crime

UPDATES ON PAST STORIES (1909 EDITION)

Jeff Elliott Leave a comment

More followups with details found in 1909 Santa Rosa newspapers. This year it’s mostly news about the criminal and crazy:

* THE MAN WHO WOULD BE SIDEWALK KING     Remember Joseph Forgett? In 1907 he led nine prisoners in a daring escape from the county jail, which the Press Democrat reported in screaming banner headlines – the same 120 pt. boldface type normally reserved for earth-shattering news, such as major wars or any Democratic party election wins. Forgett and the others were quickly captured, and at trial he told the court that he had to break out of jail to protect his wife, who was also behind bars, charged along with two other women for “vagrancy” (ahem). He told the court Mrs. Forgett’s honor was at stake because jailor “Old Fred” was getting a little too busy with his hands, and he also begged the judge for leniency, as he was insane at the time because of his 15 year opium addiction. Found guilty, Forgett apparently spent the next year and a half in the slammer, and we next heard of him when a little item appeared in the 1909 Santa Rosa Republican, noting his return to Santa Rosa “after an absence of many months.” It may seem odd for the paper to welcome home a felon, but the item noted that his brother was Councilman Fred Forgett, a Democrat, so the purpose may have been a political poke in his brother’s eye. Or maybe it was to subtly alert Joseph’s “many friends in this city and vicinity” that he was again loose; Forgett had once threatened to kill a guy and was arrested shortly thereafter with a meat cleaver under his coat.

* ARMED, CRAZY, AND FORECLOSED UPON   Another character to compete in the armed, dangerous and likely-crazy trifecta was Eduardo Bosco, who had been remarkably declared sane by two doctors in 1908. Bosco energetically fought efforts to evict him from his little farm near Healdsburg, leading to his being hauled to the county jail “bound by ropes by deputy sheriffs, divested of hat, coat and vest.” Several months later, Bosco was illegally back on the foreclosed farm, where he had now harvested the fruit crop and sold it to a cannery. When deputies arrived to evict him for the second time he began shooting at them. The officers fled. Bosco was next spotted a couple of months later on a road near Calistoga, where he was harassing strangers. A constable investigated and Bosco attacked him, pressing a handgun against the policeman’s chest and pulling the trigger three times. The gun either was empty or the bullets misfired. Bosco was arrested, and returned to Sonoma county for prosecution of his earlier shootings. Now about a year later in 1909, Bosco was being sent from the county lockup to Napa to face trial in the attempted murder on the Calistoga road. True to form, he refused to cooperate with police: “Bosco put up a strong objection to going and the two men had all they could do in getting him from the cell.”

* THE YEAR OF BURNING SANTAS   After five years had passed without a single Santa Claus catching fire from a Christmas tree candle, two men were seriously burned in a 1909 incident at a Guerneville school. Having lighted candles hanging on the branches of a dead evergreen seems dangerous enough, but adding to the picture a fellow with a highly flammable cotton beard seems downright reckless. Still, it’s amazing Claus combustion didn’t happen more often; to a flame, a fat bewhiskered Santa must look like tallow and wick. Obl. Believe-it-or-Not factoids: The familiar string of colored electric lights didn’t become common until the 1930s (interesting history web site here) and today all our tangled and discarded strings of Christmas lights are shipped to the Chinese town of Shijiao – renowned for both cheap labor and low environmental standards – where ten factories recycle 20 million pounds of lights annually.

* WHEN “BUSINESS FRIENDLY” SANTA ROSA NEARLY CLOSED DOWNTOWN   Santa Rosa’s 1909 water war against downtown businesses ended in a truce, as reported in an article that was unfortunately overlooked when the original essay on the topic was written. Briefly: The city’s dysfunctional water rates and billing system drove most stores to stop paying their water bills, which led to shutoff of most water connections downtown. After nine dry days, the Erwin Brothers grocery turned the water back on themselves and filed a lawsuit against the city. With tensions already high, the clueless mayor met with the grocers and suggested they switch over to the privately-owned McDonald Water Company. Mayor Gray later denied he said that or even had spoken to the Erwins at all, a claim the Erwins easily refuted in a detailed letter to the Republican paper.

* THE ALTERNATIVE HISTORY OF SANTA ROSA    Someday, hopefully, a book will be written about the importance of the alternative press in American history. Besides providing a voice to ethnic communities (“Freedom’s Journal” was the first newspaper published by and for African-Americans way back in 1827, for example), these newspapers presented fresh ideas and reported important news that the mainstream press censoriously ignored. Alas, hardly any of these papers from the underground press survive, conceding much of the historical record to what appeared in the “important” newspapers – which is to say, usually the news and views held by those with privilege and power. In early 20th century Santa Rosa, the alternative paper was “The Citizen,” which was published until 1909. The Sonoma County Library Annex has two issues from late in its run when it was being published by the Santa Rosa Ministerial Union, a loose coalition of churches that endorsed temperance and women’s suffrage (to some degree). The publication was deeply hated by Press Democrat editor Ernest L. Finley, who resisted any efforts to disturb the status quo. To him, the little monthly paper was the work of troublemakers and fanatics, as he denounced them in a lengthy 1909 editorial screed. But also thanks to his intense dislike, we have another little item that described some of The Citizen’s history, particularly that it had started publication prior to 1906. It is particularly tragic not to have any immediately post-earthquake editions which might fill in some of the many gaps in the story, such as why Santa Rosa senselessly locked up tons of donated food less than three weeks after the disaster. I’ll bet the ministers had a few opinions on that topic.

