- | which early If not be slege of eumonia, due t clothing, Is tish advance is temporari ase, lack of remou ort facilities. Mean- ers are as mobile as when ted. They are, more- the best possible tactics h advance by their they gobble up de- aten comunications. Lesiie Rundle, com- Division, had been seems to indicate ks he has enough n great army without the planned to move a berley and Vryburg sages of the Vaal nt interest centers about s who has before him, er, the main body of the rald- E known strength | s and that of Gat- the left flank is | unwritten agree- round to the bellig- r rebellion is boiling up. | s almost in the position | 1 his back to the wall | d the Boers disregard ve into native territory would be surrounded. ey that has caused | ms of the injection of a = element in the war— ages. It is ingenuously | on papers that shouid | the Basuto border British | sidents would be powerless to restrain the fierce blacks from attacking trespass- his is another way of saying that | vers would then have to REBt & | of savages in addition to the im- | army of Great Britain. ROBERTS IS IN FOR A WINTER CAMPAIGN | LONDON, April 10—5 a. m.—Britons are now beginning, though reluctantly, to‘ hory mense | | | | e to move be- | winter | | emy are reported Bloemfontein against surprises. Lord ner has been given an important ponsible for the protection while Lord Roberts is & for remounts and winter clothes for the troops, whose thin cotton khaki uniforms and boots are worn out. General Brabant and General Gatacre are t at a standstill. Lord Roberts will probably for some time confine his cperations to ciearing the Free State be- hind him of raiders znd to the relieving of Mafeking, for which purpose apparently the Eighth Division, now arriving at Cape Town, has been ordered to Kimberley. DOYLE SAYS TOMMY IS LIKE WESTERN COWBOY LONDON, co! April 10.—The Bloemfontein espondent of the Daily Mail, tele- graphing Sunday, says: “The air is thick with rumors of large forces of Boers to the southward, but there is no positive official information on the subject. On the other hand the railway is sald to be well guarded. > Conan Doyle contributes to the description of the British Infantry. says: * “Whi He could have concelved that had prim soldier in time of peace > could so quickly transform him- f into this grim, virlle barbarian? lldog faces, hawk faces, hungry wolf s, every sort of face except a weak Most of them have swarthy faces 1 lean a little forward, with eyes adfast and features impassive but reso- Here is a clump of mounted in- ry. with a grizzled fellow, like a flerce old eagle. at the head of them. Some are ed like lions; some have young, keen aces, but all leave an Impression of amiliarity upon me. Yet I have not seen irregular British cavalry before. Why €hould it be so familiar to me—this loose- limbed, hend-erect, swaggering type? Of course, I have seen it in the American cowl over and over again. Strange that a few months of the veldt should have produced exactly the same man as springs from the Western prairie.’ " BEWILDERING MOVES OF THE BRITISH TROOPS LONDON, April 10.—The Bloemfontein correspondent of the Morning Post, tele- graphing Sunday, says: *“The movement of troops continues with bewildering fre- quency, brigades and divisions appearing and disappearing at brief intervals. No specific accounts of such movements are permitted. Some remounts were fired on yesterday on the rallway while they were on the way here from the south. The en- to be In considerable numbers to the southeast of the line. The Boers are also apparently feeling their way frequently to the west of the line. A party has been thrown forward and has reoccupied the laager at Paardeberg, probably to search for buried arms and ammunition,” WEPENER GARRISON PRACTICALLY ISOLATED LONDON, April 10.—The Times pub- lishes the following from Wepener, dated Sunday, April 8: “The Wepener garrison is practically isolated. However, the lines are enormously strong and the force is fully provisioned. Desultory firing between outposts continues. A commando esti- mated at 2000, with four guns, went into laager last night five miles from here, in the direction of Dewetsdorp.” ALIWAL NORTH, Monday, April 9.