Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-10-23
PROF. CHAs. N. STEEN.
Adventures of a Mind Reader-SecOnd
sight and CIairVOyancc - Fuoiic
Exhibitions and Private seanees-
A Romantic Marriage--strnnge ana
EvcntflI History.

for AlcatraZ lSlaDu, he HAS iuthisheu
numerous items for the pens OF the
San Francisco journalists. His his
tory in San Francisco may be anus
ing, but his adventures in Los Ange-
les would fill a dime novel, the Police
Gazette or Days Doings.. He came
here unheralded as the "only original
mind-reader, and first gave an en-
tertainment to few friends in the
parlors of the Lafayette Hotel. His
little seance was success, and duly
recorded.
He next essayed to give public
performance, which was not well at
tended, though he performed well.
This being a financial failure, he adj
vertised as doctor and pretended to
cure all bodily ailments by the laying
on of hands and mysterious kind OF
friction. Among his patients were n
paralyZed woman near Los Nietos and
and an invalid daughter of a Los An
geles street merchant. In the former
case he was paid nothing, but in the
latter case he received one hundred
dollars in gold. What his success in
the healing line was we never learned,
but suppose that it was not surprising
at least to the patients.
PRIVATE sEANCEs.
In addition to his public exhibitions
and medical efforts, he gave private
seances at the Lafayette Hotel, which
were frequently crowded, 50 that room
6 became as we'll known as the house
itself. OF course these private inter-
views were of confidential nature,
ladies inquired for lost rings and lost
affections, and gentlemen asked about
blind speculations in mines and pros
pective profits or losses in mining
stocks. The Professor generally said
something pleasant, and, however
vague, it was taken as an evidence OF
second sight. Frequently he gave sur
prising Information to prominent citi-
Gems, but he had always interviewed
the house servant or chambermaid in
advance, while they were seeking their
own fortunes.
HE FALLS IN LOVE.
Like all great men, Professor Steen
had a profound admiration for woman,
and this led him into terrible scrapes.
He first married a woman of the town,
fair, frail and foolish. He claimed
that he desired to reform her, but lie
made very foolish attempts, and in
eight days she returned to her old
haunts. Her description of Stems
neglect and inattention would harrow
the soul of q monk or curdle the blood
of an anchorite, and her only explana-
ton was that esteem was such fraud
she preferred a life of shame to his
matrimonial company"
OTHER ADVENTURES.
He next captivated grass widow,
who was passing herself off on inno-
cent young men as maiden, Of fancy
free, and numerous loving but badly
spelled epistles, commencing "Dear
Hubby,n and "Dearest - were
exchanged. He captured a carbuncle
ring of another admirer, which he
wore in triumph until admirer No.
got an order for it from the fair de-
ceiver and demanded it OF the only
original mind reader. She was short
ly after shipped to the mountains, out
of the reach of Stems. magnetic
glances, and Steen was arrested for a
board bill of SIG at the Backman
House.
STEEN'S LEGAL TROUBLES.
At this juMcture he was in imminent
danger of coat Of tar and feathers OF
the chain-gang, but a number of dis
gusted friends, knowing him to be a
strange compound of idiot and lunatic,
saw him through the trouble and got
his discharge from duress.
While this case was pending he was
arrested on charge of petty larceny,
for stealing pack Of cards and card
photograph from a private residence,
but the jury gave him an honorable
acquittal.
In few days he visited San Bernar-
dino, where he made total failure OF
q public exhibition. On his return he
was arrested as a deserter from the
United States army, but the Marshal
very properly discharged him, as the
letter had every appearance of being a
put-up job. 1t purported to be from
"Hd. Qrs. U. S. Army, Omaha" and
was signed "Yours truly,V. B. Lewis,
U. S. A." The "Hd. Qrs." was in
different ink from the remainder, and
it was all written in clumsy, rough
manner.
CHARITY OF HIS FRIENDS.
A subscription of twenty-five dol
lars was then secured, his wife paying
eight dollars and half of the amount
and he was sent to San Francisco on
the steamer.
OTHER AMoROUs ADVENTURES.
In the meantime however he had
written to the dark complexioned
keeper of notorious house, imagin.
ing her Sandwich Island Princess
with fabulous bank deposit and in
valuable jewels. His only anxiety in
this case was that she might not reek.
lsssly squander her wealth in build
ing house on Main street, when his
judgment was in favor of Oakland
He painted for her glowing pictures OF
visit to the East and Europe, an in
terview with Queen Victoria and re-
turn to their little homestead in Oak
land, where, with reasonable luck,
they would raise their little dark
skinned family in peace and plenty,
His Wooing was gentle, but the Sand.