The San Francisco call., 1909-02-19
EVENTS m THE COUNTIES BORDERING THE SAN FRANCISCO
Her STORY MAKES
BROTHER WEEP
w. IL. Strong Breaks Down
When Sister Tells Her
Experiences to Court

OAKLAND, Feb. 1S.-Marie Strong.
1s years old, for more than two weeks
a prisoner at the city jail accused of
grand larceny under the name of
Marie Brown, disclosed her identity as
the cultured daughter of a wholesale
druggist of Monmouth, Ore, on the
witness stand in the police court this
morning. She was facing her pre-
lminary examination for the alleged
robbery of a bachelor who entertained
her in the private box of an Eleventh
street restaurant, and at its conclusion
she was bound over to the superior
court in bail of 5000. advanced for her
freedom by her brother. w. II. Strong.
an attorney Of Portland.a Ore.
Miss Strong and her alleged accom-
plice, a girl known here as Claire Cur
tiss of Seattle, were arrested at 521
Ashbury avenue, San Francisco, three
weeks go by Detectives Kyle and Nc
Sorley. The police had been put on
their trail by Alexander McTeer and
Charles Arculing McTeer asserted
that while he amused Claire Curtiss
she had stolen his Jewels and $50. On
this charge she was examined and
held for t-ial, and the Curtiss girl is
now confined in the county jail, her
bail set at $4,000.
SISTER ADVISED TO TELL
The charge against Marie Strong,
known then only as Marie Brown. was
made by Arculing, who alleged the theft
Of diamond pin and gold watch. Miss
Strong would not reveal her identity,
and it was not until her brother and
an attorney, j. f. Brennan of San
Francisco, appeared before Police Judge
Samuels this morning that il was
known he cr{r hod vi In
this city
Her brother had heard OF her plight
and come to save her from the peni-
tentiary. He and Brennan advised the
defendant to tell her sordid experience
to the court. and in consequence Sam
uels reduced the bail to 5000 in order
that w H. Strong might rescue his
sister from cell.
He wept bitterly while he listened to
the girls testimony. and had to be led
from the courtroom before the pro-
ceedings were ended. Marie told the
judge that she was graduated some
time ago from large school at Port
land, and later from the Portland busi-
ness college. She said her family was
highly respected atMonmouth, her for
mer Oregon home city, and for that
reason she had concealed her relation
ship. She said she learned music, then
acquired stenography and went to Los
Angeles AT that city she found en-
ployment in a book store in Fifth
street
MEETS COLLEGE ACQUAINTANCE
While she was working there she met
Claire Curtiss, the Seattle girl, who
had been college acquaintance. They
became intimates again, and together
they began the course that led to the
Jail. The first step, Miss Strong said.
was learning to smoke cigarettes.
A few weeks ago the girls planned
to return to Portland. They stopped
off in Oakland, and here began their
secret intrigues with the gay bachelors
who sought the company of the young
women. For a while the girls lived at
the Gibson hotel: they removed to the
Athens, then to the Arcade, and finally
went to the Ashbury avenue house at
San Francisco.
ployed in Oakland, and to appear so
crossed the bay every day. On these
expeditions they found good living by
associating with bachelors; when they
needed clothing they became pick
pockets.
In her testimony the witness endeav-
ored to shield Claire Curtiss by posing
compelled under questioning to name
a San Francisco man, LIE Roy Wright.
who under the false name of John Ben
son pawned for $3.50 Arculings $50
diamond pin. the money being given to
Miss Strong. She also shielded this
person, so far unknown to the police,
although he is supposed to have come
to the bay region from Los Angeles in
the wake of the young women.
Miss Strong on being released on
bail accompanied her brother and attor-
ney to San Francisco. Strong is a
graduate of Stanford university and
highly connected in Oregon.