The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-03-23
GET DEATH CLAIM SWINDLERS
A COUNTESS IN HER MANSION,
BCTLER At THE PHONE.

4. =. Inspector Raids Big House In Hunt.
ington and Then Arrests =. y. How.
lands Scrvant-Getting Cash From
Relatives Of the Dead the Game.
The trail Of the band of swindlers who
have been getting easy money by care
fully scanning death notices and demand
ing from relatives Of dead persons cash
due on fictitious claims against estates
led United States Postal Inspector John
N. Parsons last night to the home Of Sam
uel s. Rowland at 43 East Forty ninth
street. There he arrested Mr.. Howland's
butler. BERTHE Kallenberg. as the man
who sent out the swindling letters under
the name Of c. W. Schmidt. Mr.. Rowland
is a brother-in-law OF August Belmont
and president Of the Washington Jockey
Club.
Earlier in the day Inspector Parsons
and Deputy Marshal Proctor Of Brook
lyn arrested in big house at Hunting
ton. l.. l.. Anna Oxenstein. who says she's
q Countess, and Louis Soundheim. who
also lived in the house and who Anna
Oxenstein says Is her brother. All three
prisoners are charged with using the mails
to defraud and will be arraigned before
Judge Chatfield in the United States Cir
cult Court in Brooklyn at 1890 o'clock
this morning. Gustav Oxenstein. who is
said to be the husband Of the alleged
Countess. was served with a summons
yesterday and will be in court to-day.
Last December somebody in Hunting
ton who signed himself G. W. Schmidt
began sending out letters. Of which one
received by Mrs. Martin J. Hynes of
81, Troy street. Brooklyn. was a sample
1t told Mrs. Hynes that her husband. who
had died few days before. had paid 81
toward Bible that he had arranged to
buy from Schmidt and asked her to remit
So that was still due Mrs Hynes. knowing
that Mr. Hynes had not agreed to buy
any Bible. sent the letter to the Post Office
authorities Then Inspector Parsons
started out on his hunt.
The inspector himself answered
Schmidt's letter to Mrs. Hynes. using
her name. and found that it and other
letters in the correspondence that fol-
lowed were being delivered at the home
Of Mrs. Anna Oxenstein at Huntington
Terrace. two miles from the Hunting ct on
railroad station. In order to get the sig
mature OF the recipient OF the letters the
inspector sent Schmidt one that was
re egistered. 1t was signed for in Schmidt q
name by Mrs. Oxenstein in the presence
Of the rural mail carrier who delivered il
The inspector also learned that Mrs.
Oxenstein was the owner Of the house
where she lived and from which the
swindling letters were sent. When hs
went to the house yesterday he founc
what in those parts is called n mansion
Four hunting dogs lay on the lawn as tn,
inspector walked up the drive witt
Deputy Marshal Proctor. They founo
Anna Oxenstein at home and arrested
her She told them she had done II,
wrong and was a countess. They re-
piled that she was charged with being al
accomplice of Schmidt.
But his name il not Schmidt. said tn.
Countess. Its BERTHE kallenberg.-
They auizzed her further and Learned
that kallenberg or Schmidt had beer
working for several weeks as n butler
in the home Of $ amuel 8. Rowland. Pock
eting that Information they arrested
Louis Soundheim. whom they also foun6
in the house. as another accomplice o.
Schmidt's and took both prisoners {,
Brooklyn to be locked up.
I.ast niuht Inspector parSops went
alone TO find the butler He found hin
at Mr.. Howland's home just getting int
his livery preparing to serve dinner
Before the inspector made himself know
to the butler there came telephone cal
for Schmidt. or Kallenberg The inspec
tor stood beside his quarry as he talked
over the telephone According to tn
inspector the man at the other end OF
the wire was Gustav Oxenstein. HUSBAND
OF the countess. and he was telling tn
butler that he'd better clear out. AZ tn,
police were after him. When the butle
turned away from the telephone he wa,
arrested. The inspector got a policeman
! TO help him take the prisoner to the Eas
Fifty-first street police. station. where h
was locked up.
Gustav Oxenstein. according to In
spector Parsons. has been running a maj
order scheme under the name OF the Ag
Company at the Huntington house. Tn
: company advertised a preparation 70
taking stains out OF linen and the Govern
, ment wants to ask him about his methods
A man who described himself as Coun
Gustav Oxenstierna was married at tn
Church of the TRANSPORTATION on Decem
Der 10. 1907. to Miss Anna Sundberg,
masseuse from Stockholm. The Coun
announced tha. he had resigned DOM
mission az Lieutenant in the King Guar
=. Of Sweden and come to America will
500 to make his fortune. He oabled fo
Miss Sundberg when he got a job witt
an insurance company and they wer
Q married an hour after her arrival in Ne
I York. The Count was quoted at the tim
: as saying that he expected his father I
t disinherit him for his marriage. but ths
Q nobody 6ould take away his title and 18th
z dearess little woman on earth" He fun
r ther said:
= Il want TO make my fortune for tn
n sake Of my Countess"
d The last heard Of the Count and h
d bride they were living in fiat on 1O6t
@ street
tNTI.TREAT ORDINANCE WIN.