Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-06

Is Anton Besold a second Johann
| Hoch?
Is the alleged slayer Of [ .ddie Bes-
old of the same type of the ruthless
Chicago Bluebeard, who killed more
| than dozen women in order to Sc
cure small sums Of money?
Such are the questions now under
consideration by Sheriff White regard
| ing the Bavarian butcher now in the
! county bastile and Deputy Sheriff
| Charles Gilbert, whose detective work
| brought the mystery of the Temescal
canyon to it's present situation, waves
| a marriage license, the latest bit of
evidence discovered, and answers that
with two months time and funds he
could probably startle the world with
| the story of Besod's practices.
Yesterday a surprise was concocted
for Besolds benefit and Friday he will
be the guest at the surprise party to
be given before Justice Young of the
| township court. For on that day the
preliminary examination Of the al
legged murderer will be resumed. and
Besold will again appear in court and
listen to the story told by the last of
his alleged victims, Mrs. Martha
Pickett, now Mrs Martha Besold,
whom the alleged slayer married at
Santa Ana shortly after the body OF
Claddie Besold was discovered in the
Temescal canyon.
The latest bit of evidence, which was
missing link against the accused
man, came to light about a week ago.
At that time Deputy Gilbert happened
to be overlooking some of Besolds
papers found in an old telescope.
Finds Marriage License
One paper, an official document ad-
dressed to Anton Bartenstein, proved
highly interesting, inasmuch as 1t con-
tanned a marriage license in which
Anton Won Bartenstein, As years of
age, a native of Switzerland and a
resident of San Francisco, had given
his hand in marriage to Mrs. Martha
d. Pickett, 43 years of age, native of
Kentucky and resident of San Fran
cisco. The document had been issued
at Santa Ana during the middle of
August and the marriage had occurred
on August 81, Justice of the Peace
Edward Smithwick performing the
ceremony. Miss May Coulter and w.
B. Williams, deputy county clerks, had
witnessed the ceremony, and all these
| people have been subpoenaed as wit
nesses With that document in his
possession Gilbert went to Santa Ana
and there secured a description of the
couple from the witnesses. The de-
scription tailed exactly with that of
Besold.
The next move of the deputy was to
locate Mrs. Pickett, or rather Mrs.
Besold, number or f. She was found
at a rooming house on Figueroa street
and at first denied having ever known
Besold until confronted with the mar
riage license, when she admitted her
identity and told Gilbert the whole
story.
Told BesoId of Property
She said she had met Anton Besold
at his butcher shop on Eighth street
near Figueroa, about six months ago,
soon after his arrival in Los Angeles,
and after he had bought out an in
terest in the butcher shop. She had
been a widow and she said Besold was
gallant wooer. Mrs. Pickett talked
to her Anton of property she owned in
Dolgeville, of her interest in board
ing house which she conducted at
Eighth and F'igueroa streets, and at
last he slipped a diamond ring on her
finger and she promised to be his wife.
The diamond was one he had former
ly given to his wife, 1t Is said. He ex-
planned to Mrs. Pickett that his wife
was his sister-in-law, his brother S
wife, and that he was taking care of
her. The explanation was satisfac-
tory, especially since the women had
said about it.
Then about the first week in July,
according to Mrs. Pickett's statements,
Besold told her that he must take a
| trip to his home in Geneva, Switzer-
land, and that upon his return he
would claim her for his own. About
that time, according to the allegations
of the state, Besold killed his wife,
and he has been carefully traced dur
fFar. tIa s,. III N.,i., -
Washington and San Francisco.
When he returned he added the
won to the middle Of HIS name SO
that 1t would have a sort of nobleman
effect, and he and Mrs. Pickett eloped
to Santa Ana and were married and
then returned to Los Angeles.
Would Not Work
But that was only the beginning OF
the plan figured out by Besold. He re.
fused to go to work at Dolgeville wher
his wife suggested it. He induced hel
to sell her property and she cleared
$1,000. According to the statements ol
Mrs Pickett, her husband wanted hel
to change the money into Swiss money
so that she would realize about 5000 OF
the change. They were then to go tC
Geneva on honeymoon trip.
But Mrs. Pickett had not been II
business for herself for nothing. sh,
refused to deliver up the money, bu
placed II with an abstract company Il
keep for her until the return from thu
honeymoon trip.
The morning following her announce
ment to Besold that she would leav,
her money in Los Angeles she went to
dressmaker's to have dress fitted, anC
when she returned Besold her diamond
engagement ring. trunk. all his belong
ings and her marriage license had dis
appeared.
, She heard nothing more from hin
, until the picture OF the alleged muir
derer of the Temescal appeared In tn
local newspapers, and then she knew o