* THE IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY THEFT     Two crooks, but only one would’ve been able to pass the Criminal College entrance exam. But what W. H. Goodrich lacked in brains, he made up in chutzpah; in 1908 he borrowed an automobile in Oakland and drove it to Sebastopol, where he had a minor accident. Professing his disgust with the car, he sold it on the spot for about one-tenth of its retail value – the buyer being a Sebastopol police officer. Goodrich also got a horse and buggy in the deal (which he promptly sold) and also made off with some cash sent by the owner to repair the damage. Goodrich was captured some months later and sentenced to ten years at San Quentin. H. G. Robinson was as adroit as the other man was inept. Robinson claimed to be a representative of the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of England, visiting Santa Rosa in 1908 to demonstrate wireless messaging and to sell Marconi stock at $20 a share. It was all a con, of course, and before he was caught in 1909, it was believed that he had swindled suckers out of $1.5 million worldwide. District Attorneys in Sonoma and Santa Clara counties both tried to extradite him from New York, but they screwed up the paperwork. Too bad; the trial of such a high-profile crook would have put a national spotlight on Santa Rosa’s beautiful and newly-completed courthouse.

* BONFIRE OF THE HOODOOS    Well, that was quick. Not five months after gaining nationwide celebrity as the man who set fire to his “hoodoo car,” Jake Luppold leased out the Senate saloon, presumably with the charred remains of the car still hanging from the ceiling. Luppold was a gregarious man who dubbed himself the “mayor of Main street,” and the Senate was apparently the joint of choice for Santa Rosa’s movers and shakers. So why was he throwing in his bar towel? Maybe it was a health scare, maybe he was offered a deal that he couldn’t refuse; He told the Republican he “wishes to get clear away from business cares” and take a long vacation. His retirement was short; before the end of 1909 he would be running a place at Gwinn’s Corners (also spelled, “Gwynn’s Corners”), which was about three miles outside of town on the road to Healdsburg – probably the intersection of Old Redwood Highway and Mark West.

MINISTERIAL UNION ASKS AID FOR NEW PAPER

The Petaluma Courier says that at the union meeting at the Methodist Episcopal Church in that city held on Sunday evening. Dr. Whitaker announced that the Santa Rosa Ministerial Union is asking the county ministry to co-operate for the publication of a weekly paper to be established here, and which will be run “in the interests of reform.”

It has long been the ambition of the Santa Rosa Ministerial Union to have some such mouthpiece. The unfortunate experience of the original and ill-starred “Citizen” was the result of this desire. Under promise of support that failed to materialize, two young men were induced to invest their money here in such a venture several years ago. They lasted less than a year.

After that, the Ministerial Union took up the publication of the paper direct. It appeared and still appears occasionally, sometimes at intervals of several months. Ever since the fire it has been printed in San Francisco. When it came time to take up the collection at Sunday night’s opening meeting of the week of prayer, the Rev. M. H. Alexander announced that all money contributed would be devoted to paying off the debt entailed by the Ministerial Union in putting out the publication. Urgent calls for special contributions were made, but only a small portion of the sum asked for was forthcoming.

The Santa Rosa Ministerial Union comprises a majority of the ministers of the city, but not all. The Episcopal and Catholic churches are not represented. The Revs. M. H. Alexander, A. B. Patton, Wm. Martin and Leander Turney are the most active in the work of the organization, and of these the Revs. Alexander and Turney are generally credited with being the most anxious to find a place in the newspaper field.

– Press Democrat, January 5, 1909
WATER INJUNCTION SUIT IS DISMISSED
Erwin Brothers Have Dismissal Entered in the Superior Court Here Yesterday

The injunction suit commenced in the Superior Court several days ago by Erwin Brothers, to restrain the city of Santa Rosa, its mayor, council and officials from turning off the municipal water from the grocery, has been dismissed. Yesterday afternoon, Attorney J. M. Thompson, of counsel for the plaintiffs, called at the  office of County Clerk Fred Wright and filed a request for a dismissal of the suit against the city. The judgement of dismissal was at once entered.

The dismissal of the suit followed, among other things, an agreement on the part of the landlord of the building, which the Erwin grocery and another tenant occupies, to pay the water bills. So the accounts were squared.

