San Francisco County CA Archives Obituaries.....Finigan, Peter Andrrew May 29, 1909
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San Francisco Call, June 3, 1909
“LIVED ON CHARITY WITH CASH IN BANK 
"Lucky Pete" Finigan, Gambler on Stock Market, Dies in the Almshouse 

Indebted to the almshouse in his official capacity is the strange predicament 
in which Public Administrator M. J. Hynes finds himself because of the avarice 
of Peter Finigan, an inmate of the institution, who died Saturday [May 29, 
1909] with $6,049.48 in the Hibernia savings, bank. Caught in the grasp of the 
stock gambling fever for many years the dead man was unwilling to pay for a 
respectable home but "played the market” as he did in the days of the 
fortyniners and lived on the charity of the public.
 
Known to his old associates as "Lucky Pete," Finigan was buried in Holy Cross 
cemetery [Colma, California] Sunday [May 30], and his affairs were placed in 
the hands of the public administrator. Investigation disclosed the fact that 
the dead man carried on almost daily, stock manipulations in large sums, yet 
lived at the charitable institution, where he pretended to be a pauper. 

Public Administrator Hynes was called to, the almshouse Saturday and examined 
Finigan's effects. He found the bank book, balanced up to date and showing 
$6,049.48 to Finigan's credit, whereupon he notified Superintendent Wallenberg 
of the institution that the county had been imposed upon and that Finigan had 
been well able to pay for his room and board. Wallenberg informed Hynes that he 
would claim from the estate $15 a month for the time that Finigan was at the 
institution. A review of the records showed that Finigan had been enjoying the 
charity of San Francisco for more than three years, while he was gambling in 
stocks with varying success.

Among Finigan's effects was also found a statement from Charles E. Paxton, 
stock broker, who for a number of years handled the transactions of the dead 
man in the Bush street exchange.
 
"I knew little about the man,” Paxton said to the administrator yesterday. "He 
was one of what we called the ‘Old Guard.' He traded a great deal, in fact he 
was an inveterate stock gambler. At one time he was worth more than $40,000, 
but dealt in margins and shorts with ill success until his balance was reduced 
to the $6,000 which was left at the time of his death. He closed his account 
with me some months ago, I believe, but he frequently called at the office. 

Finigan died without heirs so far as has been learned. He gave his age as 65 
years, and has had only one companion the years he was at the almshouse. This 
intimate was J. H. Davis, to whom he confided the fact that he was in 
California in the early days, but never made any statement in regard to his 
money. 

Wallenberg intends to press the claim of the almshouse against the estate for 
$540 and the residue will revert to the state unless heirs appear to claim it.” 
END


Additional Comments:
San Francisco Call.  June 3, 1909 (Thursday). Page 5, Column 4.

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