The record-union., 1896-05-24
JOSEPH E. BLANTHER
is WELL-KNOWN TO THE POLICE
AT CHICAGO.
Forced to Leave That City Abruptly
by the Expose of His Swind-
ling Operations.

for the murder of Mrs. Philippena
Langfeldt, is known to the police in
Chicago, and a detective remarked this
afternoon to United Press reporter:
1T would not surprise me in the least
to find that Joseph E. Blanther the al
legged Austrian Count whose career of
swindling operations in both Europe
and America has been brought to a eli
max by the murder in San Francisco,
is in Chicago"
This statement and the grueSOme
murder in San Francisco recall to the
minds of many people who occupy places
in the foremost ranks of Chicago So
ciety the startling chapters which were
interspersed in the history Of the beau
monde by the lightning hand Of the &C.
centric Count Won Blanther during the
latter's sojourn here some four years
ago. The suave Austrian of alleged
title, the expose of whose Swindling
operations caused him to leave the city
abruptly in the fall of 1891, is no other
than the suspected murderer of Mrs.
Langfeldt, the wealthy widow of the
Pacific Coast city.
Blanther entered the lists of Chica-
go's society with the eclat Of an unex-
pected comet. Later he fled to Canada
to escape the sleuths who were sent
after him. The detectives were finally
persuaded to let him escape. 1t is now
known that the alleged Count was far
too we'll acquainted with several skele-
tons of the dark closet variety, the rat
Ting of which would have caused un-
precedented eruptions in social circles
of the elite.
Count Blanther has cracked cham
pagne with boon companions from one
end Of Chicago to the other his bills be-
ing footed by friends to whom he grant
ed the honor of loaning him large
sums. His swindling excursions con-
tinued interruptedly until the jealousy
of his wife caused her to expose his op-
erations.
The Austrian was compelled to leave
his own country because the authori
ties were making things too warm for
him, and causing his path to assume a
direction prisonward. He carried pa
pers which We're intended to set forth
his connection with the noble families,
and these served as the open sesame"
tc all circles of society.
His few years residence IN this city
was also marked, it is said, by his rob-
bing the house of Mrs. T. j. Rendell
617 West Monroe street, where he lived
for some tine. Several conflicting sto-
ries are told concerning the man. The
police charge that several fashionable
residents of La Sale avenue and of
the South Side can tell many startling
stories regarding the mans career in
Chicago.
Several of his former chums have en-
barked on the sea of matrimOny since
his sudden fall from the horizon, and
they are particularly chary in relating
their experiences with the titled Euro
pean.
Paul Bessems, an accountant who has
an office in the Chamber of Commerce,
remembers the Count vividly. They
were together frequently, and he seems
to regard the man as an eccentric,
though well-meaning fellow.
Others, however, have a different
opinion of Blanther.
THAT man Blanther has ended as ?
expected" said an officer of a detective
agency who was acquainted with the
willy Austrian. HE was compelled to
leave his mother country on account of
wholesale swindling operations which
he was conducting. The woman who
came with him and lived with him as
his wife had been the wife of a banker
IL Austria. When they went to the
Renden boardinghous she had silk
dresses by the score which were too
large and too long for her. The tall
Austrian, on the other hand, had suits
by the tens which were too small for
him. Where did they get these gar
ments? Why he was as clever thief
as this country has seen for many a
day.
When he came to Chicago he lived
at the Rendell House for a time, then
he and the lady with him moved to
Madison Park, from there to Indiana
or Prairie avenue, and then to house
on Ogden avenue. He worked for some
time for the firm of Rand, McNally &
Co., and invented a process for print
ing raised maps. He signed contract
with a gentleman granting the latter
the privilege of using his patent Then
he talked with another man. The latter
offered the first party $4,000 for the fell
lows release from the first contract.
This was accepted, the scheme failed,
and Blanther was kicked out of the
Palmer House by the second man. He
is said to have robbed the Rendell
House. and we would have fastened the
crime on him had prominent people not
asked that the whole thing be sup
pressed and dropped