On the same day upon which the Erwin Brothers commenced their injunction suit S. P. Erwin, who had violated the city ordinance by turning on the water after it had been turned off by the street commissioner, was arrested upon a complaint sworn out in Police Judge Bagley’s court. Yesterday afternoon this misdemeanor charge was also dismissed. So that the incident may now be said to have been closed.

With but a few exceptions, possibly a dozen, all the patrons of the municipal water system, whose water supply was cut off two weeks ago on account of the non-payment of water bills, or who were unfortunately located in buildings with other tenants who had not paid their bills, have the water turned on again. Others are settling up and things look bright once more. Hereafter monthly settlements will be made.

– Press Democrat, March 12, 1909
MAN BADLY BURNED IN PLAYING SANTA CLAUS
Xmas Festivities at Guerneville Are Marred by Accident

Two men were seriously burned at Guerneville early Friday afternoon. One of them essayed the role of Santa Claus, and the cotton with which he had regaled his clothing for the time honored custom, caught fire from the candles on the Christmas tree.

This man was Mr. Dunn, who has been employed at the cigar factory of David Hetzel for some time past. While reaching for presents on the tree he came in contact with a lighted candle. He was badly burned about the face and hands, and may have breathed some of the flame into his lungs.

Mr. Frost, who was the first to witness the danger in which Mr. Dunn had been placed, was badly burned about the hands, while trying to tear the clothing from the body of Mr. Dunn. He likewise sustained some severe burns.

The festivities were being held at the close of the school term for the Christmas holidays. It was determined that a Christmas tree would be held to delight the children of three of the school rooms and Dunn was to be good old St. Nicholas, who would be lavish in the handing out of suitable gifts.

[..]

– Santa Rosa Republican, December 17, 1909

JOSEPH FORGETT RETURNS

Joseph Forgett has returned to his home in this city after an absence of many months, and intends to remain here and possible will go into business again. He is a cement and brick mason and a man of experience in these lines. He is a brother of Councilman C. Fred Forgett, and has many friends in this city and vicinity.

– Santa Rosa Republican, April 14, 1909
TEN YEARS IN PRISON FOR W. F. GOODRICH
Man Who Sold Dr. Gray’s Automobile to City Marshal Matthews is Sentenced

Judge J. Q. White, sitting for Superior Judge Emmet Seawell, sentenced W. H. Goodrich to serve ten years in San Quentin prison for obtaining money under false pretenses in the sale of an automobile to City Marshal Fred R. Matthews of Sebastopol, which was not his property.

The old man heard his sentence without manifesting any surprise. It was the minimum sentence the court could impose, as Goodrich had been previously sent to the State prison for [illegible microfilm]. It is believed that the old man had seen a long career of crime, and [illegible microfilm] transactions. He is well known in Oakland, San Francisco, Stockton, and Los Angeles, where he did queer work according to the reports made to the officers.

Sheriff J. K. Smith took Goodrich to San Quentin yesterday afternoon, where he began serving what will no doubt be his life sentence.

– Press Democrat, May 1, 1909
“WIRELESS” ROBINSON IS IN UNPOPULAR DEMAND

H. G. Robinson, who was arrested in New York City early in the week charged with embezzlement in connection with the disposal of stock of the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of England, a corporation, on complaint of persons in Santa Clara county, will have to answer numerous charges when he is brought back to the state for trial, according to all reports.

A complaint was sworn to before Justice A. J. Atchinson yesterday by Mrs. Emma A. Haskell of Petaluma, charging the man with mis-appropriation and embezzlement of $200, which he secured from her for the purchase of ten shares of the capital stock of the concern. According to the complaint Robinson represented himself to the plaintiff as an agent of the company and secured from her the money which was to be used in paying for ten shares of stock, but instead, it is charged, used the money for his private use.

Mrs. Haskell claims that Robinson is not an agent of the company as he represented, and that he obtained her money by false misrepresentations and fraud. It is not probable that any steps will be taken by the local authorities to secure Robinson until he has been brought back to California and has a hearing on the charges pending against him in San Jose, but when he has answered to those warrants the he will be brought back here to answer to this latest action.

Sheriff Langford of San Jose arrested Robinson in New York soon after the latter’s return from a trip abroad. It was found that there was some defect in the papers sent there from Santa Clara and the District Attorney of that county communicated with District Attorney Clarence Lea, and at the former official’s request Mrs. Haskell swore to the complaint here. Word of the issuance of the warrant in Santa Rosa and the requisition papers that are to follow was wired to the Inspector of Detectives in New York to head off Robinson’s attempt at freedom on a writ of habeas corpus.

The District Attorney of San Diego county also wants to take a whack at Robinson when he comes back to California. He sold considerable in Santa Rosa, Petaluma, and a score of other places.

It will be remembered that Robinson was arrested in San Francisco about one year ago and brought back here on complaint of J. Rhodes, who had bought $400 of his stock. He settled with Rhodes by paying back his coin and the costs, and went away.