— Small bodies of the enemy been seen across the river, near the town of Olden- | Brabant's Horse has been captured at Rouxville by Boers who had previously surrendered. The Landrost is also said to | have broken his oath. A detachment of Cape artillery, with three guns and a | squadron of Queenstown Mounted Volun- | teers, arrived to-day. Many Boers who | had already taken oath are rejoining their old commandos. | GERMAN COMMENT ON BOER SUCCESSES BERLIN, April 8.—The latest develop- ments of the military situation in South Africa are Interpreted as very unfavorable to the British. The Kreuz Zeitung's mil- itary writer says: “Evidently Lord Roberts troops have over, the enormous loss of horses renders | the case desperate, since the Boers will | evidently prevent reinforcements reaching | Bloemfontetn.” The article concludes as follows: “It is an admirable achievément, per- haps an unprecedented masterpiece, that 40% Boers have not only managed to hin- der for weeks the march of a fivefold army, but have also contrived to damage | the British communications seriously.” Professor Mommsen, in the Deutsche Revue, answers the recent pro-English argument of Professor Max Muller. He condemns the South African war as un- just aud concludes as follows: | “In England's glorious history a new | page is upturned, namely: the work of an | executioner against the belated followers of William Tell.” The comments of the press upon Profes- sor Mommsen's declarations are those of unqualified indorsement. The Tageblatt says: “Every word Professor Mommsen has written is indorsed by a nation of 50,000,000, CAPTURED BRITONS NEARLY ALL WOUNDED LONDON, April 10.—The Bloemfontein correspondent of the Times, telegraphing Sunday, says: “Two captured Boers agree that only fifty men remained unwounded out of the whole British column captured at Reddersburg. General Gatacre and his staff were fired on from inclosures while they temporarily occupied Reddersburg.’” £ Ca osva SECURITIES DISAPPEAR. LONDON, April 10.—The Cape Town correspondent of the Daily Mall, tele- graphing Sunday, says: “I have received information to the effect that negotiable securities of the value of £130,000, which were lodged by law with the Free State Government by foreign insurance com- panies, have disappeared. The New York Mutual Life Insurance Company has is- sued a warning against dealing in them.” PAPERS ARE PROTESTING. LONDON, April 10.—The Russian and French papers are still protesting against Great Britain's use of the Beira route in transporting troops to Rhodesla, but there is nothing to confirm the dispatch from St. Petersburg to the Afternblabet of Stockholm, saying that Emperor Nicholas is “extremely agitated” over the Anglo- Portuguese arrangement and intends to issue a proclamation protesting against it during his forthcoming visit to Moscow. P 7, Mt KINSARDT REANNEXED. CARNARVON, Cape Colony, April 9.—Kinsardt was formally reannexed to Cape Colony April 1, amid the cheers of the assembled troops. A large number of insurgent cclonists, including many of their leaders, are now imprisoned here. Colonel Drury’s column, including m West Australians and Canadian Moun Rifles and Artillery, left here yesterday for De Aar. \ the non-combatant's lost greatly in their fighting fitness. More- | {leans or some other available point a | miles north of here. Advices to-night from La Grange, in Fayette County, are to the effect that while much of the lower portion of the town is under water, the | property loss is small. No one is missing. | The International and Great Northern | Railway and the Missouri, Kansas and | Texas have been seriously crippled by the | floods. The first named road has had | 500 washouts and lost bridges on its road | from here to the Rio Grande.. The Mis- sourt, Kansas and Texas is likewise a | heavy loser, having to abandon much of its track altogether and use the Interna- tional and Great Northern from Taylor to | Milano, and the Santa Fe track from | there to North Texas points. | Cotton Crop May Be Replanted. | | It is now believed that the damage to | the cotton crop will not be of such extent | as has been predicted from some places, | as the season is yet early and all the | | erop could be replanted. The citizens of this city held a mass | meeting to-day, at which the consensus of | opinion was that it was not feasible to | rebutld the dam and power house, al- | | though mo definite action was taken. A | proposition was made to the meeting by | | the old water -company, whose plant has | | likewise suffered from the fiood, that it | would take all the piping and wiring of | | the city plant and such of its