The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, April 30, 1900, Page 1

< $OIOHD 404 D4THDI DI04 24040104 040 o VOLU 161 is shame and dis- le Vienna, his course | ot rs had been mapped out until me committed | he should be to enter the army, in Josef Blanther, the f such high rank at pon the no ty r was who terrorized the he aid of other relatives set out i i ce the world. He drifted about from | e Western. Addition t e among strangers In a ief in Oakland, claims There were months of hard- ¢ . s linked with that of | of irksome toll, to| . w of roval Austrian ! ccustomed T e he gives is the same as d Los »s , and 1 f the late oness Marie Vet- <y e ; se gic death at Meyer- of the night and 1 Prince Rudolph, in - j“’(”*-"' X = - Gt aid, “and work no more.” J , shocked the civilized vielded. That was six months . erday he intimated The pair drifted to this city. The been blood relatives, | oman fled two weeks ag ving the s the noble family of Austria e his battle He went t he broke down | to ed that he and the Baron- embers of the same insisting that he is of he confesses 1e he has given the police ot his true title. with the world single hungry day after day, hing went for food ppears. a stern sident c n Francisco, Aaway the boy had home with him To him but vainly Starvation either to die or to steal the highway. 1. It is aind is upon T says his father i & | ~Could I gather enough money to get | g general in Francis out of the city I would go away,” says 3 but beyond this he |he desperate, i ¥ pawned his almost worthless ises e any details as to his | old pistol = goes abroad at ients except to say that his upon robbery. he is the is one of the most aristocratic S e e 3 Francisco, 1 ured in ( d is ready to end h life, he decla s, rather than to face a term in the entiary is the brief outline of the narra- tive rel. d yesterday to Chief Police Hodgkins of Oakland. In the 1ded by police officials, rviewers, the youth ory of his life, inva- bury if possible the identifying his Aus- surrou nd to ely was equally reticent con- s in San Francisco, to tell where he Lod e woman companion tributed to his down- concealed the 1 wicked uncle other 2 icide of the Princ H tiful woms strenuously alleg when the that official he es’ from his rela- remitt s of pame is men- s first visit to San Francisco t two years ago. He sald he for seve firms as porter, ployed a valet in East Se0e c,-w:.wooo‘oocoo;owooooo‘momoooomocog AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN CONSUL s from an irksome grind in 1 been going the family. of the al DENIES HIGHWAYMAN'S STORY & 3 4 = PEL, Austro-Hungarian Consul in this city, denles Vet- that he has received remittances through him and member of the Vetsera family of the Austrian no- ver he has been receiving no remittances sul. “That is positive, because I have received no ny way answering his description or near his age. ym I have recefved money for and no such person as m received remittances through the Austrian Embassa- without my knowledge, for the Embassador would send 4 ¥ here through me. i k& t oner is member of the Vetsera family. I am he a bers of it can be accounted for. This family arie died. nd he She had but one never married. Out- in Austria—no cousins ness M a numerous family. Their estates although poor they had entre to court soclety best of the nobility. which this young man clalms to bear, Is not an mon 404040+ 0404040404040+ 0+0 4040 ted that he knew of no mining man in this city who of the footpad. He sai Austrian col here there is but one mining engineer. He re- Oakl, nd has done so for the past thirty years to my knowledge. that he has no family connection whatever with the criminal. In e name ‘Monckorosvon, which the footpad gives as part of his title, I hink the ‘von’ should be a separate word, making the correct name L. 3 © Monckoros von Vetsera.” + @+ 04040404 040 40+ 040 +0 40410404040 40+0 1040+ 04040 1010 sides 1 believe 2 noble house of spleased his stern. | . S s parent, who shipped him off to . shsvdaf FH 7 ol. The new life was svon Vetsera, the r He ed the father's wrath OF AUSTRIAN NOBILITY LOW IN FOOTPAD le Caims That Wi Father Is a Commanding Ceneral i ;3 e Francis Joseph’s Army and That His Family Is One of the Most Aristocratic in the Empire. VETSERA IN PROEILE. .. 