The record-union., 1893-06-30
CAREER OF A COUNT.
Startling Disclosures Made by a
Woman He Threatened.
She Says He is Swindler and Forges
Deeds to Real Estate, But Does
Not Make it Pay.

h4SSS.
Yesterday he occupied a cell in the hobo
joint on the river front, which is called
the City Jail, where he was incarcerated
at the request of his whilOm Countess,
now styling herself Mrs. Laura Stein
miller.
The Countess charges the Count of all
the Russias, or-according to her story, a
large segment thereof-of assailing her
with q razor and threatening to cut her
head of.
The immediate cause of this desperate
state Of affairs was the loss Of some papers
by the Count with only one title, but
many names, and he charges the Count
ess with having stolen them.
He hunted up horrid officer, and pro-
ceeding to her apartments on Wednes-
day night, ne searched vainly for the
papers. They were not found, and the
lady retaliated promptly by having hlm
arrested and causing him to langulsh yes
terday in a foul cell, consoled only by the
presence of his tall silk hat and eye
glasses. From there he was hauled into
the Police Court among plebians, and a
newspaper artist capped the climax OF
his mistortunes by sketching at him.
y RECORD MON reporter was ushered
into the presence Of the Countess by the
Chief OF Police, where he got more notes
IN a few minutes than he could write up in
= week, besides rejecting about . ten
page edition full of minor details.
The Countess, Or-as she mOdestly re-
fers to herself just now-Mrs. Laura
Steinmiller, says a great deal, says it rap
idly and without any perceptible hesita-
ton. She keeps back nothing, but yields
up information enough for the most eX-
acting interlOcutor.
When interviewed by the reporter the
Countess assumed 4 jaunty and indie
pendent. not to say aggressive, air. She
was neatly dressed in cute bonnet with
red trimmings and other and more effect
i've apparel, and withal was attractive to
an appreciable degree; but she was de-
cidedly verbose, and used a great deal of
emphasis.
Without the slightest hesitation she
stated that her home was formerly in this
city, but her husband got into trouble and
was serving a term in Folsom for embez-
Zling $500. Not long after this misfortune
Mrs. Stenmiller fell in with the alleged
Count, and they have been living together
in San Francisco for several months
without the formality Of a marriage GER
titicate.
She says that while in San Francisco
the Count was engaged in the real estate
buslness-that is, he made bogus deeds to
real estate, which he was engaged in eX-
changing for bona fide deeds whenever
he could find a victim. She says he, with
associates. worked for two months on a
scheme to swindle AdOlph Sutro out of
$4,000 on a bogus deal. He was trying
TO sell land belonging to Sutro for that
amount, but was detected and arrested.
She first met the Count at Sam Barnes
establishment, on Mason street, San
Francisco. She was asked to sing for
the Count and entertain him, as he was a
person of atiluence and consequence. So
she sang, the Count became enamored,
and the rest was easy.
"Oh ~ exclaimed the Countess, she is a
villain, and never had dollar! | have
had TO support him and give him money
the worthless scOundrel'
Since being in Sacramento the couple
have not moved much in society, and
have lived quietly-ior a while at the
International Hotel, and then in the
Clunie building, and at the time of the
trouble they had modest apartments at
the Gleeman House.
There, she says, the Count became
jealous of the smiles which she bestowed
upon a young man, and reproached her
severely. He then went so far as to choke
her and threaten TO cut her throat with a
razor.
"Oh, he's a devilp' exclaimed the
Countess, but there's no flies on him.
He can nix up deeds and remove sigma
lures with an acid he has, and forge other
names to them. Now, isn't he villain? :?
1t was an unlucky day for me when first
/ met him!
"Why, didn't he try to kill Sarah Jane
Clark in San Francisco with cheese
knife? And wasn't he arrested and in
Jail there for two months, l want to
know?
''Oh, he's got the nerve of the devil,
and II he had got into my room several
times he would have cut my throat. But
IL will be long time before he gets any
kisses from me now, the villain!
'Ah, WELL" she resumed, 81 suppose it
serves me right. You never can tell
what a stranger Will do, and people
should not trust men on such short ac-
quaiutance. His love was all a sham,
and he has ruined a score of women who
trusted him until he got their money!
Didn't | offer him money 10 go to San
Francisco and leave me alone2 | brought
him away from san Francisco to get him
out of trouble, and l have supported him
long enOugh!'
The Countess could not at all times con-
ceal her agitation, and frequently ex-
pressed herself in language too strong for
general use. When some one observed
that the Count dressed well, she ex-
claimed:
''You ought to have seen him in San
Francisco! He had no shoes to his feet.
His eyeglasses and silk hat are all fake.
l have had to supply him with money to
could see him behind the bars | would
know he was properly provided for He
never has dime, and carries razor in
his pocket, the coward -
The more the injured woman talked of
her grievances the more agitated and
verbose she became, and at times she
seemed to verge upon hysteria. She lost
no time in relating her adventures with
the Count, and gave an almost endless
story of his wrOng-dOlngS, and reiterated
the story Of his attempting TO Kill her
with razor, and Of constantly threaten
ing her life.
In the Counts room the officers found n
valise containing large number of
papers, and these Mrs. Steinmiller saws
are forged deeds and other fraudulent
documents.
The Count is said to be wanted in San
Francisco for operations conducted there
under one of his many names, but Just
what the charge against him is, could not
be learned. He would not say much
himself. but maintained a rather crest
fallen silence when seen yesterday. He
denies attempting to kill Mrs. Stein
miller, however.
Late last night Chief Rodgers received
information that the festive Count was
wanted in san Francisco on several
charges of felony, and that an officer
would be here this morning with a bench
warrant for him.
Mrs. Steinmiller will probably not urge
her complaint, and the authorities here
will surrender the man to The san Fran
cisco officer.
1t is now claimed that detectives have
been on the Counts trail ever since he
left san Francisco and came here. and the
police had him located two or three weeks
ago.
s.SNIITT'S', OPERATIONS.