apparatus | | as could be recovered from the wreckage, | pay fair value for the same, rejuvenate | | its plant here and furnish the city with | | water and light within two weeks. The proposition was turned over to a commit- tee of twenty citizens to be considered. In the meantime the water and light com mittee met and instructed the superinten dent to at once procure from New Or { | steam engine, by which it is hoped that | the city may operate one of its big pumps, which remains intact, and supply the city with water until other arrangement could be made. Much fear is being entertained with re- gard to the sanitary situation, as the city is already beginning to show the effect of ack of drainage water. Governor Sayers to-day gave the city $00 out of the flood sufferers’ fund to be expended in behalf fo the poor who have been made home- less. All such are being well provided for and there is no danger of their suffering. BOERS CLOSING IN AROUND BLOEMFONTEIN LONDON, April 10.—The Bloemfontein correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, tel- graphing Sunday, says: ‘The rallway and telegraph are working well. Works and trenches have been prepared in suitable positions around Bloemfontein. The greatest vigilance is exercised. Some of the troops sleep In the trenches. “Confirmatipn has been received of the report that the Boers are in laager in consideraple force, with guns, at Don- kerspeort, eighteen miles southeast. The British scouts report another body still closer. The Boer patrols have grown very daring, venturing much nearer our tents.” RISING SPREADS IN GOLD COAST COLONY ACCRA, British Gold Coast Colony, April 9.—A relieving force of 100 Hussars started for Kumassie to-day. As this body of troops is considered insufficient a larger force is being concentrated in the Hinter- land. Kumassie is evidently Invested. The Ashantis have captured several native teachers and their families. The rising is spreading. HAD A MINED AMBUSH. LONDON, April 10.—Lady Sarah Wilson and other Mafeking correspondents send diaries of the doings there, showing that have tried by abandoning their ure the beflg!od out into a b Fortunately the British disco the mine, m tl @oeivevedetovede B e e o e e e ] R e e am a S Oakland Office San Francisco Call, ENRY H. PITCHER, for fifteen years cashier and manager of the Bank of Livermore, a trustee of the $500,000 Varney estate and the 1118 Broadway, April 9. most prominent man of affalrs in Liver- | {and for years he had his way. more Valley, committed sulcide this morn- | ing by shooting himself in the head while | in bed at his residence in Livermare. A buliet through the brain was the bank manager’s final answer to a demand made last Friday that he produce in court to- day all records and statements which would show the present condition of the institution of which he had been the guid- Ing hand since its foundation. | The suicide | left behind not a message nor a scrap of | paper to tell the story. But for days he had been at a high nervous tension over | the disclosures which were being made In the Varney trust contest, and rather than face the ordeal of the searching inquiry he knew was ahead the distracted finan- | cier ended his life. Feared Disclosures. ‘The tragic climax to the slowly unfold- ing story of the management of the Var- ney trust startled the community. At Livermore there had been considerable uneasiness over the bank's affairs, due to the Varney litigation, the bank being the chief investment of the trust, and the cashler’'s suicide caused a run on the In- stitution. This was met and depositors were given assurance this afternoon by | the surviving trustees and the various at- torneys in the estate that there would be | ample funds to meet all demands. As soon as word of Pitcher's death eached Oakland Trustees Varney and Taylor, with Attorneys Wheeler, Treat, Goodfellow and Moore, repaired to Liver- more and an examination of the books of the bank was at once begun. The trus- tees have placed Charles G. Reed of the Union National Bank of this city in charge of affairs, and to-morrow Expert Accountant Stewart of San Francisco will start to work to expert the bank’s books from the beginning of its business. The Bank Commissioners gave notice to-night that their inquiry would be opened to- morrow morning at the bank. President Thomas H. B. Varney announced officially last evening that so far as they had been examined the