– Press Democrat, May 15, 1909
ROBINSON IS STILL HELD IN NEW YORK
Will Not Requisition Papers on Sonoma County Warrant–Additional Affidavits from San Jose

Sheriff Jack Smith received a telegram from New York yesterday announcing that requisition papers for the return to this county of Horace Greeley Robinson, the Marconi Wireless stock man, had been refused on the ground that the warrant was not accompanied by affidavits supporting the claim that Robinson was not an agent of the company as he represented. It will be remembered that Mrs. Haskell of Petaluma swore out a complaint in Justice A. J. Atchinson’s court here, charging Robinson with having obtained $200 from her on a purchase of some of his stock under false pretenses.

When the warrant was sent to New York from here it was at the request of the District Attorney of Santa Clara county, where Robinson sold much stock in view of the fact that there was a defect in the papers sent from that county to New York where Robinson had been arrested. District Attorney Clarence Lea naturally thought that the District Attorney of Santa Clara had secured all the necessary affidavits and evidence to support the contentions of the complaint as to Robinson’s professed official agency with the concern.

Yesterday District Attorney Lea also received word from the prosecuting attorney of Santa Clara stating that he had been apprised by wire that the San Jose hearing in New York had been postponed until May 31, and that he had already forwarded additional papers required, and hoped that Mr. Robinson would be given into the custody of Sheriff Langford and brought back to San Jose. So for the present as far as Sonoma county is concerned there will be nothing doing. Attorney Lea hopes that he will be brought back to California and placed on his trial. There are other district attorneys who wish as he does.

– Press Democrat, May 26, 1909

BOSCO TAKEN TO NAPA TO STAND TRIAL

Eduardo Bosco of Healdsburg, who has been serving a term in the county jail here since last November, was taken to Napa Wednesday for trial on a charge of an attempt upon the life of Constable Powers of Calistoga. Bosco has repeatedly been in trouble at Healdsburg over property matters, and finally, after shooting at Constable Haigh of Healdsburg and posse, took to the hills. The next heard of him was near Calistoga, where he had stopped several travelers on the county road. When Constable Powers went to arrest him he made an attempt to shoot, but the gun only snapped. It is for this offense that he is now being taken to Napa to stand trial.

Jailer Meyers and Deputy C. A. Reynolds had to carry Bosco from his cell, as he refused to leave. Bosco put up a strong objection to going and the two men had all they could do in getting him from the cell to turn him over to Constable Powers, who came over after him.

– Press Democrat, October 7, 1909

J. J. LUPPOLD LEASES “THE SENATE”

Another business change is the leasing of “The Senate” on Main street by J. J. Luppold to J. Sarrahl, of this city. Mr. Luppold will take a rest for sometime and has not decided upon his future plans. As the man who “burned the hoodoo automobile” Luppold gained notoriety for himself all over the United States, accounts of the cremation of the car appearing in the newspapers all over the country. He also received many offers for the machine. He has run the Senate for a number of years.

– Press Democrat, April 2, 1909

LUPPOLD LEASES THE SENATE SALOON THURSDAY

Jake Luppold, the well known business man of this city, has leased the “Senate” saloon on Main street for the coming two years. Jack Sarraihl, who has been with Mr. Luppold for some time past, will take the lease and have charge of the business. Mr. Luppold has not been in good health for some time past, and wishes to get clear away from business cares. He intends going to Boyes’ Hot Springs for the coming month and will take a good rest there. Later he intends going to Missouri, the land of his birth, of which state he declares he is “exceedingly proud.” He was born at Warrenton in the “Show Me” state, and will make an extended visit with relatives and friends there.

– Santa Rosa Republican, April 1, 1909

SUPERVISORS ADJOURNED
Rejected Two Saloon Licenses and Did Other Business

[..]

The applications for saloon licenses made by Jake Luppold and Charles Miranda were rejected. The former had made application for a license for a saloon on the Petaluma road four miles south of Santa Rosa. The board had received petition from the neighborhood of the locality where the license was asked for, opposing the granting of the license. The petition opposing the granting was three or four times as large as that of the applicant, so the license was denied. Attorney Rolfe L. Thompson was employed by the petitioners opposing the granting of the license, and he appeared before the board.

[..]

– Santa Rosa Republican, August 5, 1909
HE LOSES ON ONE, GAINS ON ANOTHER
J. J. Luppold is Victim of Another Man’s Alleged Dishonesty–Man Arrested

A. Burtress was arrested in Healdsburg Saturday by Constable J. H. Boswell on a charge of embezzlement, made by J. J. Luppold, and will have a hearing later. According to Luppold’s story he loaned Burtress $100 on three horses and three mules, and took a bill of sale on the animals for his security. Later Burtress is said to have sold the animals to another and failed to settle his account with Luppold. This constitutes felony embezzlement under the law.

