The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-16
ORTIZ lei. STEIN.


ORTIZ lei. STEIN
Sudden Disappearance of Brilliant Young
Journalist-His Career in ST Louis
ST. Louis Republican.
Ortiz FL. Stein has closed rather rhetorical
career in St. Louis. Stein is something of cos
mopoitan swindler and confidence man, and
has carried on his operations in a number of
Western cities. He is especially we'll known
through rascality of various kinds in Denver,
Leadville, Kansas City, Chicago and Lafayette,
Ind, and although not yet twenty five years
old, he has been concerned in number of feats
of roguery remarkable for their dexterity as well
as for the mpunty with which they have been
accomplished. His ST. Louis record was as bril-
liant in its way as it was brief.
Stein is slender young who always
dresses well and in good taste, and gold eye
glasses add somewhat to the good looks of thin,
brunette face. He wears small, pointed dark
| mustache, and is pleasant and rather fascinat-
ing talker when he chooses to be for an object
He came to St Louis less than three months ago,
heralded by associated press dispatch which
stated that he had robbed his mother and sister
of little fortune of few thousand dollars
upon whose income they lived, and had left
Lafayette which was the scene of the exploit, to
escape the consequences of this discovered piece
of villainy, while the two wronged relatives hid
their heads from the reflected disgrace of the
youth in Logansport, where the respectable
family had friends. Stein applied to the Globe
Democrat for situation as reporter and got It.
He had charge of the local news of the Southwest
system strike, then at its hottest, and he very
soon achieved the affectonate regard of editor
Mccullagh and the dislike =, Of the
and describing occurrences concerning
the strikers and acts of lawlessness that the
other papers didn't get, and, in fact, were never
heard of until his lively play of fancy and facile
pen brought them into existence. He was the
author of blood curdling description of mid
day attack by several thousand Knights of Labsr
upon the shops of the Missouri Pacific company,
two fictitious interviews with Secretary Turner,
of the knights of Labor, and with Martin Irons,
a sensational story of destruction among the
strikers a day or two after the pay-car had
filled their pockets, an attack upon General
Committeeman w. Fl. Bailey, in which he &C
cused the committeeman with direct indirect
ness of dishonesty in the management of the
strikers funds. When the strike had ended he
distinguished himself by similar work in other
directions, and was generally regarded to be in
fair way of promotion.
In the meantime Stein had been boarding at
the Laclede Hotel and to him there came from
Indiana pretty and well-behaved young lady
who is we'll known to a GOOD many of the pat
rons of courtesans in the East and West She
registered at the hotel as the wife of
Stein, and they lived there connubially
for some weeks, but the young man
made no secret among his friends of their true
relations. She dislked hotel life. and the couple
engaged rooms of s. b. Cunningham, in the emf
No $500 Morgan street. Stein attempted to
evade payment of his bill at the hotel but failed
and gave Cashier Yves. Austin draft on his en-
ployers for the amount, inducing James M. Fran
discus, of the Wabash railway, whom he had met
during the strike, to cash his draft. The draft
has never been paid. Then the couple
shone for few weeks upon the daz
zled residents of West Morgan street,
where Stein told his fast friends in the city
with much satisfaction, they were social sue
cess. They we're admitted to the parlors of res
licences, where horror will reign when their own
ers learn whom they entertained and were the
talk of that part of the city until former fa-
vored admirer of the lady in another city met
her by accident at a progressive euche party one
evening, and keeping silence until the next day,
then went to Stein and demonstrated with him.
Stein became alarmed and made preparations to
leave the city. He may have had other reasons
for his departure, but that is the only one appa-
| rent now He arranged plan with Mrs. Stein
and disappeared Friday, after drawing his salary
in advance from the paper employing him.
During the time he was In the house of Mr.
Cunningham he paid his board with two drafts
One of these New York newspaper
which Stein told Mr.. Cunningham owed him
money. 1t was returned protested. The other
was for 500, and drawn VicePresdent
Herbert NJ. Hoxe, of the Missouri Pacific Rail
way Company. Stein told his landlord that Mr..
Hoxie owed him 5000 for journalistic services
rendered the Missouri Pacific Railway Company
during the strike, through the Globe Democrat
souri, Pacific offices, on Locust street. and was
astonished when he heard that 1t was worthless.
He hardly knew after this how to recover his
money. but he went to Mrs. Stein to learn the
whereabouts of her husband. Mrs. Stein he
found packing her trunks, yesterday afternoon
She told him with modification, which he pitied
and grief which overcame his anger, that
her husband had treated her shamefully
during the week before he left. He
has been drinking. He had pawned her
most valuable possessions, including sealskn
sacque, and she had nothing left but diamond
ring, which she intended to pawn for money
enough to pay her railroad fare back TO Indian
apois. and her loving parents, who she knew
would receive their il-treated daughter with
open arms. No doubt of the purity and truth of
Mrs. Stein had ever entered the minds of either
Mr. or Mrs. Cunningham, and they believed
her and sympathzed with her. She went
down town to pawn her diamonds, came back,
sent her trunks to the depot, and followed them
last night with dainty travelling lunch prepared
by the host, whose confidence her wretched hus-
band had abused. They do not know yet that
they have been tricked Mr. Cunningham was
down town yesterday afternoon, and ad-
vised to obtain warrant for the arrest of Stein,
but was reluctant TO do so on accoun. of the pub
licity involved.
Friday that he going to Memphis. This
is one of the cities where he is not known. His
record in Leadville is something worse than it is
in ST. Louis. In Denver it is the same liz
IuSUio ue was arresIeu dt QUE blIuo ny variety
actor, who charged him with stealing a
shirt In Kansas City he quarreled with
George Fredericks about woman OF bad repu-
tation, shot him and killed him, escaping pun
ishment after first being found guilty and given
twenty years in the penitentiary. All of this
last has been printed in Eastern and Western
papers, and is old story, but they will hear Of
his life in st. Louis with much interest as his
victims here will probably read of the advent
ures of the reunited couple in another city very
soon.
Steamship News.
NEW YORK, June 15-Arrived Queen from