The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 15, 1903, Page 3

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, WEDNESDAY, JULY 15 ANGRY MOB THREATENS TO LYNCH DEMENTED WOMAN THE ASSAILANT OF THREE NUNS Dr. W. H. Selbach Makes Unprovoked At- tack Upon Sisters and Narrowly Escapes ”l_‘ A EH|ME Death at the Hands of Witnesses of Act o i o S : . ||Supreme Court Tells ‘Who Loses by Becker Forgery. WRITES END Crocker-Woolworth Bank Ie Victim to Tune of $20,000. S el | Justice Is Administered to Part of | | Gang of Clever Manipulators of Fraudulent Checks. S 1 The Supreme Court added the last chap- | | ter yesterday to the story of the famous | | Becker forgery by declaring that the ! | Crocker-Woolworth National Bank must | | stand the loss of the $20,00 which the | brace of skiliful draft manipulators se- | cured by thelr daring deed. The Nevada | Bank, which cashed the draft, is held to have been in no way financially responsi- ble for the success of the sensational fel- ony. The last of the bold quartet who | forged their way to a fortune has nearly completed his sentence, and thus the inci- dent is closed. | The story of the achievement of the Becker-Creegan gang is one-of the most | | remarkable chronicles in the American | | | Bankers' Assoclation’s annals of crime. | | 8o adept were the thieves that their bold | | | deed was not discovered until nearly | three weeks after its commission. Then | | | they were far away. The Pinkertons were | immediately given the scent, and before five months had passed the criminals were all run to earth. In short order the cases | | were In the courts. After various delays | of one kind and another a suspect was | set free, one accomplice turned State's | evidence and was released and the re-| maining two felons were consigned to the ntiary. the fall of 1595 A. H. Dean, allas| Frank Seaver, began to make the ac-| | quaintance of banking people in this | State. He established a credit in several | institutions and was ready for work. | | Charles Becker, James Creegan and Jo- | seph McCloskey, who was accused of having been implicated in the crime but | | | who was subsequently acquitted of the | | | charge of being an accomplice, had not | | |up to that time appeared on the scene. | | | | | | | | CHECX IS PASSED. On December 9, 1595, the Bank of Wood- MAN WHO NARROWLY ESCAP- SD LYNCHING FOR ATTACK UPON DOMINICAN SISTERS prisoner. As the struggle continued crowd yelled “Lynch him!" *“Hang PATROL ARRIVES. | The patrol wagon arrived at this june- | ure and Selbach was bundled unceremo- int nveyed to the South- ce station. where a charge of bat- was placed against him face was covered with blood and After the blood had was asked why he and he denled | away he ng the street and got be- | were walking | tween them. One of them stepped on street when | my foot, rting my corns, and I raised | t g a|my arm to push her asi She slipped | of the black- | and fell and one of the other sisters grab- to the cobbl bed hold of me. I put out my hand and | Sister Marguer nd | accidentally tore her bonnet or veil. Then and grabbed | the policeman came and arrested me, i tearing it from | *I arrived here from Columbus, Ohio, last Sunday morning and took a room at arny street, intending to start bus . | ness here. I was for thirty-three years the | in business in Columbus and was driven rguerite, | out of that city by the persecution of the ng and | Roman Catholics. They ruined my busi- | ness because I am a Lutheran Metho- the assault and | dist.” Their first IS AN ELDERLY MAN. ’ » these they escort- - gy ‘ mer-Eilers | Selbach Is a portly man about 5 years - t, where | Of age. He bad the appearance of being somewhat’ under the influence of liquor rge crowd had col- | and acknowledged that he had been i Policeman Her- | drinking a little. He said he had no fear ssault spread rap- | that the mob would lynch him. He charged Policeman' Herlthy with beating | him on the face with his club while he | was handcuffed in the patrol wagon on the way to the prison. | Herlihy was a witness to the attack| 1 directions | upon the Sisters. He said there were | n. Down | three of them—Sisters Magdaler.e, Mar- the crowd | guerite and Lorenzo of the