The San Francisco call., 1909-12-16
AGED WOMAN DECOY
IN FAKE MARRIAGE
Old Man Alleges That Arrested
Women and AccOmplice Bum
koed Him Out of SITS

The victim of a fake marriage and a
fake lodging house transaction by
which he was heeced of S775. Bernard
Deppe, an aged German, yesterday
caused the arrest of Mrs. Solomon
Lowenberg of 1853 Geary street and
Mrs. George p. Martin of 1924 Sutter
street. on charge of swindling
through trick and device. Mrs. Martin,
the wife" whom Deppe gained as a
result of visit TO the matrimonial bu-
reau conducted by the other woman,
confessed to Detectives Bunner and
Freel that Deppe was bunkoed out of
his money. The S775 represented the
old mans entire savings.
Mrs. Lowenberg has conducted what
she termed in her advertising the only
reliable matrimonial bureau In
search of q wife, Deppe called upon her
and confided in Mrs. Lowenberg his
ideal of a life mate. First taking from
him s25 as fee, the keeper of the
''oniy reliable" introduced him TO Mrs.
Martin. This woman is nearly 20 years
old, and looks it. Deppe hesitated a
little. but in the end decided TO accept
the elderly widow Mrs. Lowenberg
issued to him what she called a
marriage license" and herself per-
formed the ceremony, purporting to
join him in a contract marriage with
Mrs. Martin, according TO the story
Deppe tells the police.
DISCOVER SAVINGS
1t was after the marriage" that the
two women discovered that Deppe had
$775 in the German savings bank. They
at once set about inveigling it from
him, Deppe says, and his story is con-
firmed by the confession of Mrs. Mar
tin. They succeeded in inducing him
TO draw his savings from the bank to
be invested in a lodging house at 1924
Sutter street. The house was sup
posed to be the property of Mrs. j.
Stokes. who. the police say, was one
of the conspirators. 1t is almost naked
of furnishings. A fictitious receipt for
$3.50 was given Mrs. Martin by Mrs.
Stokes. but according to the woman
who sustained the role of wife" the
$3.50 did not really change hands, a
few dollars being passed under the
table in order to deceive Deppe. Ii
was Mrs Lowenberg who negotiated
the transaction, according to Deppe
and Mrs. Martin.
Still, Deppe did not suspect he was
the victim of a swindle until a week
later What awakened him from his
dream OF welded bliss was his relega-
tion to the kitchen by Mrs. Martin.
He was told to sleep there and other
wise treated in manner calculated to
make a newly married man angry.
Beginning to suspect he had been
bunkoed. Deppe demanded the return
Of his money. 1t was refused him and
he reported the matter to the police.
Before doing SO he went to the county
clerks Office with the marriage
license" Mrs. Lowenberg had issued
him and ascertained 1t was worthless.
VICTIM TELLS STORY
Il entered into the marriage in good
faith said Deppe last night. Il gave
Mrs. Lowenberg s775 to buy lodging
house for my wife and me, but was
tricked out of the money. found later
I had neither wife nor an interest in
the lodging house."
Although Mrs. Martin admits the
whole thing was a Svindle, Mrs. Low
enberg declares the transaction was
honest and denies having participated
IN a mock marriage of Deppe and
Mrs. Martin.
Mrs. Stokes, whom the police are
seeking. came into public view some
months ago, when Christ Johnson, the
notorious bigamist now serving term
of six years in San Quentin, proposed
marriage to her.