1 | Oakland and, lastly, had been a polisher | of silverware at the Van Nuys Hotel in Los Angeles. It was there he fell, he says, into evil companionship. For all his troubles, his entire worldly | possessions consist now of half a dozen suits of clothes, held by a lodging-house keeper In San Francisco for unpald room rent; one pistol and black silk handker- chief, held as evidence by the Oakland police, and the following items: Two | bra white enamel coliar button: one imitation diamond button, one old comb, one old empty purse, one needle, two pen- cils, one soiled handkerchief, one pocket mirror, a r ry and a silver card case cover with name engraved thereon. Vetsera s a marked countenance. His features are marred by a misshapen nose, the bridge of which has been smashed flat, w de Bergerac prominence. This, the lad says, was caused by a fall he sustained while a messboy on a North German Lloyd steamer on the Atlantic. With barely a growth of beard on his face, the boy has nothing to commend himself to a thief taker. His garments are a black coat and trousers with a fan brocaded waistcoat. The hat is a fuzzy gray fedora. There is nothing about him to est the daring highway man of the Western Addition. When he w ared Saturday night by Detec- tiv Hamerton the lad had eaten for twenty-four hours. s cap! es Kyte and no food Since his female companion disappeared | Portland food had been He declared he was Indeed, he says that nd went to ce with Vetsera. too proud to beg. | he intended to merely ask for money from his first victim, but being refused resorted to the display of his pistol. But withal hunger and desperation and rough knocks there was a vein of feeling in the youth every time home was brought to his mind. home was in Galicla,” sera, when he was fairly ready to tell his ory. “My family name is the only one in our home. It Is six hours by railroad from Vie. That is all you can know from me about that. My father is a com- mander in the Austrian army and I was to be given an education to fit me for simflar service. When I was 12 years old my ther put me in the military school at Vienna, but I did not get along very well. | T falled several times to pass the quar- terly examinations and finally my father became disgusted and sent me away to the naval school at Stettin, Germany. I tired of the work there, and not getting along very well decided to leave, not go home because my father was much displeased because I did not do better at brother and my uncle helped me with money. I had $1000 when I left home. I decided to go to sea, and I went as a mess boy on a steamer from Bremerhayen to Australia. I went back to Hamburg, and for some time worked mess boy on the North German amers between that city and That is when my nose was as a broken. “I remained finally in New York, work- ing in several stores. With my recom- | mendations from home I got along pretty well until I started out West. I managed to hold on to the money I brought with me until 1 got to San Francisco and met my uncle. He fnduced me to buy a lot ot mining stock, and I was called upon to pay an assessment of $100, but I had no more money to pay with, so my uncle took part of the stock for security. Then more assessments came, and at last all of my stock was gone and my money had van- ished.” “But your family must have been will- ing to aid you,” was suggested. *No, I would not write to them any more. And now, it would kill my mother if she knew of this,” sobbed the lad, the tears coursing down his cheeks. '‘And your family? You remember the Princess Vetsera?”’ queried a listener. Not a word of reply, only the continued weeping. Direct questions were evaded, and indirect effort was warded oft gently, but with determination not to disclose the secret. The lad rambled on with his story. The next event that seemed strongly im- pressed was the meeting at Los Angeles with the creature of the night whom he claims is responsible for his undoing. “I had a good job at the Van Nuys Ho- tel,” earning $26 a month when I met her and she told me to come with her,” said the boy. *“We came to San Francisco. Who is she? I won't tell you, but plenty of peopie know her around the Thalia and the dance halls. She is older than I am— | thirty years old at least. Two weeks ago she left me suddenly. I thought I would | try to get money enough to follow her to | Portland, where her trunk was sent, and maybe 1 would have killed her, and my- elf, t00.” : | Then the days of hunger came on. Vet- | sera’s vain appeal to the uncle is told this way: “I went to my uncle for money. He sald: ‘Go pawn your clothes. - When they are gone come back to me’ What was the tip projects with Cyrano | sald Vet- | I could | the use of that? T knew what would be his answer. He is my mother's brother, $0 has not my family name. i “After that—I think last Friday week— my last cent was gone and I could not | get any more clothes, because the land- lord held them for my room rent. A pair of shoes went for the pistol and I started out determined to get money some way | or another. | “I made up my mind if I was caught | by & policeman to kill myself rather than | 8o to jail. Sunday night I started out | with my pistol and handkerchief. I didn't use any mask the first night. I was hun- gry enough to do most anything, but I | decided to ask the man I met for money. This man was, according to the newspa- | pers I read the next day, Edward North- rup. He was with a lady. What attract- ed my attention was a big damond he wore. Stepping up to him I said: ‘Good evening. Could you let me have 10 cents.’ Get out, d—mn you,’ was the reply. “Then 1 showed the pistol and that made him go into his pockets. He handed me 35 cents. The lady with him offered me her purse. “I told her that I did not want her money. That night I spent 25 cents for lodging and 10 cents for supper. The next day I went about the streets hungry and half crazy. I said to myself: ‘If you are | lucky you may catch some rich fellow, get enough money and then go away to the mine ‘‘“Monday night I went out again in the Western Addition and held up the man I was John J. Deane. I put on the mask and hid behind the trees. When he came along I jumped out at him. He was with a lady. When I asked him for money | he handed me a couple of dollars mighty quick, saying: ‘Put that gun away; those | holes look too big.’ | “The next man was Rodgers, on Tues- | day night. 1 really did not mean to shoot The pistol went off accidentally, I The pistol went off when he ran | out into the street. I don’t think he was | half as badly scared as 1 was. 1 was so | frightened that I could not have fired the | pistol again if I had tried to. | “That hold-up was out on Jackson | street, or a street on which cable cars | were running, for there was one half way | down the block when the cartridge ex- | ploded. ““The last man I held up was Sidemann, | the newspapers call him. There were five | men around the street corner when he | knocked the money he gave me out of my hand. “He sald when I stepped up to him with my mask on and put the pistol toward | him: “*You must be joking.’ | *‘No, I am not; give me your money.’ “+Oh, take off that handkerchief and come take a drink,’ he said. “‘Give me your money. “Then he realized that I wasn't joking. In handing me some coin he hit the back of my hand and knocked the money on the | sidewalk. I stooped to pick up what I | could, about a dollar I should think, then I started off. Somebody cried ‘Stop that robber,” but the men on the corner | aid not want any robber and I heard one | say, ‘I'll not go after him.’ | “The little money 1 got soon went, and after borrowing 2 cents in San Francisco 1 started for Oakland Saturday morning, spending my last cent to come over on the creek boat. I began to be afraid that if I kept on in the city I might be captured. I really did not care very much, because 1 would have killed myself if I got a chance. I had much the same experience in Oakland as in San Francisco, ‘but the people 1 held up got away from me. I was too nervous to do much, if anything, and 1 was getting weak from lack of food. “T am glad to be here. It is better than walking the streets. How long will it take for me to be sent to San Quentin?" asked Vetsera of Chief Hodgkins. “Oh, a week or so,” was the reply. “I want to go there as quickly as pos- sible. I might have a better chance to put a hole in my head.” “But do you not want again?’ ““Yes; but it would not do for me to go now after this. I could not go home. “Besides, there is no use in trying to get help from my people. The Consul might be able to fix some bonds for me, but my folks wouldn't care to spend thousands of dollars. I shall try to end my life as soon as possible. Then it will all be over.” 8o far as he would disclose, Vetsera in- dicated that his parents were wealthy and had large estates of ancient title. He said there were two other brothers—one a year younger than himself, now in a military school at Vienna, the other a second lieu- tenant of Hussars. There is one sister, § years old. The young man had accomplishments before his four years of hard knocking about the world dulled him. He had part- ly mastered French, German, Russian, Polish and English before he fled from the Stettin academy. The police are undecided to-day whether to go home to hold him here or turn their prisoner over to the San Francisco department. Chief of Police Sullivan and Captain of Detectives John Seymour went to Oak- land yesterday afternon, held a long interview with the prisoner and decided that his story was true beyond any ques- tion of doubt. The San Francisco police officials ex- pressed themselves as highly gratified over the capture of the highwayman and offered their congratulations to Chief of Police Hodgkins and Night Police Cap- tain Peterson upon the skillful work ac- complished. Chief Sullivan, Captain Seymour and Chief Hodgkir® had an interview with | Vetsera, during which he related to the San Francisco officlals with circumstantial detail the part he had taken in the four robberies. At the oonclusion of the in- terview the officers from this city declared | that they were satisfled beyond any doubt of the truth of the young man’s remark- able narrative. Chlef Sullivan's opinion | was that the