The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-18
Special to The Journal.


Y ADYSMITH, Wis, Nov. 1.-THE
Il brief but spectacular career of
Baron Ernest Raban Won Senden-
Bibram as citizen of Ladysmith for
seven months may be said to have been
"opened with brass band and closed
with the sheriff.
In that short space Of time this titled
nobleman Of the royal family Of Ger
many not only succeeded in squander-
ing $4,000 in cash and contracting
debts to the amount of $4,000, but III
his manner Of living he gave his fellow
citizens something to talk about, for
many years to come.
The ignominious ending of his
meteoric career here involved the sale
by the sheriff under execution Of his
nishings and his stable appointments in
a string of four fancy "docked'
horses.
His retinue Of servants and native
German coachman, were all left stranded
in Ladysmith and some Of them with
claims against the baron for labor.
Many local business concerns and indi-
viduals also were left with unpaid bills.
The baron and baroness quietly went
to Chicago in October and failed to re-
turn. Then followed shortly afterward
the attachment of their belongings by
creditors.
The sale of their effects, in view of
the sensational way in which they had
lived here, attracted wide interest
and local citizens bid in numerous arti-
cles that were offered just to keep as
mementOes Of the eccentric baron.
These will no doubt be handed down to
future generations as articles that be-
longed to a nobleman, who once chose
this peaceful inland town in the tim
Der regions of Wisconsin for his home.
Looked the Part.
In personal appearance the baron
looked his royal station. Robust and
with fierce mustache and military
bearing he made deep impression up
on the populace here and in the sur
rounding timber country. He was At
and claimed to be a resident of Sachsin,
Germany.
Little is known here Of his royal con-
nections or his ancestry. Socially no
one in Ladysmith or vicinity was quail
fed for his class, according to his no.
ton, and it is reported he instructed
the baroness never to visit any one in
the town.
The baroness, previous to her mar
rage, was Carolina Schmidtgall Of Chi
cago, whose mother is the widow of a
wealthy Chicago wine merchant. She
is said to reside on Park avenue N. The
marriage took place, it is reported, in
ton of romance which began at the
st. Louis exposition. Miss Schmidtgall
had fortune in her own right and her
mother also is in good circumstances.
The baron is said to have exhausted all
of his wife's cash and then began to
draw upon her mother and a sister.
This sister now has a mortgage for
$4,000 upon the heavily encumbered
home of the baron here, the claim be-
ing for cash loaned.
Deals for Realty.
The baron and wife landed here in
February, 1906. He had paid $1,000
of wild land considerably sly away away from from
civilization and was to make the next
payment Oct. l or lose his option. The
price made to him was something like
$4,000. This payment was defaulted
and the $1,000 was lost. When the
baron bought his residence here, he Sc
lected house that suited him from the
outside, then informed the owner, who
occupied it, that he must vacate. He
said 1t was not a matter Of price, that
he would pay, any price fixed by the
owner. The figure was set at $4,000.
The baron paid 81, 500 in cash and gave
a mortgage for $4,000 and this mort
gage still stands as the first lien on the
premises. ~- tM
The baron proceeded to alter the
property to suit his idiosyncratic taste.
He had large closet-c1ock built in the
wall Of his library and in this he kept
a>supply OF fine wines, champagnes and
cigars. Push buttons were placed in
every room in the house. To make the
architecture more pleasing, he had
porch constructed that almost complete
ly encircled the house. He had a flag
pole erected on each gable.
In all, it is said, he expended about
St, 900 in altering and furnishing the
house and premises. The place in ap-
pearance looked like the home of an un-
usual personage-and it was.
81 Kept the Flag There.
On one flag pole he kept the Ameri-
can flag. On the other was the German
flag. The latter he ordered his servants
to lower when he left the house and
hoist again upon his return.
The baron never was satisfied to be!
driven thru the streets of Ladysmith
at an ordinary gait, but his coachman
had orders to drive at break-neck speed
and as ne swept down the main thoro-
fare, with his German coachman in full
livery, there was considerable hurrying