The charge of obtaining money under false pretenses preferred against John Rose by J. J. Luppold was settled in Justice Atchinson’s court on Saturday and the case dismissed. Rose was arrested some time ago in Eureka and put up $100 cash bail. When he appeared here Saturday the $42.50, the sum he was accused of securing from Luppold, was taken from the bail, together with the costs and the case dismissed for lack of prosecution.

Despite it all the “Mayor” of Main street, where “no nickel splitters” dwell, says he is not an “E. Z. Mark.”

– Press Democrat, September 26, 1909
LUPPOLD BUYS OUT THE SPEEDLING PLACE

A deal has been consummated, whereby J. J. Luppold, former proprietor of The Senate on Main street, has purchased the saloon at Gwinn’s Corners, from Mr. Speedling. He will take possession at once. The “Mayor of Main Street” has many friends and he expects to do a big business. Mr. and Mrs. Speedling has not fully determined their future plans.

– Press Democrat, November 13, 1909

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WHITE SLAVERY IN SONOMA COUNTY?

Jeff Elliott Leave a comment

The red lights of Santa Rosa’s tenderloin district went dark in 1909, but not before an alleged victim of “white slavery” told authorities that she had been forced into a life of prostitution.

The story appeared in both local papers as well as the San Francisco Call, but the most detailed version was found in the Press Democrat. A 17/18 year-old Italian woman, Angelina Regiano, was coaxed to immigrate by her sister, Italia. Once she arrived in New York City, Italia and her boyfriend “beat her into submission and forced her into a disreputable house in New York. There she was held in practical slavery until the couple removed to this city, where her state was not improved.” Angelina escaped to San Francisco, where she met and married a photographer named Antonio Montpellier (in less than three weeks!) and soon thereafter, the newlyweds received a letter from Italia: Return my sister or we’ll kill Antonio. At that point the couple went to the police. Italia and her partner were arrested in El Verano by immigration authorities, who told the PD that the pair were expected to get five years in prison. Angelina was also held, sadly, on charges of violating immigration law “which forbids female immigrants leading an improper life within three years.”

So is the story true? “White slavery” was a topic causing roaring hysteria in the years surrounding the turn of the century.  On closer examination, however, those sensationalist accusations of white slavery frequently proved false. This tale is impossible to verify with certainty, but I feel there’s enough evidence to deem it true. The greatest obstacle is tracking names in historical records; as every genealogy buff knows, Ellis Island clerks and newspaper reporters weren’t great at accurately spelling “foreign” names.

Villainess Italia Regiano can be spotted coming to America in 1904, for example, but her name had two “g”s on the ship passenger list and she was from the town of Potenza, not “Patenza.” Angelina’s route is trickier, although she’s likely the young woman of the same age whose name was recorded as Angela Regina, sailing by herself on a ship that arrived in 1906. Her photographer husband Antonio Montpellier (who lost an “l” in the Republican paper) can’t be found at all. And if wandering in that labyrinth of names isn’t confusing enough, consider that the version from the San Francisco Call version had everything jumbled up – it was Italia Reggiano who was forced into prostitution by her sister “Silvia.” Huh? What? Wo ist Silvia? (Eine kleine Schubert Wortspiel, sorry.)

It’s also interesting to note that Italia and her pimpy sweetie Pepine were arrested in El Verano, the little resort town just outside of Sonoma. A couple of years later, it was to become the new center of operations for “Spanish Kitty,” an infamous Barbary Coast madam. (Her house is now the Sonoma Rose Villa Bed and Breakfast at 400 Solano Avenue.) Equidistant by train from Santa Rosa and the Sausalito ferry, El Verano was a great location for a rural whorehouse to set up shop, which is likely why Italia and Pepine  – “until recently said to be brothel agents in San Francisco,” according to the PD – were in town. Santa Rosa’s tenderloin had closed (or really, quieted down) less than a month before their arrest, and it’s my guess that some of those women had relocated with the pair to El Verano.

Also convincing is that the story appeared in the Press Democrat, whose editor Ernest L. Finley was loathe to admit Santa Rosa ever had any sort of problem with prostitution. He was the last person to desire publicity about a “white slavery” incident in Santa Rosa; the story was published on an inside page as if it were any other crime story. He surely would have liked to ignore it altogether, but it’s not every day that the United States marshal for the Northern District and an Immigration Inspector tromps through your back yard.

And finally, the story is far more believable because it appeared in 1909 and not a few years hence, when the white-slave mania was running at full throttle. It wasn’t until the end of that year that President Taft urged white slavery legislation in his first State of the Union address, followed by passage of the “White Slave Traffic Act of 1910,” better known as the Mann Act. A growing number of news articles began appearing after that, peaking in 1912 when more stories on the topic were found in California newspapers than the previous fifty years combined, according to a search of the state papers thus far digitally archived.

(RIGHT: An illustration from the 1910 book, “Fighting the Traffic in Young Girls” by Chicago Rev. Ernest A. Bell, who wrote, “I believe that there are good grounds for the suspicion that the ice cream parlor, kept by the foreigner in the large country town, is often a recruiting station, and a feeder for the ‘White slave’ traffic.”)