German Do- | made | minican Convent. They had just crossed | crowd | the street, he said, when Selbach came endeavored to | between them, seized hold of one and the grip of his | shoved her so that she fell. He then de- liberately tore off the veil of cpe of the ach struck | other Sisters. After being cared for at 1 those in |the music store of Pommer-Eilers Com- | likewise, were | pany and having recovered from the ex- | two police- | citement caused by the unexpected at- in the defense of | tack gpon them, they proceeded on their | way %o San Jose. A. R. Pommer was a witness to the as- | sault, and a member of the firm of Bar-| rett & Kalisky,” 190 Stevenson street, | handed Policeman, Herlihy a card and | said he would appear as a witness. ARRESTED FOR LUNACY. A telegram from Columbus, O., Sel- bach's former home, is to the effect that by the use of he practiced his profession in that eity | thirty years or more. He is a member of one of the oldest families there and for | a long time has been regarded as eccen- | tric. He was twice arrested on lunacy | warrants growing out of his uncalled-for y attacks unoffending citizens. These . rkdzmfld | attacks occurred on the street. y Y{“’r:}?e‘gl'l’;’:: icide, which | | Dr. Selbach is a radical member of an i :a %o Build healthy | anti-Catholic organization and cherishes .;‘llure‘ [e)yhfl Sy | the hallucination that he is cunstantly solul B, ! . being hounded by Catholics. A' month Used and indorsed by leading | |ago Selbach was arrested at Columbus ckly grew from a howling mob. Ibach strug- g as best nche fists ADVERTISEMENTS. Open Sores can be cleaned out, the su tion stopped, and a cure ura- C hysicians everywhere. | for an alleged attempt to defraud his When not at your druggist’s,sent | | creditors and. the prosecution found an 2id on receipt of 25 centsfor | | old statute under which he could have -t been imprisoned for debt, but the court - exercised clemency and he was released. He left Columbus for this coast almost Address y bottle. immediately. The case against him was prosecuted by the attorney who had se- | cured his acquittal on the lunacy charges and was for $100 attorney’s fees. Selbach, it is claimed, sold $2000 worth of property in Columbus and brought the money West. He clalmed that he was bunkoed out of it in a gambling den in Oregon. —_—————— Would Be President of State. Mathew Powline, residing at 414 Jackson street, walked into the office of the Su- perintendept of Public Buildings yester- day afternoon and demanded that he be clected “President of California” forth- with. It was evident the man was de- mented and Policeman Biermann took him to the Detention Hospital. Powline will be taken before the Commissioners Moneyback means Schillir s Best at your gro- him nothing ; costs land, Yolo County, issued a draft on the Crocker-Woolworth Bank of this city for the sum of $12 on the order of A. H. Dean. The last named had previously established an account with the Nevada Bank of this and had about $2000 on deposit. After the draft from the country bank Dean gave it to Creegan, known through- out and the last named handed it over to Becker, who was the ven expert of the gang. After eight days of delicate toil op the fateful slip of paper Becker anhounced to his confederates that the job was done. | The check now bore the date of Decem- ber 13 and instead of $12 it called for $22,- 000. Back through Creegan it went to Dean, who had established a banking | credit and who had been selected to pass the fraudulent paper at the start. On the morning of December 17 Dean wrote his pseudonym across the back of the check and walked coolly into the Ne- vada Bank, where he made a depcsit of the purported $22,000. He was given *‘pro- visional credit” in his passbook for the amount and went away to join his “pals.” A check for so large an amount is al- | ways given the closest possible scrutiny in all financial institutions of any stand- ing, but Becker's work was flawless. Handwriting experts with microscopes and acids were subsequently baffled in their attempts to find out how it was all done. A confession of the crime finally made it plain. Of Becker's modus operandi little is known except in regard to the