The herald., 1893-09-15
SOMETHING OFACHESTNUT BURR
He Played an Old Game on
Susceptible Men.
Charged With Unlawfdlly Using the
United States Mails.
Tho Peculiar Case on Trial Before
Judge Ross Yesterday--some Spec
linen Lettors-How the
Man Was Caught.


Chinese business yesterday and listened
to the lovelorn effusions of matrimoni-
ally inclined Benedicta who fell into the
tolls OF Mr.. and Mrs. Robert Burr.
Robert Burr was on trial for using the
United States mails for the purpose of
obtaining money under false pfetenaes.
Two or three months ago Mr.. Burr
inserted the following advertisement in
the San Francisco Examiner:
"A nice-looking, intelligent young
woman, with some property, aud more
in prospect, desires the acquaintance OF
respectable young or middle-aged gen.
tleman; northern or eastern preferred !;
object, matrimony. Address Mise %, l..
s., box 33S, Pasadena. CAL"
Then, although Mr.. Burr resides in
Los Angeles, he hied him to Pasadena
and rented box 333, in the suburban
postoffice.
The advertisement apparently sup
piled long felt want, for box 1873 was
almost too email for the hundreds Of
letters which daily piled in.
Among the correspondents who were
anxious to secure Miss Edith l.. Sanders
for better or worse was Mr.. j. N. Gregg
of N. Temescal, Alameda county.
Mr.. Gregg wrote to Miss u. i. s.,
alias Robert Burr, and before declaring
his passion, requested that the lady's
photograph might be forwarded. He
was answered by his supposed lady cor
respondent, who informed him that she
was unsupphed with portraits, but
would Immediately patronjze a pho
tographer and forward him the result.
Burr then went to the Sunbeam gal
lery, on Main street. and selecting the
picture OF a well-favored damsel, for
warded fac similes to all OF his corre-
Bpondenta who were sufficiently inter-
ested in the advertisement to demand
them.
But before receiving the portrait Mr..
Gregg sat down and indited the follow
ing epistle:
my Dear Miss Sanders:
''Your welcome letter reserved. Will
say that the Photos OF you which /
would be plesed to reseve will cut no
figure with me. The beauty OF a woman
or maide lays buried in the hart
II meme business. So il you see my
Photo yo11 will have to come and see
original. You will find well-preserved
man-about 180 lbs., q #. high--in my
young days men said was nobel look
ing man. But age and sorrow have told
upon me, but / have still enough life
and vigor left to make good woman
happy.
"Please reply by return mail and
oblige me,
Yours sinserely,
II. N. GREGG"
This was just what Mr.. Robert Burr
was looking for, and he replied as fol-
lows in letter which formed the basis
of the prosecution:
DEAR SIR: Your letter in response to
my advertisement in Examiner duly re-
ceived. am frightened at the number
OF replies received, but have simmered
them down to very few, selecting only
those which appear to be. sincere and
are devoid of slang and egotiem. |
think it is the best way to have a per-
sonal interview If possible, and if it
should be down here l should be much
pleased, but if you cannot come / am
willing to visit your city If you will bear
my expenses at least one way. As am
the lady in the case. and unused to the
ways of the world, think. as am not
acquainted with you, and to convince
me that you do not wish to abuse my
confidence, you should provide my fare
In advance; otherwise l prefer to have
you visit me or wait until we are better
acquainted"
After explaining her views on matri-
mony, the writer concluded with the
hope that Mr.. Gregg would write again.
Mr.. Gregg was, unluckily for Burr, an
old detective, and he smelt q mice, on
reading the above letter.
The postal authorities at Pasadena
were communicated with, and box 333
watched. A heavy weight was tied to
the inside of the letter receptacle in
such manner that when the box was
opened the weight fell inside and warn
ed the postal officials. In this manner
Burr was arrested.
A number OF answers to the advertise.
ment were found upon him, among
them one from miner in Idaho, named
Stark, who inclosed in his letter cut
ting from newspaper announcing the
find OF some free gold quartz by the
aforesaid Stark.
Judging from his letter Mr.. Stark was
not entirely satisfied with the photo
graph sent him, but he was evidently
prepared to sacrifice good deal to OBJ
tain wife. He says:
"RATHDRUM, Idaho.
"KIND FRIEND: 1t is with pleasure |
hasten to reply to your esteemed favor,
and must first express my thanks for
the photo. Well. am not going to saw
much about it, and if 1 told You how
many times looked at it you would
think was an easy catch, but for all
that / am very careful as to who catches
me.
"Perhaps you are right that hold too
high an opinion of ladies. but hold
them to be the perfection OF everything
good. don't want no angel, which is
only an innocent look and q pair OF
wings, want all there is, woman; it is
all good and lovely.
"Your photo shows your bust and
shoulders very dimly, and you know
very well how we love to see q beautiful
bust"
Here the writer, however, gets a little
more hopeful. and continues: s'I want
the best kind OF wife. and don't
care much whether che wears corsets
and cambrics.'
Mr.. Stark winds up by saying that he
will send his picture, and requests an
early reply.
MIR. W. H. Mosler of Cogsville City,
Coos county, Ore., also wrote the the
fair advertiser. Mr.. Mosler is an old
man, but he has lived long enough to