The intensity of “white slavery” hysteria in the 1910s is difficult to comprehend today. It was the central plot in a million dime novels and the subject of a million sermons. Politicians won elections fighting it, and newspapers won circulation wars by printing lurid tales about it. Want to draw an audience to your next club meeting? Announce that there would be an “expert” lecturing about the slavery dangers lurking everywhere. In the Bay Area, “The World’s Purity Federation” was formed, along with the “Society for the Abolition of White Slavery,” which urged the formation of a state police white slave squad (San Francisco police indeed had a white slave detail).

Today it’s recognized that their white-slave anxieties were a mash-up of many fears. It was partly the uneasiness about young people leaving rural communities for the dangerous big city; it was prudish discomfort with the concept that some women might sell their bodies without coercion (“white slavery” became a synonym for prostitution for some muckrakers and reformers); but most consistently, it was a warning about the dangers of foreigners. There was supposed to be an international cabal of Russian Jews tricking girls into Chicago and New York brothels; on the West Coast, the threat came from the Chinese stealing young women off the street to either ship them to Asia or force them to do unspeakable things in their opium dens.

The movement to fight “white slavery” a hundred years ago was more about racist fear-mongering than fact, but women and girls were indeed forced into prostitution in the early 20th century America – and still are today. Hopefully the girl with many names from Potenza indeed ended up with a happy life despite her monstrous sister’s detour.

BAD COUPLE ARE UNDER ARREST
Pitiful Story Told by a Young Woman Who Was Lured from Home to a Life of Shame

United States Immigration Inspector de la Torre made a very important capture Tuesday night when at El Verano, in this county, he arrested Italia Regiano and Pepine Pietra, until recently said to be brothel agents in San Francisco. The couple were taken to San Francisco Wednesday and placed under $10,000 bonds each by Commissioner Hart North to prevent their escape.

A “Black Hand” letter addressed to Antonio Montpellier, San Francisco photographer and husband of Angelina Regiano, a 20-year-old girl, who was brought to this country two years ago and forced into an improper life by her sister and her paramour until rescued by her marriage, has resulted in the capture of the miscreants who planned the girl’s downfall.

Angelina Regiano escaped from her bondage on June 13, according to the details learned in San Francisco, and managed to elude the pursuit of her jailers. While in hiding she met Antonio Montpellier, and her pitiful tale touched his heart. A marriage resulted and threats against the life of the husband immediately followed. On July 3 Montpellier received a letter threatening his life unless he surrendered the girl to Pietra.

This he placed in the hands of Inspector de la Torre and the capture of those who instigated it was consummated Tuesday night. The federal authorities believe they have accumulated enough evidence to send the pair to prison for five years.

Unfortunately the victim herself comes within the specifications of the law and is being held by the authorities under the statute which forbids female immigrants leading an improper life within three years. Her story is a touching one. In her little home town of Patenza she says she received urgent letters from her sister Italia to come to America, where she was promised marriage as soon as she arrived. When she came, however, her sister and Pietra beat her into submission and forced her into a disreputable house in New York. There she was held in practical slavery until the couple removed to this city, where her state was not improved. Finally she escaped but found that her troubles were not ended even when she met the man who is now her husband.

– Press Democrat, July 29, 1909

INHUMAN ACT OF SISTER
Arrested at El Verano for Her Depraved Acts

The story of the capture of two brothel agents at El Verano Tuesday night by United States Immigration Inspector de la Torre shows how low in the scale of life people may become. The two people arrested are Italia Regiano and Pepine Pietra, and they were placed under $10,000 bonds each. The former of this duet two years ago brought her own eighteen year old sister, Angelina, to this country from their native home, Patenza, Italy, with the promise that she would be married as soon as she arrived here. On the poor girl’s arrival she was met in New York by her sister and her paramour, the man arrested Tuesday, and by them was beaten and forced to lead an improper life. She was later brought here and was continued to be held as a white slave until she made her escape on June 13. She met Antonio Montpelier, a photographer in San Francisco and was married to him. A black hand letter was sent by the two under arrest to the girl’s new husband, threatening him with death if he did not return the girl to her persecutors. The turning over of this letter to Mr. de la Torre is what has led to the capture of the inhuman sister and her paramour.

– Santa Rosa Republican, July 29, 1909

 ACCUSED OF FORCING SISTER TO LIFE OF SHAME

 Pepino Pietra and Silvia Reggiano were arrested by United States Marshall C. T. Elliott yesterday for bringing Italia Reggiano, a sister of Silvia Reggiano, to the United States from Italy for immoral purposes.

 The arrests, which were made in El Verano, Sonoma county, were at the behest of the immigration department at Washington, D. C.

 It is claimed by Italia Reggiano that her sister brought her to New York with the idea of marrying, but on her arrival she was compelled by her sister to live in a house of ill repute.