materials he used. His entire outfit was sald to have consisted of a supply of aniline dyes, a darning needle, a pocketknife and | scme paper similar to that of which the check was manufactured. CRIME IS SUCCESSFUL. The officials of the Nevada Bank after accepting the paper turned it over to the Clearing-house, in which both the Crock- er-Woolworth Bank and itself were inter- ested. On the following day Dean again visited the Nevada Bank and drew $20,000, Shortly afterward the gang was tearing off the miles on an express train to the East. From the Clearing-house the false check went to the Crocker-Woolworth Bank for collection. The last named institution ac- cepted the $12 plece of paper and gave re. turns for $22,000 to the Clearing-house. On January 3, 1896, the check was sent to the Bank of Woodland, and next day word came back that something had gone wrong. Then the man-hunters were put to work for the purpose of landing the clever felons behind the bats and recov- ering as much as might remain of the stolen money. The wily mapipulators of fraudulent | checks were captured in different parts of the country, but only a little of the “swag” was ever forthcoming. Then | there was some little difference of opin- (don as to who should stand the loss of the $2000. The Bank of Woodland was | on hand with the original $12, but that did not relieve the situation to any consider- able extent. The officials of the Crocker- Woolworth. National Bank told the of- ficlals of the Nevada Bank that the peo- for their mistakes. The Nevada Bank's ple who cashed false checks shouid settle directors had another view. Then the dis- pute was in the courts. The Superior Court’s judgment was in favor of the Crocker-Woolworth Bank and an appeal was taken by the opposing litigants to the State’'s highest tribunal. The Supreme Court says that there was no conspiracy between Becker and the Nevada Bank and that therefore the in- stitution's officials acted in good faith, They simply pald the part of collecting agent for thelr client. ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE. The Nevada Bank passed the check to the clearing-house immediately and the Crocker-Woolworth Bank recognized the paper and gave credit for it. The court says that the governing principle in such cases where the transacting parties are equally innocent of wrong is to leave the burden of error on the shoulders of those on whom it has been placed unless ome of the contracting parties ought naturally to secure redress in a court of equity. In the present case, the Nevada Bank made no profit by the transaction and fis held to have been only an intermediary. The judgment of the trial court is according- ly reversed. The opinion is, written by Justice Hen- shaw, with whom Justices McFarland, Van Dyke, Lorigan and Chief Justice Beatty directly concur. Justice Shaw writes a dissenting opinion to the effect nobody any body anythin to-day for examination. He was born in Ban Mateo County thirty-seven years ago. | that the Nevada Bank should be held re- sponsible in that it tacitly made false the transaction as the “middleman,” | +- 1903. IS PREVENTED FROM DROWNING SELF AND CHILD Emma C. Enelund, Who Confesses That She Contemplated Jumping From Wharf With Her Little Girl, Taken Into Custody e | UNFORTUNATE DRESSMAKER WHO WHILE TEMPORARILY DE- RANGED ATTEMPTED TO JUMP OVERBOARD FROM JACKSON- STREET WHARF, BEING PREVENTED BY A POLICEMAN. < | MMA C. ENELUND, a Swedish | woman, was prevented from drowning herself in the bay yes- | terday by the prompt action of i Police Officer. Sol Sandman. | Peopie whose business brought them to Jackson-street whart noticed the peculiar | actions of the woman before the officer took her in charge and notified the police. For some time Mrs. Enelund, who had | with her her seven-year-old daughter, | walked up and down near the end of the pler In an excited manner. Several per- sons accosted her and asked her if she was in trouble, but to none of them would she vouchsafe a reply. | Soon after one of the freight steamers | pulled away from the wharf, the woman | took off her hat and threw it into the bay. A moment later she attempted to | divest herselt of her clothing and calling to her child