The morning call., 1894-03-21


others, and that the said Hermina Knapp !:
now under control of John Harold Freyschla 2
who has taken advantage OF her mental con
dition TO obtain from her without CONSIDER atinr
and by reason Of force. fraud aud unuue infiu
ence The properly known as til Rucker ranct
and Lone Hill Vineyard and other pieces o
valuable property.
Accompanying the petition are mum.
Der of affidavits which are offered in sup
port of the charges made. They have
been sworn TO by persons of such promi-
nence as to make them worthy of some
cons Iteration and contain statements
which, If true. brand John Harold Frey
schlag as an unfeeling and heartless
rascal.
Mrs. Knapp is now, and for many years
has been, firm believer in many of the
doctrines taught by believers in spiritual
ism. At the time of her brothers death
she explained to his attorney. ex-Judge
Rhodes of this city, that his passing away
was but temporary and that he would
soon return TO her.
''There is no DEATH" said she. "Our
bodies are taken off. but our spirits live
Ou forever"
To John Harold Freyschlag she made
the same statement. and in doing so made
known to him a weakness which he
afIeEward converted into a means by
which he gained control of her property.
Her home was broken up by the death
of Christian FIeyschlag. and as there was
no other friendly door open to her she de-
termined to spend the rest Of her days in
the Old Ladies' Home of San Jose.
A check for $500 was given to secure a
life's berth and the old and friendless
woman moved into her new abode.
For several months she lived there, aD-
parently forgotten by all who had ever
known her and with no other enjoyment
than that which she found in the anticlpa-
tion Of the return of her brothers. spirit
Then one day her nephew called upon her
and in the course of his visit diyulged a
great secret.
Christian Freyschlag's spirit had re-
turned and taken up its abode in the body
of John Harold Freyschlag's child.
From that day on Mrs. Knapp became
changed noman.
The Old Ladies' Home lost all its at
fractions 10 her. She wanted to be near
the child which contained the spirit of her
brother, and could find neither comfort nor
rest anywhere else.
This condition of affairs quickly became
known to John Freyscnlag and he quickly
took advantage Of it.
His visits to his aunt became more fre-
quent. and on each occasion some message
from her brothers spirit was delivered.
Finally 1t was proposed that the old
lady should give up her residence at the
home and go TO live with John and his
child, so that she could always be near
the spirit of Christian. OF course she
readily consented 10 the proposal and
quickly made the change.
From that time on she has been COM
pletely under the control of her nephew
and virtually a prisoner in his house.
True, she is not kept under lock and occa-
sionally goes out. but never except when
in company with her nephew.
All that iranspired after Mrs. Knapp
went TO live with John Freyschlag is not
known. for great care is taken 10 prevent
the secrets of the house on Lone Hill Vine
yard from making their way into the outer
world. This much. however, is familiar 10
all San Jose.
One day about three months ago the old
lady, accompanied by her nephew, went to
the Office OF the County Clerk of Santa
Clara County and caused to be recorded a
deed by which all her property passed into
the possession Of John Freyschlag. No
consideration was named in the deed nor
was any reason assigned for the generous
act. but Mrs. K a. D afterw ard explained
that the transfer haG been made because
her brother had ordered it.
In working cut this scheme Freyschlag
allowed his greed for wealth to get the
better OF his reason. and arranged a deed
which made no provisions for the payment
of any debts which Mrs. Knapp had con-
tracted. Even the note given to the Old
Ladies' Home was ignored, and it was that
fact which first aroused suspicion.
Then the manner in which the woman
was guarded after she signed the deed also
caused comment.
The watch kept upon her while the
spiritualistic scheme was being worked up
was nothing as compared with the close
scrutiny to which she was afterward sub
jected. No one was ever allowed TO see
her except in the presence of her nephew.
and then he invariably DID all the talking
for her. Whenever she veDtured out he