The San Francisco call. [volume], April 30, 1900, Image 1

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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VETSERA'S WOMEN VICTIMS WERE SO
FRIGHTENED THEY COULD NOT STIR
•
mRS. STEDDON. Miss Beeman and Miss Bennett, the women held trp
In Oakland by Vetsera, are employed as domestics at the residence
of P. X- Bowles, president the First National D*nk, 317 Boulevard
terrace. In relating their experience one of the trio stated: "We
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 his cries and only ran the faster. Ha pursued us a short
distance. He evidently feared capture, as our screams had alarmed the neigh
borhood, and he fled in the opposite direction.
"When we reached Mr. Bowles' house 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 identify
him. His face was covered with a dark cloth and when he Jumped out we
thought he was a negro."
"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
started me on this. When Chief Hodg
kins gave me some supper after I had
been arrested it was the first food I had
tasted for nearly thirty-six hours. 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
taken every precaution to bury my family
name so that disgrace shall never come
upon my people from any act of mine. My
family Is too proud and aristocratic for
me to bring shame upon them. The Aus
trian Consul may not know me under the
name of Vetsera, but If he were told my
family name he could not fail to know it.
It is one of the proudest names in Austria.
My father is an officer of the rank corre
sponding to that of brigadier general in
the United States. One of my brothers is
a lieutenant in the Hungarian Hussars. I
am not a relative of the Baroness Vetsera.
and have no desire now to sail under false
colors except to protect my family name
and honor.
"I left home because I could not uphold
the family name, and I am not going to
drag it into the mud now. My passports,
which were vised by the Austrian Consul
every six months, secured me my posi
tions, but I had sent them East because
I did not desire that my true family name
should be discovered. The Austrian Con
sul would have no difficulty In identifying
me if he had that name repeated to him."
ON"CE agtdn is shame and dis
credit cast upon the nobility
of Austria by crime committed
in San Francisco. Jcsef Blanther, the
cruel murderer of Mrs. Langfeldt,
¦cms a descendant of a noble house of
Frnncis Joseph's empire, and now
Simon L. Munckrosvon Vetsera, the
youthful footpad who terrorized the j
residentr of the Western Addition
and came to grief in Oakland, claims j
that his name is linked with that of
the ccurt of Austria.
The name he gives is the same a3
that of the late Baroness Marie Vet
eera, -whose tragic death at Meyer
ling-, vrith Crown Prince Rudolph, in
January. 1889, shocked the civilized
world. All yesterday he intimated <
that they had been blood relatives,
but late last night he broke down
and admitted that he and the Baron
ess were not members of the same
family. While insisting that he is of
the Austrian nobility, he confesses
that the name he has given the police
authorities is not his true title.
The footpad says his father is a
commanding general in Francis
Joseph's army, but beyond this he
refuses to give any details as to his
antecedents except to say that his !
tamily is one of the most aristocratic i
in all Austria.
Bora and bred to enjoy the titles and
rank of highest standard in the Austrian
rrnprie, this youth, after four years of
upa and downs, tossed about the world j
like a cork on a stormy sea, finds himself j
behind prison bars, with years, may be, of j
penal servitude as the blank prospect for
the future. R^ady to tell of his plunge |
Into crime, the boy halts at the threshold j
of his home. Tears, genuine and from the ;
heart, well up in his eyes when the mother j
and the brothers and sister across the I
f-f-n are recalled. His name revive* the j
tragedy Jn the Austrian royal family. The •
Uaroness Vetsera, of whom the Crown j
Prince Bndolph was enamored, is brought j
to mind. The tragic suicide of the Prince I
for his love of the beautiful woman who !
oresM not have him is . the story of the \
most recent occurrence.
And this lad, with the Iron bars of J
gUtomy prison surrounding him. breaks i
down in sobbing entreaty, his tongue vol- !
¦üble rnough till now, is silent when the j
Fiprr.liicant sameness of name is men- j
Until he fled from an Irksome grind in ;
Fchool young Vetsera had been going the j
road of the sons of the royal family. '
I Started at the age of 12 years in a great
military academy at Vienna, his course
of eight years had been mapped out until
j he should be fit to enter the army. In
i which his father was of such high rank
! and in which an older brother held a
I lieutenant's commission. Falling In ex
j aminations, the lad displeased his stern.
i autocratic parent, who shipped him off to
a German naval school. The new life was
obnoxious. He feared the father" * wrath
! and with the aid of other relatives eet out
I to face the world. He drifted about from
] place to place among strangers In a
I strange land. There were months of hard-
I ship and privation, of irksome toil, to
j which the offspring of royal Austrian
I blood had not been accustomed.
