The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-13
WHAT THE POLICE KNOW ABOUT
GUSTAV BROMAN, THE BOLD
NAVIGATOR.
A BLACKMAILER AND WORSE
HIS SUPPOSED OBJECT IN MAKING
TRIP IN A TWELYE-FOoT
BOAT.

ticulars of whose proposed trip from
Marshfield, Or, to San Francisco in a
12-foot boat were published in yesterdays
CALL, is well known to the police in this
and other cities throughout the State.
Detective Anthony knows his history
well, and yesterday he related few of the
most important events.
About four years ago Broman made his
appearance in San Pedro, Los Angeles
County. He had a hotel-keeper there ar
rested for robbing him of 500, but at the
trial it was proved that it was nothing but
a matchmaking scheme on Broman's part
to extort money from the hotel-keeper and
the case was dismissed. He associated
with several women in the place and the
citizens uprose in their anger, tarred and
feathered him and drove him out of the
town.
He was next heard of at Santa Cruz,
where he and an imbecile brother lived in
a shanty. Broman obtained two in
surances on his brothers life, one for
$4,000 and the other for $4,000. Thirty days
later the shanty was burned to the ground
and the brother was cremated. The insur-
ance companies resisted payment and
Broman was arrested and charged with
murder and arson. At the first trial a
woman testified strongly against him, but
when he had a new trial her testimony
was the other way and Broman was dis
charged. He got the insurance money,
and it was afterward learned that he had
promised to give the woman a large sum
of money if she would not testify against
him on the second trial.
Broman then came to this city and OBJ
tanned employment as a conductor on the
Union-street line. He made himself very
attentive to several ladies and particularly
to Mrs. Leroy, a wealthy widow, on Vallejo
street: Finally, he proposed marriage to
Leroy believed all he wanted was her
money. He was not discouraged and
again pressed his suit, assuring her that he
was only actuated by love for herself and
in proof of that he gave her valuable
diamond ring.
About this time the woman in Santa
Cruz came to the city and told other con-
ductors on the Union-street line that as
Broman had failed to keep his promise to
pay her large sum of money she would
kill him.
The police here had meantime been mott
fed of his doings in San Pedro and Santa
Cruz and he was quietly but firmly
heard that the Santa Cruz woman was here
threatening to kill him, so he took the
advice and went to Mexico.
Broman remained in Mexico for a year
and returned to the State. He was next
heard of in Sacramento. He had been
stopping in the house of woman named
Brown and went to the Chief of Police
with story that he had been robbed of
$4,000 in the house. He obtained search
warrant and an officer accompanied him to
the dwelling. In one of the rooms he told
the officer to search under the carpet, and
three $40 gold pieces, which were marked,
were found. Broman explained that he
had heen robbed before and
then he always took the precaution of
marking his coin. He then told the officer
to look behind mirror and a diamond
ring was found.
1t was suspected that Broman was play
ing another matchmaking scheme, and an
officer came here from Sacramento to OBJ
tain his record. Mrs. Leroy, the widow on
Vallejo street, was subpenaed as witness,
and when Broman learned that he came
here before the trial of the Sacramento
case, and had the widow arrested for steal
ing the diamond pin which he gave her.
The case was heard in Judge Conlan's
court and Mrs. Leroy was acquitted. The
Judge advised her to have Broman ar
rested for perjury, and she swore out a
warrant, but it was not served upon him,
as it was thought it might affect the Sacra-
mento case.
The case in Sacramento was dismissed
and the Judge scored Broman for his at
tempt to blackmail the woman Brown He
left Sacramento and now be comes to the
front in Marshfield, Or, with his fool
hardy scheme to make a long voyage in
12-foot boat.
"My opinion is" said Detective An
thony, yesterday, "that Broman has a
well-laid scheme in making this trip, and
if he should start on it the boat will be
found bottom up on some beach. Broman
will probably have insured his life for q
big sum and after the boat is found con-
federate will apply for the insurance
money and he and Broman will share it,
That is my belief from my knowledge of
the man."