Los Angeles herald., 1905-05-28

tents of the house, which, of course,
were not hers to pledge, Mime. Hartert
borrowed $4,000 from professional
money-lender to use as working capt.
tai in her projected occupation.
Entered s-ciety Through a Pew
Her next move was to secure admit
tance into good circles of society. She
rented a pew at a fashionable church,
and was unfailing in her attendance on
Sunday mornings and evenings. She
subscribed to charities and took an ac-
tive part in bazaars arranged for
benevolent purposes. Soon people be-
gan to take an interest in the widow
whose dress was immaculate and who
seemed to have command of unlimited
supplies of money. But Nine. Hartert
was playing dangerous game. The
$4,000 which she had borrowed ap-
preached exhaustion at a very early
stage of her career. She paid $500
toward her house rent, $1,000 to her
dressmakers and $1500 on account to her
furnishers, leaving only $4,000 to launch
herself into society.
Her efforts were successful in that di-
rection, however, and in remarkably
short period of time Nine. Hartert's
house became the resort of numerous
men and women belonging to the up
Per classes of society. There were plen-
ty of penniless young men of noble
birth. who offered themselves as can
didates for the hand of the supposedly
wealthy widow. 1t was among this
class of visitors that Nine. Hartert OBJ
tained her victims.
Posing as good friend who was in
clined to help them out of their finan-
cial embarrassments, Nine Hartert Of
fered to procure loans for them from
professional money-lenders, Offering
herself to be their security. A typical
case of this kind was exposed in the
course of the recent trial.
Borrowed Money for an Officer
One of Nine. Harterts visitors was
Baron Maltzahn, a lieutenant in the
German army, who soon confided to her
that he was threatened with ruin be-
cause he could not pay debts amount
ing to $4,000 Nine. Hartert said to
Baron Maltzahn:
Il cannot lend you the money my
self, but my credit will enable me to
borrow it from a money-lender for you.
Your own credit is so bad thai you
possibly cannot borrow the money your
self. | will give the money-lender a
pro nissory note and you can give one
to me for the same amount. | feel
quite safe i'm doing you this favor. be-
cause know that you as an officer will
certainly pay your debts to a lady"
Nine. Hartert then borrowed $4,000
from a money lender, giving him
promssory note for $4,000 in return.
Two days later she informed Baron
Maltzahn that she had been able to get
the required sum of $4,000, but that
she had been compelled to give the
money lender a promissory note for
$25 900, payable in three months, Baron
Maltzahn, who was a careless young
fellow, accordingly gave Mime. Hartert
promissory note for $4,000, and the
two became better friends than ever.
AS the time approached for the re-
payment of the sum to Nine, Hartert,
Baron Maltzahn, whose expectations in
other directions were disappointed, be-
gan to grow extremely uneasy and
Mime. Hartert carefully fostered his dis
tress by telling him that she could not
possibly repay the money lender and
that all her furniture would be dis
trained unless he fulfilled his obliga-
tions at the appointed time. One day
when Baron Maltzahn was confessing