Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-11-25
A NEW YORK GIRL's CAREER,
The Most Successful Adventures OF the
Age-FrOm a Concert Saloon 10
the Presidency OF Ger
man Bank.
The story of Annie SPitzeder, the Fe-
male Usurer Of Munich.

the saloon gladly paid her double wages
and was not q little chagrined when
one afternoon, at the usual hour, Annh
did not make her appearance. All in
uuiries about her at the cheap boarding
house on Christie street, where she liveC
in an humble room, led to no informa
tion other than that she haC
left the place at an early hOui
i'm the morning with young
man. dressed in suit o
Trav, with whom she had said she wa
Going 10 Philadelphia. Since that time
nothing further was heard Of her, unit
the other day it became known that the
former New York concert-saloOn cir
was living in afiiuence at Munich, il
Germany; that, strange 10 say, through
her extraordinary business capacity she
had become the prOprietress Of the so
called N0lksbank Peoples Bank thai
Adele Spitzeder that is her namel haC
become a household word among the
moor other city; that she had established
for The benefit Of the latter dozen cheaI
soup-hOuses in various parts Of the place
and finally even started a popular daily
paper, entitled the Peoples Gazette
which is advocating extreme Democrat
ir principles, and which has already at
tanned a circulation Of fifteen thousand
,6pies. II is true some Of the Munich
Uapers have called her q magnificent
confidence woman, and cautioned the
depOsitors Of Mile. Adele Spitzeder':
bank against intrusting their money to
her: but by threats Of libel suits she has
succeeded in silencing them all, and she
now pursues her business undisturbedly
10 the utmost wonder of all who have
known some other antecedents.
This extraordinary woman has in
deed led most eventful life since she
disappeared from New York. 1t was in
October, 1865, at two O'Clock in the
morning, when she wended her way
rom the e5oncert-saloOn to her boarding
house. that she was accosted on the
B0wery by a young man in gray, who
made certain proposals TO her. She re-
iected them firmly; but, struck by her
very pretty face and lady-like demean-
OF. he persisted, until she finally told
him that she would meet him at an
early hour on the following morning, at
a confectionery on Broome street.
The interview was held, and the
Young man, who said that his name
was Van Dusen, that he had been an
officer in the rebel navy, and that his
folks lived in LynchbUrg, Virginia, be-
came so enamored Of the girl that he
proposed to take her with him on a six
months trip to the Old World. He sat
isiied her that he had plenty of money,
and, after considerable hesitation and
much coaxsng on his part, she consent
ed 10 20 with him, and on the following
day the two sailed in the steamship
an NhTnanrnfE
duct toward her was unexceptionable; (;
but Annie, with a woman's keen per
ceptiOn, was not long in discovering
that her lover was of tickle disposition,
aud subject 10 chOleric fits. She con-
cluded that it would ne best for her to
get rid Of him as soon as possible, and,
with an eve TO business, she managed
adroitly to obtain from him the sum Of
twenty-five hundred francs in gold, as
a proof, as sic said, that he did not in
tend TO send her adrift in a foreign coun-
try.
They arrived in due time at Brest, and
proceeded from thence TO Paris, where
for two or three weeks they reveled in
all the amusements in which the French
capital abOunds. At the end of that
time Annie Spitzeder found herself in
possession Of a splendid wardrobe, an
elegant watch, some valuable jewelry,
and nearly three thousand francs in
cash. She thought il was about time for
her To shake Mr.. Van Dusen, the
more so as he had repeatedly beaten and
abused her when under the influence Of
LIQUOR. So she wrote him a note, in
witch she told him she could 10 longer
liv. ri-h a man that could treat her so
tally, and with her four trunks left
Paris for Strasburg. 1t bad always been
her desire 10 visit Germany, her native
country, and so she went in the first
place 10 Baden-Baden, which has
always been a rich field for the conf
deuce women and adventuresses Of all
countries. Alighting at the Hotel de
Hollande, she was not long in forming
such acuuaintances as she was in quest
Of A Russian nObleman of considera-
bic wealth was her first admirer, and
with him she visited the various Ger
man watering-places in the course Of the
next few months, always taking care to
add to her funds from the always open
purse Of her lover.
At Ems, in June, 1866, the two parted
Annie Spitzeder believing that the
time had come for her TO carry into exc
cuti1u a peculiar scheme which she had
for making a fortune, and
which, thus far, has proved successful
beyond expectation. IL was to lend her
money in small sums at fashionable
wateriug-places 10 aristOcratic men who
had losteverything at the gaming-tables,
al e1orbitant rates of interest, for a few
weeks, on undoubted security, coupled
with the written parole Of the borrower.
She tried this game at first at HOmbuTg,
where she assumed the airs Of an eccen-
tur american woman, and sat all day
long al the rOuge-et-nOir tables, risking
uihiug sums, but keenly watching those
players who were unlucky and whose
aristpcatic appearance denoted that
they were in good circumstances. When
they left the table with empty pockets
She would follow them and offer them
assistance. As a general thing il was
only too gladly accepted, and the bOr-
TUwer, after giving Annie an /. o. u.
and his watch, would return to the gam
ing-table, without caring about it that
he had given bis fair lender not only his
written parole and his watch or diamond
ring, but had also promised to return to
her In two weeks double the sum he had
received from her.
For three weeks the female usurer
carried on this business with eminent
success at HOmburg. About One-half
Of the borrowers redeemed their l. o.
Us. etc but the pledges Of the Others
We're Of sufficient value to indemnify
her, and she, moreover, employed pet
LlUgger 10 collect the money. Many Of
the poor devils sacrificed their watches
and rings, and, moreover, paid the full
claims rather than have it known that
they had violated their paroles.
suddenly an officer Of the HOmburg
police called upon Mime. Spitzeder, as
She now called herself, at the Hotel Of
the -Four Seasons, where she was stop
ping. He asked her business, and told
her that what she was doing was Illegal.
She avoided arrest by bribing The officer
and nuUiedly lefl HOmburg.
For the next three years she visited /
every fashionable watering place in |
Germany and Belgium, pursuing her 4
business with extraordinary success. ]
During the Exhibition Of 1867 she was /
i'm Paris, where she attracted much at /
tentiOn by the expensive style 10 which /
she lived. Few persons, except those |
who had dealings with her, suspected /
that she was a mercilesa usurer. AL /
ready at that time she had accumulated /
a fortune Of thirty OF forty thousand |
francs.
In 1870, Annie Spitzederroeeived news /
that a relative Of hers, living at the 1
small town Of Stadlingen, in Bavaria,
had left her q few thousand fiorins. She
went in person 70 collect the money,
and, on that occasion, found out that
some Of her relatives were living at Mu-
lich. She visited them, and was 80
delighted with the attractions Of that
beautiful city that she resolved 10 settle
IN that beautiful place. Sheprogided at
FIRST with some OsteutatiOn for her rela-
lives, who were in needy circumstances,
aud then opened loan Office IN FASH
iOnable house at No. 80 DachayeT street.
She had plenty Of customers and made
money rapidly. Finally, she conceived
the idea that She might advertise for de-