to join her, she walked to | the end of the wharf, and seemingly de- termined to plunge into the bay. She was selzed by Sandman. The officer had Mrs. Enelund and her | child removed to the Detention Hospital, | where she was examined by Drs, Rethers | and McGettigan as to her sanity. She answered all questions In a rambling way and it was evident from her manner that the woman was demented, Books on her person showed that Mrs. | Enelund had to her credit with the Cali- | fornia Safe Deposit and Trust Company | nearly $1600. When questioned the woman admitted that she intended to commit suicide and | that rather than leave her child to be- | come a public charge she had decided to | take the little one with her. | It was learned that Mrs. Enelund is a | dressmaker reslding at 1342 Jackson street. About eighteen months ago her husband | dled and left her to care for their only | child. For some little time the neighbors | have noticed that WMrs. Enelund has shown signs of dementla and from her rambling talks it is thought that the loss representations in passing the fraudulent paper to the clearing-house. Dean & McCloskey were apprehended In Minnesota a few months after the com- mission of the crime and were later brought to this city for trial. On May 15, 1896, Becker and Creegan were caught in | Newark, N. J. McCloskey was tried and | acquitted. Dean turned State's eyidence, and after a long legal battle Becker and | Creegan were convicted. Judge Wallace sentenced the forgers to life imprison- ment. 3 An appeal was taken to the Supreme Court and a new trial was ordered. Fin- ally Creegan was given two years at Folsom. He was discharged three years ago and has gone forth into the world doomed to live ever under the watchful eyes of the agents of the American Bank- ers' Association. Dean, less criminal than | weakling, went forth from the prison humble and broken. Becker, the pen artist and king of the gang, was sent to San Quentin for a term of seven years, in 1898. Under the tender care of Warden Agufrre the criminal has been allowed to toy with pen and paper a few idle hours each day and enjoy him- self as best he might the remainder of the time. GETS FULL CREDITS. Altogether Becker has had a very easy time of it. To be sure, he cannot have | all the liberty he might desire, but then | he does not have to soil his hands and has three square meals each day. Aguirre has allowed him full credits and if the wily forger behaves himself properly henceforward he will go free once more three weeks from next Monday. In spite of occasional denlals the story keeps going:the rounds that Becker will not have to return to his old trade when he emerges from the penitentiary. The American Bankers’ Assoclation realizes that the criminal is tog dangerous to BO at large. With his skill be ought to make a thousand times honestly what he might ever get by forgery, but some men can- not hunt for work, and Becker seems to be one of them. It 1s gsserted that the Pinkertons have = e of her husband has caused her to become mentally unbalanced. The mother and child were given quar- ters at the hospital for the night. The doctors will institute further in- quiry into the case this morning. They believe that a few days’ rest will suffice to restore Mrs. Enelund. If the woman shows signs of regaining her mental composure she will be turned over to her friends, Otherwise she will be sent to an asylum, i AL DRIVEN BY PAIN TO SUICIDE. Mrs. Fannie Currey Shoots Herself Through the Heart. Two years of ceaseless pain without prospect of rellef caused Mrs. Fannle B. Currey to send a pistol builet through her heart yesterday at her residence, 1017 Powell street. She had often threatened to kill herself and told her daughter Ha- zel about a week ago that she had bought a cheap pistol in Chinatown for the pur- pose of committing suicide. Her daugh- ter and Mrs. Currey’s brother, Eugene Blakeley, searched the house thoroughly for.the weapon, but were not able to find it. Edward Moore, a roomer, saw her at half-past 8 o'clock yesterday morning, and she was complaining very much of pains with which she had been afflicted ever since she had had a surgical operation performed two years ago. Mr. Blakeley