Los Angeles herald., 1909-04-25
BRAND ENBERG DECLARES HE
is Prosecuted
NOTED AUTHOR is INDICTED ON
TWO COUNTS
Writer Is Said to Have Forged Letter
Purporting to Come from Grover
Cleveland and Which He
Sold
tBy Associated Press.l

/ ~
IN ton Brandenberg, novelist and
~ magazine writer, who was ar
rested here last night as a fugitive
from justice in New York, on charge
of grand larceny in connection with a
political article claimed to have been
written by the late Grover Cleveland,
declares he is the "Dreyfus of America
and has been made the "scapegoat of
politics."
| Shortly before the election last year
| he sold the Cleveland article to the
New York Times, which published 1t
after F. S. Hastings. Cleveland's exc
utor, had pronounced the signature
genuine.
! Later Hastings declared the letter
was a forgery and Brandenberg was
| indicted on two counts, one for forgery
and one for grand larceny. The for
gerry charge was dropped and Branden-
| berg was released on $500 bail to ap-
pear February / for trial on the other
charge. He failed to appear when the
| case was called, and the police of the
entire country have been searching for
him ever since.
| With the writer. when he was ar
rested at q local hotel, was his small
SIepSOI JdInCS CdDdilue Ol 0l. LOuiSs
| Brandenberg had registered as d. w.
L. Leonard of London, and after hay
| ing been taken into custody explained
| this was a family name under which
he had been travelling for months all
over the United States. He claims he
| has been working on a great Industrial
scheme and that had he not been inter
fered with here he would have realized
$4,000 within the next year and re-
turned to New York to face his ac-
cusers.
Police Follow Closely
The police have been closely on his
| trai, for several days and the arrest
was accomplished through descrip-
tion sent broadcast. including the alias
under which he had been travelling.
When he inquired for telegram for
Leonard" at his hotel the clerk re-
membered the police warning and tele-
phoned for an officer.
Brandenberg left Ogden Wednesday,
! On the train he learned that two little
| boys with whom his son had struck up
an acquaintance were travelling alone
to their mother in this city and under
| took to see them safely delivered. To
the mother OF these children. Mrs. Hose,
100 Elizabeth street, he was to intrust
| his stepson until his affairs are
Strengthened out.
Discussing the allegation that he
| 'faked" the Cleveland article, which
criticised William ]. Bryan and lauded
President Taft, he said:
"The fact that the sentiments ex-
pressed were those of Mr.. Cleveland
has been proved by private correspon-
dence which the former president had
with other friends. He often wrote
for pay while he was president of the
advisory board of the Equitable Life
Assurance society, and 1t was in his
90 t6of nd a
the articles 1t was there also that
1 received the article from him.
Says He Is Innocent
sT have committed no crime except
in the eyes Of those who think / tried
| to do something for the Republican
party. Does anyone really believe that
/ would take a chance on being dis
graced for the $500 1 received for the
article 1 sold to the Times? Power
full influences sought my conviction be-
cause of the effect the paper had on
the campaign. The Democratic CEN
trail committee commenced the CAM
paign, and then two big newspapers
got into the fight against me.
''My sole aim since I left New York
city, January 81, has been to earn
enough money to enable me to fight
for vindiQation. I have wandered all
over the country, visiting small towns,
|
ticles. I have been in danger con-
stantly of being discovered and have
| had many narrow escapes"
| Brandenberg says many friends have
assured him he will have the best
legal talent in the city to defend him.
His first stop after leaving New York
was at Harrington, Del, and then he
worked on his Industrial scheme in
any other small towns. April he re-
many other small towns. April he re-
mained three days; then visited Buff
falo, Cleveland, Fort Wayne, ST.
Louis, Chicago, Lincoln, Denver, Salt
Lake and Ogden, in most of which
cities he stopped for short periods to
| do some work.
Gives Experiences
Regarding his experiences while try
ing to dodge the police during the last
three months, Brandenberg related a
| thrilling tale today.
Z He told how at Harrington, Del, pos
! ing as DR.. Carl Rheinder German
automobile agent and as a physician,
| to account for his intelligence and edu-
| cation, he became popular in society,
and how in Bridgeville, little town
nearby, he managed a poolroom of
which the town was trying to rid it,
| SELF and became involved in shoot
| ing affair which led to feud He
described narrow escapes from arrest
in New York and elsewhere, and how,
later, he kidnapped his small stepson.
James Cabanne, from the childs grand
mothers home in st. Louis and spirit
ed the little one away in a wicker
| basket.
81 have been arrested so many times
during the last three months" said
Brandenberg in the city prison this
morning, ''that this is rather Il
| familiar situation. have become used
to these things" pointing to the iron
bars of his cell, "and my experiences
have been so narrowing that only the
knowledge that / am right has sus-
| tanned me.
"My wife, who is in New York, knows
all about my predicament, and when
took her son from the home of his
grandmother in ST. Louis, / acted with
her authority. / had learned that he
was not being properly cared for, and
we determined, handicapped as I was.
to take him to California, whittier Mrs.
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