books and accounts were in proper shape. He sald the affairs of the bank would be Investigated to the bottom. Attorneys in the Dark. The attorneys and the trustees declared that they were completely in the dark concerning the cause of Pitcher's death. The dead man had absolute control of the bank and had handled all of its business. Both Trustees Taylor and Varney of the Varney estate and officials as well of the bank had left the entire control of the affairs of the hands. One of his most significant moves was to secure $5000 last Saturday after- noon for use at the bank to-day. But Pitcher, if he had in mind his own death, concealed his thoughts marvelously. As late as yesterday morning he had a long conference in Oakland with Trustee John Taylor, Attorneys Moore and George W. Reed, preparing evidently for his exam- ination iIn court to-day. The lawyers had questioned him at great length over his affairs. After that he went to Berkeley, visiting his wife and daughters, who have been residing there for six weeks. At Livermore on his return last evening all reports are that he appeared to be cheerful. Feared Loss of Prestige. But behind the financial affairs which did disturb Pitcher he had an almost morbid fear of loss of standing and pres- tige through what might be evolved from the pressing Investigation of the ‘trust affairs he had so long controlled. Pitcher was as proud as Lucifer and during his years of residence he had not let slip a single opportunity-to press him- self to the front. He was president of the League of Progress, president of the Town Board of Trustees, president of the institution in Pitcher's | | | Co-operative Creamery Association, lead- er in the town library board, president of the School Board and president of the board of trustees of church. It was his hobby to be a leader His first defeat came last May, when he falled of election as a Town Trustee. Discovered by Hired Man. The banker's sulcide was discovered at $:30 o'clock by Hans Sorenson, a man-of- all-work, and the only other occupant of the Pitcher residence. He knew his em- T was to go to court In Oakland to- Sorenson arose about 5:39 o'clock, did his morning chores, and then failing to see Pitcher, went to the banker's oed- room to call him. Sorenson found the door ajar, entered, and saw Pitcher lying in bed, the bed-clothing over his head. Turning down the covers, the banker's head, drenched in blood, was revealed and the big Colt's pistol he had used was by his side. Pitcher had placed the muzzle of the weapon in his mouth and sent the bullet through the brain. Dr. Taylor, the family physician, was hurriedly called, but could only send for Deputy Coroner Horton, who took charge of the body. Run on the Bank. Bookkeeper Fred Mathieson of the bank was also summoned, and word was sent to Oakland. Quickly the news spread and a crowd of anxious depositors gathered at the bank doors, and as soon as they were opened, made a rush for thei money. Mathieson met the call for a while, at the same time trying to cool the excited depositors, and to prevent a rush until at least word was received from Oakland. On the morning train money ar- rived and about $13,000 has been paid out. ‘When the doors closed at 3 o'clock the.ex- citement had subsided, and the immediate danger from the run was at an end. President Varney said: “We will flood the town with money to- morrow. There is ample coin to meet the demands of depositors and all we need in the greatest emergency Is $12,000 to $14,000. ‘We have $120,000 in good securities upon which to raise that if necessary..” The intense excitement at Livermore was not a circumstance to the surprise in Oakland when word reached the Superior Court, where Pitcher was awaited to go on the witness stand. As soon as Judge Seawell called the case Attorney Wheeler asked for an adjournment until to-mor- row. Attorneys Moore and Goodfellow in sisted that they had been unable to see | anything in the deceased banker's conduct of a dishonest character, and after ad- journment was ordered the attorneys took a train for Livermore. In the party were Trustees T. H. B. Varney and John Tay- lor; Attorney Charles Wheeler and A. S. Treat, representing the beneficlaries who have attacked the Varney trustees’ man- agement, and Attorney A. A. Moore and W. 8. Goodfellow, representing Pitcher and Taylor, and Attorney G. W. Langa counselor for the Bank of Livermore. The party arrived at