Finally he reached Los Angeles , and
there he met his temptress. The meeting
marked the beginning of the end. She
was a woman fond of the night and the
carousals of the half-world.
"Come." she said, "and work no more."
j The boy yielded. That was six months
! ago. The pair drifted to this city. The
woman fled two weeks ago, leaving the
stripling of the noble family of Austria
i to resume his battle with the world single
I handed. He went hungry day after day,
he rays. His clothing went for food.
Then in the narrative appears, a stern
j old uncle, a resident of San Francisco,
i who makes away with $1000 the boy had
brought from home with him. To him
the lad appeals, but vainly. Starvation
is ahead. It is either to die or to steal
His mind is upon the highway.
"Could I gather enough money to get
out of the city I would go away," says
the desperate, hunger-stricken boy. He
pawned his shoes for an almost worthless
j old pistol. With that he goes abroad at
night bc-nt upon robbery. But he is the
merest amateur and success is not his.
He leaves San Francisco, is captured In
Oakland and is ready to end his life, he
declares, rather than to face a term in
the penitentiary.
Such is the brief outline of the narra
! tive which was related yesterday to Chief
iof Police Hodgkins of Oakland. In the
I police office, surrounded by police officials,
i detectives and interviewers, the youth
I told and retold the story of his life, inva
i riably stopping to bury if possible the
i chance of positively identifying his Aus
j trian connections.
Young Vetssra was equally reticent con
| cerning his movements in San Francisco,
: refusing point blank to tell where he hcA
j lived and who was the woman companion
I he asserted had contributed to his down
] fall. He as strenuously concealed tho
: identity of the alleged wicked uncle other
! than to announce that this relative was
i a mining secretary, resident in San Fran-
I cisco for some ten years. The lad re
| ferred frequently to the Austrian Consul
j and admitted that through that official he
I had secured remittances" from his rela
j tives.
The boy's first viElt to San Francisco
i was about two years ago. He said he
i had worked for several firms as porter,
had been employed as a valet in East
AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN CONSUL
DENIES HIGHWAYMAN'S STORY
\\ —^RANCIS KORBEL, Austro-Hungarian Consul In this city, denies Vet
jj= a erra's statement that he has received remittances through him and
H doubts that he is a member of the Vetsera family of the Austrian no- j
billty. "This man, whoever he Is, has been receiving no remittances
through me." said the Consul. "That is positive, because I have received no
money for any person in any way answering his description or near his age.
I know wcJl all those whom I have received money for and no such person as
this footpad is among them.
"He could not have received remittances through the Austrian Ambassa
dor at Washington without my knowledge, for the Embassador would send
all remittances for persons here through me.
"I don't believe the prisoner is a member of the Vetsera family. I am
of the opinion that all the members of it can be accounted for. This family
was almost extinct at the time the Baroness Marie died. She had but one
Lrother. who would now be about 49 years old, and he never married. Out
side of her immediate family I know of no Vctseras in Austria— no cousins
or any other relatives, though there may bo some.
"The Wtscras were at any rate not a numerous family. Their estates
were nearly exhausted, but although poor they had entre to court society
and were rated among the best of the nobility.
"The fir?t name, Simon, which this young man claims to bear, is not an
Austrian name."
Mr. Korbel also stated that he knew of no mining man in this city who
could possibly be the uncle of the footpad. He said:
"In the Austrian colony here there is but one mining engineer. He re
sides in Oakland and lias done so for the past thirty years to my knowledge.
1 believe that he has no family connection whatever with the criminal. In
the name 'Mcnckorosvon,' which the footpad gives as part of his title, I
think the 'yon' should be a separate word, making the correct name L.
Monckoros yon Vetsera."
lie Claims That His Father Is a Comnianding General/Sin,
Francis Joseph's Army and That His -Family Is /fine*"'**
oi the Most Aristocratic in the Empire.
WOMEN VOTERS FIGHT
IN AN IDAHO 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 29.— A story of a very unusual proceeding comes from
.Wciser. 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 I were running for office and I 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
clawed 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 combatants were separated and
led off, their faces zlg-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 io
cials has been reduced about one-half.
Struck His Aged Mother.