went to her room at 10:50 a. m. to get a up of coffee and found her lying dead on he floor, with a revolver in her right hand. e Two shots had been fired, the first bul. let striking the door casing and falling on the other side of the room. The sec- ond bullet entered the heart of the unfor- tunate woman, killing her almost in- | peared to be blow after blow upon him. stantly. Mrs. Currey was a native of Michigan, aged 54 years. Her husband, Samuel Cur- rey, Is a carpenter, at present working at Mare Island. L o o e 3 0 i e o e Y ) advised the American Bankers’ Assocla- tion to give Becker $300 a month in order to keep him out of further mischief. Some local bankers have stated that they feel that such an act might place a premium on crime, but others argue that in the present instance it would be the wisest policy, for the forger has shown himself too cléver to be detected ordinarily. He troubled the bankers for years before he was captured and he might do the same thing again. He has signified his willingness to ac- cept a pension and the association's pro- tective committee is generally supposed to have agreed to furnish the stipend men- tioned. —_———— umonn PARLOR GIVES BANQUET TO ITS OFFICERS Retiring President Is the Recipient of a Handsome Gold Badge. Stanford Parlor of the Native Sons of the Golden West gave an installation ban- quet in Native Sons’ Hall last night to its old and new officers. There were near- 1y a hundred of the members present and quite an aggregation of Invited guests. John F. English was the toastmaster. Willlam Maguire responded to “Stan- ford Parlor,” J. T. Nash to “Our Order,” ‘W. Cannon to “California,” Judge George H. Cabaniss to “The Ladles” and “Old Members” was responded to by Edward Head. Steve Douglass entertained with instru- mental selections, Richard Hunt and “Doc” W. H. Seiberst with songs and George Ryan told some funny stories. During the evening A. F. Schleicher, the retiring president, was presented a valua- ble diamond set badge of his rank in the order. The following named are the offi- cers who were installed for the current term: J. T. Nash, past president; J. J. Van Nos. trand, prestdent. 3. Hardiman, G. Laughiin snd W. D., Lahey, vice presidents: William Ma- ‘marshai; Fred Jung. recording secre. Cox, financial secretary; T. I.- e ampodenioa: 15 e CRAZED MAN USES DAGGER I MAD RAGE Stabs His Friend in Eye, Then Takes His Own Life, John J. Mahonsy Jr. Nearly | Kills Harry Shelly With a Knife. Thinking He Had Accomplished His Desire, the Would-Be Mur- derer Fatally Slashes His Throat. PUNSREN e T ‘While deranged from overindulgence in alcoholic stimulants John J. Mahony Jr., a glove cutter, terribly wounded Harry Shelly, a fellow cratsman, with a dirk at the corner of Green and Mason streets last evening and then ended his own ex- istence a block from the scene by cut- ting his throat from ear to ear with a razor. The victim of the murderous as- sault now lies at the Central Emergency Hospital In a precarious condition and will lose the sight of his left eye, which was punctured by the weapon. The affair took place about 8 o'clock last night and the enfire neighborhood was thrown into a state of wildest excitement. The presence of mind and bravery of Fred Kramer, a young man residing at 1626 Powell street, no doubt saved Shelly from death at the hands of the infuriated an. From the story of eve-witnesses, Ma- honey was the aggressor throughout and used every endeavor to Ku: Shelly. That he did not succeed Is regarded as miracu- lous. What caused the dead man to at- tempt the life of his friend will not be known until Shelly is able to talk. Shortly before 8 o'clock Mahoney and Shelly, who have been friends for years and employed at the glove factory of B. Blumenthal & Co., at 27 Battery street, met at the corner of Green and Mason streets and engaged in conversation. Mrs. Shelly, mother of the wounded man, who was sitting at the window of her home, 1627 Mason street, saw her son talking to his friend until the darkness shut the two men from her view. Hector Maffel, a boy, and Fred Kramer ‘were the only witnesses of the affair, and their stories do not differ in the main. £TABS HIS VICTIM. According to these two