story was a strange tale, but marked absolutely with the surest evi- dence of truth. The youth's reasons for concealing cer- tain facts were, in their opinion, amply | justified. He had desired above all else to prevent his parents from securing any direct information concerning his plight Not, indeed, because of himselt, but fearing | with evident alarm the effect of the shock | upon his mother. Ignorant of the scope | of publicity which would surround the news of his arrest the boy was ostrich- like in trying to hide his head, believing that he would sufficiently conceal himself | from the kinsfolk far across the sea. Charges of assault with iIntent to rob will be made against Vetsera to-day. Chief Hodgkins requested Charles S. | Greene, librarian of the Oakland Free Library, and Harris Allen, who were held up Saturday night, to swear to com- plaints' against the youth on Tuesday morning. Allen positively identified the young man yesterday and Greene partial- ly recognized the prisoner from his voice. Allen’s identification was complete, rec- ognizing both voice, general bearing and garments. Mr. Greene said: “When I was halted the young man stepped out from the trees’ shadow, pointed a pistol at me and com- manded me to throw up my hands. In- stead of obeying I started to run, and as | I made off I heard the snap of a pistol, | but there was no shot fired. I hastened on down Jackson street to my home. I} think the footpad followed me a rew; steps, but to tell the truth I didn't stop to find out. “He was not close enough for me to get as good a view of him as did Mr. Allen. The latter resides at the same place that I do. When I walked into the house I found him teling the story of his experi- ence with the robber. It was much more exciting than mine, although the sensa- tion of having a pistol snapped at one is by no means the most delightful in the world, “Mr. Allen was some distance ahead of me when he was stopped, just as I was. He resisted and the highwayman tried to tear open his overcoat to reach for his watch.” “I resisted,” said Allen, “and during the tussle the footpad twice pulled the trigger of his pistol, but there was no shot. I made haste when T had broken away from his hold, but during the struggle I had a pretty fair idea of the man and there was no difficulty in identifying him.” The two charges to be lodged against Vetsera mean imprisonment for him, should he plead guilty, of from one to fourteen years on each accusation. That seems to be a matter of no concern to Vetsera. His only desiré appears to be that he shall speedily be sent to the peni- tentiary. In view of Vetsera's moody condition and his repeated threats to commit sui- cide, Chief Hodgkins has placed a speclal watch upon the lad. The police will com- municate to-day with the Austrian Con- sulate, unless some official from that of- fice shall present himself at the police headquarters in Oakland beforehand. So far as the police are concerned, the weak- est point In the story is the young man's evident satisfaction with his manner of living for the six months of his associa- tion with his female companion. He ad- mitted that he had not worked during that time, although he declared in almost the same breath that had he never met | this charmer he would have continued in his menial employment at Los Angeles. Vetsera insisted that he had no murder in his heart when he set forth on his ma- rauding expedition in Oakland. He ex- plained that while he had snapped his pistol several times at Harris Allen dur- ing their tussle at Fourteenth and Jack- son streets Saturday evening, Allen would not have been shot. +I fixed the pistol,”” said the lad, “so the cartridge cylinder would not revolve Y 'ETSER 104040404040+ | tasted for nearly thirty-six hours. P2 and the hammer rested on an empty chamber. I took the lock pin and thrust it through the empty chamber and that locked the cylinder. I did not want to kill any one. PRICE FIVE CENTS ? VETSERA’S WOMEN VICTIMS WERE SO FRIGHTENED THEY COULD NOT STIR RS. STEDDON, Miss Beeman and Miss Bennett, the women held up g fi In Oakland by Vetsera, are employed as domestics at the residence of P. E Bowles, presidert .f the First National Bunk, 317 Boulevard terrace. In relating their experience one of the trio stated: ‘W had finished our work and were taking a short walk preliminary to retiring for the night. We had no idea that we would be victims of a footpad. When he jumped out and pointed his pistol at us I thought I would faint. I attempted to run, but my feet were like lead and refused to move. My companions recovered themselves and screamed. The noise they made aroused me to a sense of my surroundings. Not one of us stood on cere- mony, but ran like frightened sheep. The brute yelled for us to stop, but we took no heed of cries and only ran the faster. He pursued us a short distance. He evidently feared capture, as our screams had alarmed the neigh- borhocd, and he fled in the opposite direction. “When we reached Mr. Bowles' ho we were exhausted from fright. The shock we received was a terrible one and our nerves are still unstrung. I don’t want to see that fellow again. I don’t think any of us could identity him. His face was covered with a dark cloth and when he jumped out we 2 thought he was a negro.” A’S VEINS O +0+0 4010 +0+0 4040 ¢ ? 