The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-15
ORTIZ STEIN In SAVANNAH
THE TEN THOUSAND DOLLAR FU-
GITIVE HERE A MONTH.

The Detectives DIDN'T Recognize Him
as John B. Raymond, With a Beard
His Profession That Of Designer as
Well as Newspaper Man-How he
Came to Savannah and How He
Laft-Bis Convict Life in Florida
Els story in Atlanta-Held for Forg-
cry.
Ortiz Stein, the $4,000 prize prisoner, a
full account of whose capture at Stone
Mountain Saturday night was published in
the Atlanta dispatches to the MORNING
News Yesterday, and who was at first sup
posed to have been the principal in the ex-
press car robbery at the five mile post last
Friday night was pretty well known in
Savannah. though not as Stein While
here he was John B. Raymond.
He came here, according to his story,
from Florida, and secured employment as a
designer. He made no secret of having
been convict in Florida, though he did
not talk about the matter voluntarily. He
was here two OF three weeks and his de-
pertinent was that Of gentleman.
He dressed neatly and wore gloves
and a dark beard which covered
AAAS5
in delicate health. His manner was quiet
and inoffensive. In conversation he was
nervous and he spoke in q rather hesitating
manner. He was asked several times con-
corning his incarceration in Florida, but
he eyaded telling how and for what crime
be was convicted.
DESIGNER BY TRADE.
Stein, or Raymond as he was known
here, was a designer rather than a news
paper maa, though, according to his own
account, during most of his career, he was
engaged in newspaper work. Where he
learned his trade is not known here, but
that he was a very good designer there is no
doubt. According to his own occount of
himself, given while he was employed here,
he had worked in ths establishment of the
Harper Bros. New York.
There is some curiosity to know the crime
for which he was convicted in Florida, and
for which he served out his sentence there.
1t is pretty certain that it was for forgery.
His psnma1ship is excellent, and his power
of initiating the handwriting of others is
remarkable.
While convict In Florida he worked In
the phosphate mines Of prominent phos-
hate company OF this city. He conducted
himself in such manner as to win, to a
considerable extent, he confidence of the
managers OF the mines, aud had it been in
him employment after he was released
from the convict camp It would have done
so, probably.
AN APPEAL FOR EMPLOYMENT.
He wrote a pitiful and yet manly sort
OF letter to tho company, asking assistance
in getting employment and the company
made an effort to assist him. He came to
this city and quickly secured employment,
he boarded at the Marshall for a while,
after ward at some of the restaurants. In
his story of himself he says he would have
renamed here as he was doing we'll, had he
not been recognized by some one who knew
his career and ordered him to "move on. p"
threatening TO expose him il he did not do
so. night or two before he left he came
into the MORNING News office and inquired
whether an effort had not been made 10 Sc
cure employment for him in the Office. He
was then under the impression
said while he had been q
convict and was under a shadow on thai
account, lie had served out his sentence an6
was endeavoriOg to earn his living honest
ly. The only crooked thing he did here wa
the giving of a small draft on Florid
bank in which he had no funds. Had b.
remained here he would have had no diff
Guilty in holding a remunerative position
The story of his doinGs after he left Savan
nah has been given i'll the MORNING News
Day before Yesterday he wrote this stor,
for publication:
STEMS OWN STORY.
''If ell the facts were known in my case
believe | would be as much pitied as con
demned The truth is bad-shametul; tn
embsll saments are simply monstrous. Tn
fact OF the matter is, that | am not grea
criminal, nor shrewd, cunning william a
the newspapers have pictured me, golnj
nh ,t,t hor 7 irht h,k .
hunted, bounded, sick and heart-br oke
man, who has been driven Into desperation
if ever anybody in this world has been.
NOW this is the truth, as God is IN
judge Prior to the shooting of Frederick
my career was honorable, upright aud sue
cesstul- l was just boy, good deal les
THAI 81. had done very we'll in my prC
fession and was foolish, vain, of course
and little wild. got into the tolls of
bad woman, a woman ten years older tina
myself. and you who read this, you VIII
have children of your own, do no
forget that l was a boy-awav from the il
fuences OF my home-all by myself. Wei
in midnight quarrel on this woman's stat
case ! killed Fredericks. God help me
self-defense. He had a cooked revolver |
his band when he fell. AT my first trial
was convicted. The decision wa
reversed on the grounds of pc
jury Of witnesses for the prosecution an
next time / was acquitted. This is all
matter Of record. | did not assnssina,
him. Tie jury, who heard all the facts, d.
clared me justified, and they certainl
knew more about it than any newspaper, 8
this day, possibly eau. ask, in the ligt
of this acquitnl, whether it is right to sti
call me a murderer
But, nevertheless, was branded as sucl
Then followed the loss of my mothers PROF
erty through business disasters with whic
i had no more to do than
hid to do with the deluge. B,
was seddled with 1t all the same, not
her, heaven knows, but by those outsider
whose merciless pursuit. has since The
made my life not worth tho Twin
Follies and wees which possessed in COR
mon with nine other men out of ten we
suddenly stripped TO the public eye accom-
panied by a denuncIation so fercs and ger
eral that l withered under it. Facts we
distorted, stories were deliberately invente
and without being conscious that had bee
guilty of any very grievous wrong literal
awoke one morning to find myself an Is
maelite with everybody's hand turn,
against NE.
q It drove me desperate, aud feeling thl
the doors Of my profession were sudden
slammed IN my face. l went headlong
the bad. Now it may we'll be asked,
all this was untrue, why did | not face I
musicg In reply let me ask how many m
there are who If their pet vices, their lit
private follies and peccadiilos were su
denly exposed in their worst light, cou
rnaka satisfaoforv dafanEa2 In INV "a