witnesses the first they saw of the affair the two men were scuffling on Mason street, near the corner of Green. Shelly turned and start- | ed to run acrose, the street, at the same | time exclaiming, “Don’t Jack, for God's | sake, don't Mahoney followed him and dealt him a blow In the back which felled him to the pavement, and then jumped | on the prostrate man, raining what ap- Kramer was standing a short distance away and ran to the scene. Upon reach- ing the two combatants he saw that Ma- honey had a dagger in his hand which he was jabbing into Shelly. He grabbed Ma- | honey's arm and wrested the knife from him. Mahoney then rose to his feet and ran up Mason street toward Vallejo, with Kramer in close pursuit. Mahoney, upon reaching Vallejo street, turned down that thoroughfare in the direction of Powell | street, and when about in the middle of | the block on the north side suddenly halt- | ed and made a movement for his hip pocket, His pursuer feared that he contemplated pulling a gun and did not wish to tackle him single-handed. He called for assist- ance and several young men and Poiice- man Frank McGrayan hastened up the hill In the direction of the cries. Before any of them could reach Mahoney he had waipped out 1 razor and. turning his head upward, pullsd the steel across his neck, nearly decayitating himself. He fell to the sidewalk and when Kramer came up to him he was breathing his last, the razor lying by his side. Kramer and Patrolman McGrayan then hastened to the side of Shelly, who was lying In a pool of blood, where he had re- celved his wounds. A hurry call was sent for the patrol wagon and the woynded man conveyed to the Central Eymrzenoy Hospital.. Dr. Harvey, the physician in charge, found upon examination that he had sustained a deep scalp wound on the | hight side of the head, a superficlal woung on the right side of the neck, a deep wound of the left cheek and that the knife had been driven Into his left eye, DR. KILMIR’S SWAMP-ROOT. LIFE SAVED BY SWAMP-ROOT, The Wonderful Ai!i_dncy‘ Liver and Bladder Remedy. SAMPLE BOTTLE S;K:l' FAEE BY MAIL. Swamp-Root, discovered by the eminent kidney and bladder specialist. promptly cures kidney, liver, bladder and uric actd troubles. Some of the early symptoms of weak kidneys are pain or dull ache In the back, rheumatism, dizziness, headache, nerv- ousness, catarrh of the bladder, gravel or calculi, bloating, sallow complexion, puf- £y or dark circles under the eyes, suppres- sion of urine, or compelled to pass water often day and night. The mild and extraordinary effect of the world-famous kidney remedy, Dr. Kil- mer’s Swamp-Root, is soon realized. It stands the highest for its wonderful cures of the most distressing cases. If you need a medicine you should have the best. Swamp-Root s not recommended for everything, but If you have kidney, liver, bladder or uric acld trouble you will find it just the remedy you need. Sold by druggists in fifty-cent and one- dollar sizes. You may have a sample bot- tle of Dr. Kilmer's Swamp-Root and & pamphiet that tells ali about it, including many of the thousands of letters received from sufferers cured, both sent fres by mail. Write Dr. Kilmer & Co., Bingham- ton, N. Y., and please be sure to mention that you read this generous offer in The San Francisco Dally Call. Don't make any mistake, but remember the name, Swamp-Root, Dr. Kilmer's Swamp-Root. and the address, Binghamton, N. Y., en every bottle. bare! In | addition to these wounds Shelly’s hands escaping wounding the bratn. were terribly cut, showing that he had attempted to wrest the knife from his #- sallant, MOTIVE IS UNENOWN. The Coroner's office was notified and Deputy Coroner Fennell and Assistant Thomas Davis went to the scene. The rémains of Mahoney were removed to the Morgue. Detectives Ross Whitaker and Ed Gibson were detailed by Captain Mar- | tin and made a thorough Investigation, | but were unable to discover a motive fo@ the attempted murder and suicide. Shelly, who lives with his wife and widowed mother at 1627 Mason street, was married about a vear ago. He is an in- dustrious fellow 30 years of age, and is given an excellent reputation by the resi- dents of the district. The dead man is a son of