Thomas Mahoney. a millhand living at
1143 Howard street, went home drunk yes
terday morning and demanded money
from his aged mother to "rush the grow
ler." She advised him to go to bed, but
he compelled her to give him 10 cents.
He went out and when he returned he
struck her and chased her out of the
house. Bareheaded, she walked to the
Southern police station and Policemen
McGrayan and Peterson were sent in the
patrol wagon to arrest Mahoney. He
showed fight and had to be thrown down
and handcuffed. He was charged at tho
City Prison with disturbing the peace.
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 unpaid room
rent; one pistol and black silk handker
chief, held as evidence by the Oakland
police, and the following items: Two
brass white enamel collar buttons, one
imitation diamond button, one old comb,
one old empty purse, one needle, two pen
cils, one soiled handkerchief, one pocket
mirror, a rosary and a silver card case
cover with name engraved thereon.
Vetsera has a marked countenance. His
features are marred by a misshapen nose,
the bridge of which has been smashed
flat,' while the tip' projects with Cyrano
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
fancy brocaded waistcoat. The hat is
a fuzzy gray fedora. There Is nothing
about him to suggest the daring highway
man of the Western Addition. When he
was captured Saturday night by Detec
tives Kyte and Hamerton the lad had
eaten no food for twenty-four hours.
Since his female companion disappeared
and went to Portland food had been
scarce with Vetsera. He declared he was
too proud to beg. Indeed, he says that
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
struck in the youth every time home was
brought to his mind.
"My home was in Galicia," said Vet
sera, when he was fairly ready to tell his
story. "My family name is the only one
in our home. It is six hours by railroad
from Vienna. 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 similar
service. When I was 12 years old my
father put me In the military school at
Vienna, but I did not get along very well.
I failed 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. I could
not go home because my father was much
displeased because I did not do better at
school. So my brother, and my uncle
helped me with money. I had $1000 w-hen 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
as a mess boy on the North German
Lloyd steamers between that city and
New York. That Is when my nose was
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
mo until I got to San Francisco and met
my uncle. He induced me to buy a lot of
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 off gently,
but with determination not to disclose the
secret.
The lad rambled on with his story' The
next event that seemed - k 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 tho Van Nuys Ho
tel." earning J2S 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 people 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 I would have killed her, and my
self, too."
Then the days of hunger came on. Vet
sera' b vain appeal to the uncle is told this
way:
"I went to my uncle for money. He
said: 'Go pawn your clothes. "When they
are gone come back to me.' What was
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 HodgkirtS had an interview with
Vetsera, during which he related to the
San Francisco officials with circumstantial
detail the part. he had taken in the four
robberies." At .the conclusion , of the in
terview the officers from this city declared
that they were satisfied beyond any doubt
of the truth of the young man's remark
able narrative. Chief 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
dlrect Information concerning his plight.
Not, indeed, because of himself, 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 Intent 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 few
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 teHlng 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 I 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 desire 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 special
watch upon the lad. Tne 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
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. . .__ „ ._
the use of that? I knew what would be
his answer. He is my mother's brother,
so has not my family name.
"After that— l 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 a policeman to kill myself rather than
go to jail. Sunday night I started out
with my pistol and handkerchief. I didn't
use any mask tho 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.- Wljat attract
ed my attention was 'a big diamond he
wore. Stepping up to him I said: 'Good
evening. Could you let me have 10 cents.'
" 'Get out, d n you,' was the reply.
"Then I 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 mines.'
"Monday night I went out again in the
Western Addition and held up the man I
learned 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. I really did not mean to shoot
him. The pistol went off accidentally, I
guess. The pistol went off when he ran
out into the street. I don't think he was
half as badly. scared as I was. I 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 said when I stepped up to him with
my mask on and put the pistol toward
" '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 6n the corner
did not want any robber and I heard one
say, 'I'll not go after him.'.
"The little money I got soon went, and
after borrowing 25 cents in San Francisco
I 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
I would have killed myself if I got a
chance. I had much the same experience
in Oakland as in San Francisco, 'but the
people I held up got away from me. I
was too nervous to do much, if anything,
and I was getting weak from lack of
food.
"I 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.
VI 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 to go home
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."
So 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, 8
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 arid English before he fled from the
Stettin academy.
The police are undecided to-day whether
BLOOD OFF AUSTRIAN NOBILITY MAY
FLOW IN FOOTPAD VETSERA'S VEINS
SAN FRANCISCO, MONDAY, APRIL 30, IOOOKg
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
VOLUME LXXXVII-XO. 161.
THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL