Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-28
News of the Courts
LOVE FOR TOTS SENDS
MAN TO PENITENTIARY
Bad Check Passer Claims to Be
German Baron and Sol
dier of Fortune

A penitentiary sentence, resulting
from his love for children, was given
yesterday to Adolphus Ethelbert Won
Dankberg, who declares that he is a
German count and has served in seven
wars under four different flags.
Dankberg, who heretofore has kept
his identity a secret because he de-
sired to keep from shame family OF
the German nobility which after years
of residence in castles upon the River
Rhine has made it's home at Frankfort
on-the-M Main, has declared himself to
be German nobleman.
Although his assertions are doubted
by some authorities, his appearance
certainly gives a semblance of truthful
ness to his words. His mustache as
cends heavenward, q la hirsute adorn-
ments of the upper lip of Kaiser Will
helm; his eyes are of the corn-fiower
blue, and his accent is German to the
last degree. He was arrested under
the quiet name of A. E. Dankberg on
the charge of issuing a check when he
had no funds in the bank, and he never
denied It, but asked for probation.
Finally he did admit that his troubles
were caused by his fondness for chill
dren, his liking for the little ones in
general being increased by his separa-
ton from his wife and two tiny daugh-
ters in Germany and his resultant
lonesome heart"
In the latter part Of last June he
formed the acquaintance of Virginia,
7 years old, and Dorothy and John,
twins, years old, the children of Mr..
and Mrs. William Brizzalari of 627
South Grand avenue, the keepers of a
rooming house. He confessed his lik-
ing for children and asked the mother
to permit him to play with them, to
give them candy and to take them to
moving picture shows.
ADMITS CHECK BAD
Because he was strange, Dankberg
alleges, the mother feared him, and to
make the love of the children for him
stronger because of his desire to in
crease the happiness of all children" I"
he decided to purchase jewelry for
them. He went to the establishment of
Max Klich July and bought two tiny
bracelets, one each for the two little
girls, and a pair of tiny cuff buttons
for the little boy of the BriZzalaris. He
gave a check on the Southern Trust
company for $40 and received 81 change.
He admitted he had no money in the
bank at the time, but declared he was
expecting enough to cover the instru-
ment He gave the jewelry to the
children, and shortly after the presenta-
tion was led to the police court, where
he was held to answer to the superior
court.
Yesterday he told the story of his
own unhappiness, of theGwife, of the
two little daughters in Germany, for
whose reunion with himself he continu-
ally yearned, and he even confessed
that he had issued another check for
SIS for a revolver at Hoegee's store,
also under the belief that he would
have money in the bank to cover his
paper
But despite his pitiful plea he was
sentenced by Judge Davis of the Grim
inal department of the superior court
to serve eighteen months in the peni-
tentiary at San Quentin.
Dankberg os a dashing man. appear
ing only about So years old, but con-
Tossing to SO, and declares that he has
served with honor in seven wars, under
the flags of Germany, France, Portugal
and England, winning the title of ma
jor on his merits and not because of
his forbears.