 – San Francisco Call, July 28, 1909

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GIMME SOME OF THAT FREE EARTHQUAKE MONEY (UPDATED)

Jeff Elliott Leave a comment

The 1906 Santa Rosa Earthquake brought out the best in our own townspeople, but it also attracted some nasty scoundrels.

A common theme in the first-hand accounts of the quake was the unflinching heroism of Santa Rosans as they struggled to rescue victims while simultaneously preventing the town from burning away. Press Democrat city editor Herbert Slater summarized that day well: “No one hesitated. With senses beclouded with the horror of the situation, men realized there was no time for delay. Delay meant death; death from the smothering dust; death from the cruel weight of beams, planks and stone; and worse than all, death from the cruel flames which were already bursting forth from piles of debris from fallen and partially fallen buildings.”

Less mentioned were the crime incidents. In the days following, when many families were camping on their lawns in fear of aftershocks, some helpful strangers volunteered to lend a hand in rescuing precious items from their homes; the valuables were saved from imminent danger, although never seen again. There was a clerk who cashed in his employer’s insurance policy and disappeared with the money. And who can forget the charming “Dr. C. C. Crandall,” who posed as a doctor at the hospital in order to swipe stuff from the nurses and injured.

Not a criminal that day, but the creme de la cad had to be James Byrd, a pressman for the Press Democrat. The day before the earthquake, he asked his colleague Milo Fish to take his shift so that he could go to Oakland.  When the disaster struck, Fish was running through the outside door just as the brick wall collapsed. He was pulled from the rubble alive but soon died at home, surrounded by his wife and six children. (To its credit, the PD trained his widow to be a linotype operator and she supported her family in the following years by working part time for the newspaper.)

Even though another man died in Byrd’s place and he was uninjured, he had the remarkable gall to demand a share of the Typographical Union’s disaster relief fund. The Press Democrat informed the union that his claim was bogus. “This was refused him and he created some disturbance,” the San Francisco Call reported, going on to remark that “His behavior during his residence here was generally considered bad.” The PD also told the union that he had worked at the newspaper under the assumed name of Boyd. He gave no reason for using an alias, although it came out later that apparently he had abandoned a wife and two children in another state.

Denied his wrongful share of the earthquake money (and probably booted from the union), Byrd took a job as a clerk in a Memphis shoe store. There he killed a co-worker in 1907 after an argument about a ball game wager. He later claimed he only conked the man with a shoe stretcher after he was attacked with a knife.

Now calling himself James W. Robinson, he drifted around the country for a couple of years before settling in Colorado, where he married again (his second wife, Mrs. “Boyd,” died in Santa Rosa before the earthquake). While honeymooning in Denver, he had the bad luck of being recognized by someone from Memphis. He was arrested and confessed his crime, and over the next few days the tale of his sordid odyssey spilled out in newspapers across the country.

Thus ends the narrative of James Byrd/Boyd/Robinson, murderer and scoundrel supreme. Thus start the unanswerable questions.

 All we know is what emerged from a widely reprinted wire service story that was cobbled together from various sources the day after his confession. A Denver paper reported the arrest; the Press Democrat contributed the bad-character anecdote; Memphis newspapers filled in the backstory of the murder and alleged bigamy.

But there the story hits a brick wall. We don’t know what happened when he was brought before a court of law, whether he was sentenced to many years in jail or a very few.  Tennessee prison records have not been computerized, and apparently not even microfilmed. All that we can say for certain is that he wasn’t executed for the crime (at least, not under any of the names mentioned). He might have even been acquitted by a jury on a self-defense plea. Those answers, however, are buried in century-old court records, probably never to see the light of a digitizing scanner.

That’s the moral of this fable; it demonstrates that the oceans of information available via the Internet are vast but not deep. There are now somewhere around eight million newspaper pages scanned and available from either the Library of Congress or commercial services – but there is not a single digitized  newspaper which tells us the outcome of Mr. Byrd’s fate. The Tennessee State Library has large holdings of newspapers on microfilm but does not loan material out of state, and its own digitization project has focused narrowly on the Civil War era. Chances are slim to none that the outcome of this story will be told unless someone wants to waltz down to Tennessee.

This is also a cautionary warning for those who subscribe to Internet database services with grand hopes of sherlocking ancestral trails. Mr. Byrd/Boyd/Robinson (and possibly Anderson, as he was named in the 1909 PD article) can’t be found in any U.S. census. Or at least, not pinned with any confidence; James Byrd  –  if that’s who he actually was – was a rather common name for a boy born presumably in the 1880s.

And was James Question-Mark a single person – or two, or three? All we’re left with is what we see by the papers, however (in)accurate that may be. Certainly any reasonably competent defense lawyer could have easily picked apart the other damning evidence that was presented to the public. The wire service story reported only that “it is not improbable” that the man being held for killing a shoe clerk was the same J. L. Byrd who ran out on his wife years earlier. The Press Democrat cautiously stated that “it is believed”  that the man known here as Boyd was the same guy. It’s quite possible that the man being held for that shoe clerk’s death had nothing to do with the greedy chowderhead who tried to rip off the union in Santa Rosa, or the long-missing wayward husband and father.

