East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-08-05
THIS NOBLEMAN
A ROBBER BARON
TITLED FOREIGNER
WORKS SOCIETY WOMEN.
Frederick Won Gordon Leefeld Swim
dies Wealthy New York Widow
Moved in Best Society at Nara
gansett Pier-IIas an Interesting
Police Record.

Members OF the fashionable sum-
mer colony at Narragansett Pier who
have been entertaining the handsome
Gordon Leefeld will be surprised to
learn that he has an interesting po-
lice record and that he is badly
wanted In New York on charge OF
grand larceny, says the New York
World.
A dispatch was sent from police
headquarters yesterday afternoon to
the police OF Narragansett Pier, re-
questing them to retain the baron
until a warrant for his arrest can be
forwarded. He disappeared suddenly
from this city about six weeks ago,
and Inspector McCafferty's detect
ives have been searching for him
ever since. aia
The Charge Against the Baron.
The complainant against the baron
is Mrs. Louise Il. Cammack, veal
thy widow, well known in select So
clal circles, who in May last was liv-
ing at the Waldorf-Astoria. She met
the baron and his pretty American
wife, and was much impressed In
their favor. The baroness, a member
of one Of the most aristocratic fam
lilies in New orleans, married the for
eigner two years ago, much against
the wishes OF her parents. Mrs. cam
mack told the detectives that the
baron had represented himself as the
silent partner in the banking house
OF Learned, Hooley & Smith OF No.
Is Broad street, with branch office
AT the Waldorf-Astoria. She COM
missloned him to buy for her seven
shares of Union Pacific stock, for
which. she alleges, she paid 1886, on
Nav II. I'm cash. The stock, she de-
clares. was never delivered to her.
and son after its purchase the baron
disappeared.
Mrs. Cammack consulted her at
torney. Massey Holmes of No 81
William street, and he took her TO
District Attorney Jeromes office,
where the complaint was made. The
district attorney summoned a repre-
sentative Of Learned. Hooley Smith.
who informed him that the baron had
no connection with the firm.
The New York police obtained their
first clue to Leefleld's whereabouts
yesterday in a brief newspaper dis
patch saying that he had been ar
rested in Boston on complaint Of
william Mathewson, proprietor OF one
OF the largest hotels at Narragansett
Pier, and that he had been sent back
a prisoner to answer the charge OF
beating TIE hotel out OF $685. When
arrested he was preparing to sail for
England He spent last night in the
custody of the sheriff OF Washington
county, r. l.. He was charged also
by Fred Mansfield, proprietor Of the
Crown hotel in Providence, with hav-
ing cashed on Monday last a worth
less check for 5000. He made set
tlement yesterday by giving Mans
field $50 in cash and the balance in
personal property. The check was
drawn on the Knickerbocker Trust
company of New York.
Ieefield was arrested In this city
in December, 1905, on complaint Of
the Countess Ilka Kinsky-Palmay, an
opera singer. who charged him with
having obtained $4,000 from her by
false representations. She said that
one day. in apparent distress, and
threatening suicide, he told her he
had purchased an automobile for
$4,000, on which he owed $4,000;
that his chauffeur had disappeared
with the machine, and that II he did
not pay the $4,000 Immediately he
would be sent to prison. There was
a remittance due from home, he told
the countess. out of which he would
repay her II she would give him the
$4,000. When she suggested that he
complain to the police, he confided to
her that he was a secret agent OF the
German government. and that the
police must not know of his presence
in this country. The countess gave
him the $4,000 and after waiting sew
eral weeks for his remittance to ar
rive had him arrested. He was adj
mitted to bail, became fugitive
from Justice was rearrested in Phil
adelphia and was tried before Re-
corder Goff. The jury disagreed.
After he had lain in the Tombs for a
time he settled with the countess for
5000 in cash, and the balance in
promises.