2 B+ 043404040+ 04040+ THO+O40 + O + 0404040404 CHO40404 040 “Why, when those women screamed I was so frightened that I did not stop to see which way they ran. I just took off as fast as I could and perhaps they im- agined I was pursuing them. “It was hunger and plenty of it that|a started me on this. When Chief Hodg- kins gave me some supper after I had been arrested it was the first food I had Well, there will be a place for me to sleep and something to eat if nothing more. I hope to God my people will never hear of this, They do not know in what part of the world I am and I will be happy if they never find me again.” When told that the Austrian Consul had denied his story Vetsera said: “I am willing to confess that I have the United States. have no d )rs except to pr honor. drag it into the mud now which were vised by the x months, secured trian I did should be w!my true family no difficult peated to Struck His Aged Mother. Thomas Mghoney, a millhand living 1143 Howard stree One of my brothers Is a lleutenant in the Hungarian Hussars. am not a relative of the Baroness Vetsera, now to sail under false tect my family name I ‘I left home because I could not uphold the family name, and T am_not going to My passports, Consul me my posi- but I Lad sent them East because ame The Austrian Con- y in identifying at went home drunk yes- taken every precaution to bury my family | terday morning and demanded money name so that disgrace shall never come | from his aged mother to “rush the grow- upon my people from any act of mine. My | ler" She advised him to go to bed. but family is too proud and aristocratic for | [ta wert out and when he returncd he me to bring shame upon them. The Aus- | struck her and chased her out of the trian Consul may not know me under the | house. Bareheade she walked to the name of Vetsera, but if he were told my | Southern police station and Policemen family name he could not fail to know it It is one of the proudest names in Aus a. My father Is an officer of the rank corre- sponding to that of brigadier general in | to arrest Mahoney. and h A% ith disturbing the peace. WOMEN VOTERS FIGHT nd Peterson were sent in the He d to be thrown down e was charged at the IN AN [DAHO TOWN Their Arrest Follows and a Jury of the Fair Sex Mixes Up While De- ciding the Case. Special Dispatch to The Call. BOISE, Idaho, April 20.—A story of a very unusual proceeding comes from Welser. A good deal of feeling had been worked up over a local election, in which the women, who may vote in this State, took a deep interest. On elec- tion day the women were thick about the polls, and two of them, Mrs, Martin- son and Miss Harris, the latter a spinster, indulged in a heated altercation over the merits of their respective candidates. The argument was brought to a close by Mrs. Martinson saying: “If 1 were running for office and T found out that a withered up, china- faced hag like you was working for me, I would not vote for myself.” The words had scarcely left her lips when Miss Harris reached over and clawead her veil and a lot of epidermis from her face. Mrs. Martinson respond- ed by giving her antagonist a resounding slap on the face that sent her bonnet to the side of her head. The women then clinched, and such a hair-pulling and scratching match was never before witnessed in that usually quiet vil- lage. It was all over in a few seconds. The combat were separated and led off, their faces zig-zagged with scratches. Each woman had the other ar- rested, and Mrs. Martinson's trial was held first. A jury of women was sum- moned, and after the evidence had been taken the jurors retired to deliberate. Before a great while the bailiff heard screaming inside the jury-room. Forcing the door, he witnessed a free-for-all mix-up among the jurors, who, it devel- oped, were strong friends of one or the other of the women under arrest. The officer quieted the jurors after a great deal of trouble, and they filed into court a sorry looking aggregation, reporting a disagreement. The bailiff picked up a bucketful of hatpins, switches, ribbons and other feminine adorn- ment. The Judge reprimanded the women and turned both the prisoners loose. Feeling still runs high in Weiser, it is said, and the attendance at church so- cials has been reduced about one-half. SeLR AU R NN Al Rl N 410N B i tie Helie k- 5> ReBIRN SR ReB et NeeR SR NN N eBietie Neti et UetieN oK eNQ