Whether or not the  Santa Rosa version of J. L. Byrd was the same person, seeking undeserved relief money in that manner makes him one of the 1906 earthquake’s few true villains. One wonders why the story didn’t come out until three years later, and what else was kept quiet at the time.

(UPDATE: In a surprising twist, Boyd paid a friendly visit to the Press Democrat offices in 1911, which implies he had no connection to the Memphis crime and his use of a false name was probably more innocent than the PD implied. Read update here.)

IS FORMER SANTA ROSAN A MURDERER?
Arrest of J. L. Byrd at Denver Who Confesses to Crime, Recalls How a Man With the Same Name Escaped Death Here in Great Disaster

Denver, July 23.–James Anderson, who was arrested here yesterday on the suspicion of being J. L. Byrd, wanted in Memphis, Tenn., for the murder of Joseph Black, a shoe dealer of that city, for whom Byrd formerly worked, this morning confessed to the police that he was the murderer. Byrd was married two weeks ago at Colorado Springs, and with his bride was spending his honeymoon in Denver. Anderson formerly worked in San Francisco.

(It is believed Byrd was an employee of the Press Democrat as night pressman up to the time of the fire, under the name of Boyd. The night of the disaster he had secured Milo S. Fish to work for him in running off the paper so he could take his little son to Oakland and send him to his grandparents in Texas, his wife having died a few weeks previously in this city. Mr. Fish was crushed to death under the falling walls of the building, while Byrd was safe in Oakland. Later Byrd returned here, secured his Typographical Union travelling card and went elsewhere. When he heard that funds had been sent here for the members of the union, he wrote back and demanded his share, but was refused any part in the fund, as he was not a sufferer by the disaster, had gone elsewhere and was working at regular wages. Byrd never gave any reason why he went under an assumed name here to those who knew the fact, but requested that it not be made known, and it never was until after he left town, when the fact was given to the union officers.–Ed.)

– Press Democrat, July 24, 1909

SLAYER CONFESSES AT BRIDE’S BEHEST
Former Indiana Girl Makes Husband Admit Murder.
HE CLAIMS SELF-DEFENSE
J. L. Byrd, Arrested in Denver Soon After Wedding, Tells of Killing Fellow Clerk in Memphis Store.

Denver, Col., July 24.–James W. Robinson, who was arrested here Thursday on suspicion of being J. L. Byrd, wanted in Memphis, Tenn., for the murder of Joseph Black, a shoe dealer of that city, yesterday confessed that he was the murderer.

Byrd was married two weeks ago at Colorado Springs and with his bride was enjoying his honeymoon at Denver. The prisoner’s wife, Elsie Syms Robinson, came to Denver with her parents from Terre Haute, Ind.

Bride Tells Him to Speak

Robinson’s confession followed a talk with Chief of Police Armstrong in the latter’s office. Robinson’s bride of two weeks, who was present, finally interrupted.

“Jimmie, if you are the man, tell them,” she said. “It will make no difference to me, because I will stick by you no matter what the circumstances.”

There was silence for a moment. Then Robinson, white and shaking, owned up.

“Chief,” he said, “I am the man you want. I killed Black because I thought my life was in danger. We engaged in an argument over a baseball bet and he started toward me with an open knife in his hand.

“I seized the only weapon at hand, a shoe stretcher, and struck him over the head with it. I did not mean to kill him. I didn’t tell you before on account of my wife.”

Byrd added that Black previously had insulted him several times.

Wishes He Hadn’t Fled.

“For two years I have been wishing that I’d never left home,” he said, “and now that I’ve been caught and told my story, I am happy and will go back there and clear up everything and commence to live right.”

Robinson said that in a panic of fear after his fatal encounter with Black he went to Texas, stayed there a few days, then came to Colorado later going to San Francisco and Seattle and returning to Colorado where he secured employment.

Charge Against Prisoner.

Memphis, Tenn., July 24.–J. L. Byrd, who is under arrest at Denver, Col., is wanted here for the murder of Joseph Black, who was killed July 8, 1907, at No. 4 North Main street, where both Black and Byrd were employed as shoe clerks. It is alleged that Byrd struck Black in the head with a blunt instrument following an altercation over a trivial matter. He escaped immediately after the fight and successfully evaded police until recognized in Denver by E. A. Collins of this city.

Should a dispatch from Covington, Tenn., prove correct, it is not improbable that Byrd is answerable the charge of bigamy. According to the Covington dispatch the man’s wife and two children reside with her father near Covington, and so far as can be ascertained, neither party has obtained a divorce.

– Logansport [Indiana] Semi-Weekly Reporter, July 27, 1909

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