The San Francisco call., 1909-12-03
|ASTRO ANXIOUS TO
MARRY GIRL DUP[
Wedding Would Prevent Young
Woman Testifying Against
Alleged Swindler
Second Victim Complains That
''Seer" Secured Large
Sum by Fraud

Claude Alexander Astro. also known
Claude Conlin, clairvoyant and dis
coverer of fraudulent stepdaughters, is
making every effort to marry Stella,
Marteli, the girl who, as Stella lyman,
persuaded James A. O'Keny, a Coos bay
resident, that she was his long lost
foster child and also succeeded in ex-
tracing $1,000 from the Oregon man.
Astro had Miss Martell removed yes
terday from the Lane hospital to the
Adler sanatorium without notifying the
police and, after Mrs. Martell. the girls
mother, had refused to. allow the seer
to marry her daughter, he disappeared
from his apartments at the Malta. TAX
ing his 8 year old child with him, and
told the hotel management that he
would return between midnight and 9
o'clock this morning to secure his
trunks.
Astro intends to get out of the state,
the police believe. If he, does not sue
ceed in marrying the girl If she be-
comes his wife she will be prevented
by law from testifying against him,
and then the police will have a hard
time proving the case OF fraud and de-
ceit with which he is charged
GIRLS MOTHER OPPOSES MATCH
Detective Joseph Redmond says that
Miss Martel has been spirited away by
Astro in order to get her mother to
consent to the wedding, but Mrs. Mar
tell is bitterly opposed to the match.
She, too, has disappeared, however,
from her rooms at the Larsen hotel in
Eddy street, and Redmond believes that
Astro has persuaded her to leave so
that he may argue with her concerning
the marriage.
Mrs. Martell arrived from Los An
geles yesterday and was taken to the
Lane hospital to see her daughter The
meeting between the two was affecting
and the mother declared she would take
the girl back home as soon as the op-
Grafton the young woman must undergo
has been performed.
SECOND ALLEGED VICTIM
Another supposed victim of Astro
called at police headquarters yesterday
and asked Captain Anderson to assist
her in recovering from Astro $3.50,
which he obtained from her April 6,
1905, to invest for her in mining stock
whereby he assured her she would
make a fortune. She was Miss Leoncie
Bernard. who is living with a friend
at 23 Grand street
The girl recently came from Ger
many and does not understand the Eng
lish language very Well She brought
$3.50 with her. and while Astro had an
office at 1917 Post street she called
there to have her fortune told She
asserts he told her she would become
wealthy and drew from her that she
had $3.50. He explained to her that he
was in a position to invest money in
mining stock which would increase
rapidly in value, and so worked upon
the girl that April 8, 1908. she gave him
the money and received a promissery
note, payable one year from date, which
she looked upon as receipt for the
money. Interest was to be payable at
the rate Of s per cent, but she asserts
she has received neither the principal
nor the interest, nor the mining stock.
CASE FOR CIVIL COURTS
Captain Anderson sent her to the
bond and warrant clerks office, but a
warrant was refused. as the matter was
one for the civil courts, the only re-
course being suit TO recover on the
promiSsory note. The girl will be in.
court this morning, when Astro and
Stella lyman will appear on the charge
of grand larceny by trick and device
on complaint OF James A. O'Keily, the
towboatman of Coos bay. An effort
will then be made to compel him to re-
turn the $3.50 to her. He signed the
note as Claude Alexander"
Horace Harcourt the alleged accom-
plice OF Astro, was arraigned in Judge
Shortalfs court yesterday on the
O'Kelty charge and on the charge pre-
ferred against him by Manuel Urrutia
Gundian, seaman The cases were
continued until today.
The police are puzzled to know just
what Astro's real name is. His brother,
who put up the $1,000 cash bail for him
and the woman. gave the name of C. A.
Conlin 1t is said that Astro has
wealthy relatives in the east.
nATDnI MAN DDINEC 0EE