John J. Ma~ honey, formerly captain of Engine No. §, on Stockton street. He resided with his | parents at 510 Vallejo street and was 3 yvears of age. From statements of his | assoclates he was of a quarrelsome dis- | position when drinking, and it is under- stood had been mixed up In several | scrapes. The aged father of the dead man, John | 3. Mahoney. who is well and favorably | known throughout the city, called at the Morgue and was overcome with grief. He | could assign no reason for the actions of | his son. The promptness of Patrolman | McGrayan in sending for the wagon and the quick drive to the hospital made by Patrol Driver Comstock had much to do with saving Shelly's life. —_————— OLYMPUS PARLOR, N. S. G. W,, GIVES ANNIVERSARY BALL Two Hundred Couples Parade in Grand March to Strains of Sweet Music. Nearly 800 people accepted the invita- tions sent out by Olympus Parlor of the Native Sons of the Golden West to attend in N. 8. G. W. Hall the grand ball given in celebration of the tenth anniversary of the institution of the parlor. The deco- rations were pleasing and there were nearly 200 couples in the grand march, led by Jullus Epstein and Miss Millie Freeman and Richard R. Cullen and Miss Tessie Needham. The affalr was under the direction of the folowing named com-~ mittees: Arrangements—William I Burns, Richard Re A McLaughiin, Jultus Epp~ grove. ;_ Jocst (chairman), Milton , Ralph E. Campbeli, Frank 1 .Butler, Fritz Z. Ernst, J. M. Stumpt. P. H. Cullen, L. Wise, Frank J. Taylor, William D. Puckhaber and George McCormick. Floor—Julius Eppstein (manager), Richard st. eorge E. Moore, Chris 8. William L. Cullen, Willlam stein and J. T. C Reception—Hen: Borkheim, Jultus Frank T. Gregory. Harry I W liam A. McLaughlin, M. A. Reardom, Antone P. Herzo and Hugo Seitz. ——— Sues for His Commission. H. Seward, who claims to have sold for Jane W. Thomas stock in the Standard Soap Company for 352,500, flled a suit against her yesterday for 32625 commis- sion. He alleges that the sale was made under an agr ent he made with her last February, but that ever since then she has refused to compensate him for his trouble. ADVERTISEMENTS. B JOSTRED MARKET e Gl RICKS&CO Y ’wqr‘ v3G A AT WEDNESDAY, JULY I5th. Throughout the eight floors of elegant and exclusive de- signs of furniture, carpets, rugs, tapestries, draperies and wall paper that constitute the store of Jos. Fredericks & Co. the red tags of reduction have been placed. For the first time in our forty years of business experience we have cut prices and we have begun in the right way—by cutting from twenty-five to fifty per cent. Our stock is so well known to San Francisco lovers of the beautiful in furniture that it is needless to dwell upon the quality of the goods upon which these cuts are.made. It will suffice to say that every piece is of our regular stock, and no goods will be brought in from outside for this sale. We can do no more than take a few prices at random from the many cuts we have made: In the Gold and Red Room on the sixth floor we have cut the prices on gold and Verni Martin desks, cabinets, tables and parlor furniture from 25 to 50 per cent. A large two-piece suit, sofa and arm chair, mahogany over-stuffed, formerly $195, has been cut to $98. A gold divan, formerly $120, to is now $48. Verni Martin $350 are red-tagged at $335. Another, a little cheaper grade, was $60 and parlor art chairs that were On the fifth floor we have two Tunis Mahogany book- cases, three sections, cut from $200 to $95. Two and three section Mahcgany bookcases from $90 to $72, and from $y0 with leaded glass doors cut to $56. A three-section Eng- lish bookcase, cut from $70 to $36, and one in golden oak, three sections, from $40 to $30. Cheval glasses show the same heavy reductions on the red tags. ‘The mahogany cheval glasses and from $103 to $65. Library, parlor. dining-room and bedroom have received carpets, rugs and draperies heavy cuts. On anything purchased of beautiful Empire glass is cut from $80 to $62. are reduced from $1350 to $75, furniture, corresponding i ¥ _of us during this sale or at any time not satisfactory or failing to meet our claims we will refund the money on return of the goods. JOS. FREDERICKS & CO.