The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-31
FLED FROM HER CRIMES,
A Clever Adventures Leaves
Her Victims in a
Tangle.
MoRTGAGED GOODS DISAPPEAR
Peculiar circumstances Under
Which Missing Piano Was
Recovered.

1t took DIR. Johanna Weiss, who has dis
honored several aliases besides her own
name, Just one week to fully hedge one OF
the most entangled civil and criminal cases
that has confronted the attorneys and
courts of this City for some time. And,
worst of all, after she had set half a dozen
or more people by the ears, she inconsider-
ately went away and left her credit
ors and former friends to find their re-
spective ways, as best they could, out of
the maze she had wantonly created.
On May Is last she appeared in the office
of Bier & Regensburger, money-brokers,
and stated she desired to negotiate loan
of $3.50 on the furniture and piano at her
residence and sanitarium combined, 1923
Geary street. She came with good refer
ences and represented that all the property,
which she would mortgage as security for
the loan, was her own. After what was
considered proper investigation of her
representations the money was advanced
and chatteI mortgage taken by the
brokers, which instrument was duly
recorded.
Four days later she secured another loan
of $50 on the piano, already mortgaged to
Bier & Regensburger, from Harry Ankel a.
Co., also money brokers. This time she
gave the name of Mariana Jauny.
One day later, on the 18th of May, she
called in a number of dealers in second
hand furniture and sold the whole outfit of
her two-story establishment to Charles
Levy d Co.
When Bier & Regensburger discovered
that the property on which they held a
mortgage had been sold and removed with
out their knowledge and consent they i'm
n1oHiatplN called and formed Mr.
Levy of all the facts. He admitted the
purchase of the furniture for $500, but
denied that the piano was included in the
sale to him. His attention was particularly
drawn to the existence of a chattel mort
gage covering the goods bought by him,
and he was cautioned not to dispose of
them nor any portion of them. A demand
was then made for the property on behalf
of Bier & Regensburger, but Levy replied
that he understood his business and didn't
care whether the claimants had a chattel
mortgage on the property or not.
Bier d Regensburger then procured
writ of replevin and an attachment was
placed on the property. This action was
followed by the filing of an intervenor by
George II. Perry, counsel for Charles Levy
& Co. 1t was then considered best by the
counsel for Bier d Regensburger to release
the property, as 1t was believed that
Charles Levy was the owner of consider
aDIe real estate, anu, consequently, per-
fectly responsible for the amount involved.
Subsequent investigation, however, showed
that no property of any kind was on
record as being owned by Levy. 1t was
then decided to secure possession of the
disputed property by means of a search
warrant. Armed with the proper docu-
ment Levy's place of business was visited,
but not vestige of the furniture could be
found. Persistent search, however, discov-
cred it in the cellar of the residence of At
torney George H. Perry, in Alameda
County, whence it was removed to the new
City Hall and placed in the custody of the
Police Court to await its final disposition.
The piano was not found.
Then began the work OF securing the miss
ing musical instrument. A separate search
warrant was taken out for this purpose.
and the piano was finally traced to the
house of Captain Rogers, at 1859 Fol-
som street. When the officer with the
warrant called the bell was answered by
Mrs. Rogers. She denied that the piano
in question was in the house and added
that there was no piano in the house at
all. Despite her assertions, the official in
sisted on carrying out his orders. The
house was entered, and in the first room
visited there was seen a fine instrument OF
the kind the officer was in search of. 1t
was not, however, the one he was after,
and his search was continued Other
from two to four pianos, there being in all
not less than dozen in the building. At
last the desired intrument was discovered
and it was quickly identified, notwith-
standing the fact that the little wooden
block set into the sounding board, on
which the number had been inscribed,
had been freshly chiSeled away. Posses
sion was Immediately taken of it and it
was removed to the new City Hall and
placed in the custody of the property
clerk of the Police Court.
From the expressman who brought the
piano to Captain Rogers place it was
learned that he had removed it from
came up for hearing in court Rogers pro-
duced a bill of sale, dated May 90 made to
him by Charles Levy & Co., though Levy
had previously denied ever having had
possession of the instrument. 1t was also
stated m court by Charles Levy & Co. that
the piano had been purchased by them on
March ID, last, though the instrument was
witnesses on the 18th of May
AS soon as the character of the woman's
transactions were known to Bier 81 Re-
gensburger they procured a warrant for Miss
Weiss arrest only to be too late, for it was
found that she had left for Baltimore on
the very day the warrant was issued. Nav
20 She was accompanied by her niece and
one OF her sons, and the tickets had been
bought in the name of Marks But the
prompt action of Bier & Regensburger re-
suited in the recovery of box of valuables
which had been left with the Pacific
Transfer Company for shipment to Balti-
more by Mrs. DR.. Weiss. The case was
addressed to Mary A. Stone. 1t is also
known that Mrs. DR.. Weiss is now in
Baltimore, she having arrived there on the
oath inst.
1t was further learned that the abscond-
ING physician had formerly resided on
Pacific avenue, between Buchanan and
Webster streets, and had only occupied
her last place of residence for three
months. She procured the rental of the
Geary-street house only after the exercise
of all her persuasive powers on the land
lady, Mrs. Goldsmith of 1920 Webster
street, and by taking lease of it for five
years.
She is credited with a most fascinating
address, and her general appearance, it is
stated, is calculated to disarm any sus-
picion of dishonorable intentions.
In this connection it is worthy of note
that the law providing for chattel mort
cages went into effect on March is, and
that the removal of property covered by
such a mortgage constitutes larceny. With
this knowledge Bier & Regensburger have
preDared q statement of the whole affair