Livermore at 1| o'clock, going at once to the bank. De- positors were paid rapidly as soon as the trustees arrjved, the majority of those withdrawing their funds being small holders. Investigation Is Begun. At once the work of investigation was commenced. Every attorney, trustee and bank employe was a unit in declaring that he knew of no cause for Pitcher's suicide. The utmost care was taken to assure the public that so far as they had gone no discrepancy In accounts had been found. The significance of last Friday afternoon's scene in court was impressed, however, with the rush of lawyers and bank peo- ple to get at the books. Pitcher was under examination by At- torney Wheeler on Friday afternoon in court. The bank cashler had explained some matters in connection with his hand- Hing of the trust’s property, and was then told that on Monday he would be re- quested to show what securities he had | | | | | | | | | for outstanding loans of $103,00 on notes. of He was directed to bring the list notes, the trial balances and sheets of t the Presbyterfan | bank since its organization, and the last was this from Mr. Wheeler: Told What to Expect. “We would like also to be in a position to show through you, Mr. Piicher, the ondition of the bank at the present time. its outstanding notes, and show just what the security is, and we are going to you questions concerning the value of v rious securities, and will also ask questions concerning the persona and unsecured assets of the ba “I will be prepared to answer all replied Mr. Pitcher. The answer was in death. The relations of Henry H. Pitcher to the Varney trust and to the Bank of L ermore disclose some extraordinary fea- tures of modern financiert It is strong- Iy suspected that the disclosures already statemen made along that lin led the banker to wonder how much was to come. Way back in 188 Pitcher was a clerk in the Bank of California. He had considerable ability, and when old Thomas Varney wanted a man to manage the bank he pro- posed to open at Livermore H. H. Pitcher got- the position. Pitcher's sister, Mrs. Amy P. Cecil, went with him, and old man Varney installed her in the bank as book- keeper. In Full Control. Five years afterward Varney died. His will made Pitcher, John Taylor and Var- ey’s nephew, T. H. B. Varney, his ex- ecutors and trustees. A trust provide for the payment of certain beneficiarfes— $3500 annually. The executors and trus- tees, together with Henry Varney and G. W. Langan, continued the bank's busi- ness, in which the old man had put $100.0¢ in gold as capital stock. The books now show that besides this there is $196,000 of the Varney estate funds in the bank on deposit. The trustees and executors made Pitcher cashier and manager, and he had tull charge of handling every detail of the business, which represents the prin- cipal item of the Varney estate and trust. Outside of the present contest, the trus- tees got along swimmingly, save for one battle with Grace King, who claimed as an adopted daughter of old Varney a big- ger share than his will allotted to her. The executors compromised with her for $90,000. Then the trouble broke, when the contest now on for an accounting from the trustees began. After the opening of the trial the first disclosure was the methods by which Trustee Pitcher had handled the trust funds to buy valuable mining stock, which was a portion of the estate of which he was an executor. Owes the Bank $15,000. The bank's accounts now show that Cashier Pitcher owes the bank 315,000, on notes secured by 100 shares of the bank stock, which has a par value of $10.000. This same block of stock Pitcher testified last Friday had been given to him by old Thomas Varney, but to make sure that it was all right Pitcher had put his note in the bank to cover the deal. He was not positive whether it was an outright gift or not. It also transpired that 1600 shares of Kennedy mining stock was sold by the executors, then immediately bought in at $3 or $4 a share, the money to purchase T. H. B. Varney’s portion and Pitcher's portion coming from the bank. The stock has paid big dividends, which were put in the trustees’ pockets. It was this line of disclosure that had been reached when court adjourned Fri- day. Was a High Liver. ‘While Pitcher had cultivated the Liver- more Valley people sedulously, he was not unknown in the San Francisco halls of pleasure. The banker had a penchant for Continued on Third Page.