A Murder in Ukiah in 1879

The name of Lazare Landeker is found in several of my blogs: Moise and Ernest Cerf, Entrepreneurs (January 2012), Ernest Cerf Makes an Unusual Bet (January 2012), Moses and Ernest Cerf and the Wharves at San Luis Obispo Bay (February 2012), and Cerf Brothers were Gold Miners (March 2012). Lazare Landeker worked for his uncle, Abraham Blochman, in San Luis Obispo, California, at the general merchandise store of A. Blochman and Co., which was a partnership between Blochman and Moses Cerf in the early days. Lazare's sister was married to Moses Cerf, and he was also related by marriage to Ernest Cerf, as their wives were sisters.

Lazare and Alice Hirsch Landeker

Born in Monroe, Louisiana, in 1843 of French (mother) and Prussian (father) immigrants, Lazare traveled with his brother to San Francisco, but soon found himself working in San Luis Obispo for his maternal uncle beginning in the early 1860's.

"Mr. Landeker occupied a prominent position in the San Luis Obispo house of A. Blochman and Co. for many years. He was an active, energetic and straightforward business man. He always took great interest in the welfare of this city and was several times elected to positions of trust, which he always honored." [SLO Tribune, April 5, 1979]

After working at A. Blochman and Co. for nearly twenty years, Lazare decided to go out on his own by buying out a partner in a merchantile business in Ukiah, California. This was before Aaron Cerf had moved to Ukiah. The store was owned by B. Marks and his nephew, Abraham Marks, the managing partner. In January, 1879, Lazare bought out the interest of the nephew and became the new managing partner. The new name of the store was Marks and Landeker, which was located at the corner of State and Perkins Streets in Ukiah.

For many years, Abraham Marks had employed his brother, Elias Marks, a mentally retarded and emotionally unstable man, as a general handyman in the store. Lazare found Elias Marks to be a young man deficient in intellect and of ungovernable habits and fired him on April 2, 1879. The next morning, Lazare entered the store and found Elias sweeping. Lazare asked him to leave and Elias refused. Lazare said he would summon the Marshal if Elias did not leave. Following a tussle,  Lazare lay dead on the floor with a large knife wound in his side and a small wound in his temple. Elias testified that Lazare kicked and struck him, while others testified that Marks was upon Landeker, striking him.

Lazare's wife, Alice Hirsch Landeker, who had moved to Ukiah just one month prior, was informed and soon arrived at the store, becoming hysterical upon finding her husband dead in a pool of blood. Lazare was said to have left a happy family at the breakfast table not ten minutes before.

Lazare's brother in San Francisco rushed to Ukiah when he received the news, escorting the body, Mrs. Landeker and their six surviving children, aged one to eight, to San Luis Obispo for burial next to his predeceased daughter.

Arriving by steamer at Port Harford, now Avila Beach, the remains were taken by train to Lazare's former residence in San Luis Obispo, under the escort of committees from the Masons, Odd Fellows, Jews and fire companies. Shortly thereafter, a funeral procession amassed at the City Hall to begin the march to the cemetery.

"At the late residence of Mr. Landeker, the procession was joined by the hearse, the mourners and pall bearers, and in the rear of these came a large number of citizens on foot, followed by a long line of carriages. The procession was over half a mile in length; there being nearly one thousand people on foot and about one hundred carriages. Two bands of musicians had positions in the procession and played alternately during the march. Burial ceremonies were performed at the grave by the Jewish and Masonic fraternities. San Luis Obispo has never before seen so large a turn-out of fraternal societies, and the large attendance at the burial shows in what universal respect Mr. Landeker was held." [SLO Tribune, April 12, 1879]

At his trial, Elias Marks was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to twelve years of hard labor in a state prison.  Mrs. Landeker moved to San Francisco with her children. Only five months after her husband's death, Mrs. Landeker buried a son, who died of diphtheria, in San Luis Obispo next to his father.

Wife Alice Hirsch Landeker

Daughter Rachel Landeker Sichel

Daughter Fanny Landeker Goodman and son, Sheldon

Ernest Cerf was appointed as executor of the estate of Lazare Landeker, filed in the Superior Court of Mendocino County. Lazare's wife, Alice Landeker, was the sole heir by his will. All property in the estate was located in San Luis Obispo, listed as follows: Norcross Place $2,500; Barneburg Place $1,500; Dillon Place $400; Flint Ranch $8,000; Landeker homestead at the northwest corner of Broad and Higuera Streets $3,500; Goday Place $8,000; La Libertad Quicksilver $0; Pinal Quicksilver $0; La Rinconada Quicksilver $0; La Reformer Chrome Iron $0; Star Chrome Iron $0; Lone Pine Chrome Iron $0; furniture $925; books $25; and cash $5,421. In the will, Moses Cerf was appointed as guardian of the children, with Ernest Cerf as back-up guardian. Lazare owned a 1/4 interest in A. Blochman and Co. with partners, Ernest Cerf, Moses Cerf, Abraham Blochman, and cousin Lazarus M. Kaiser, and a 1/2 interest in Marks and Landeker, Ukiah, but no valuation of those partnership assets could be found. [Marcel E. Cerf Collection, Bancroft Library]

It's sad to read about this tragic death occurring 133 years ago, but it seems Lazare was prepared. On November 6, 1874, Lazare began a journal dedicated to his beloved wife for the purpose of informing her how to make business decisions. He wrote, "I have always contended that it was as necessary to instruct women as men in all ordinary business matters." He advised his wife to "always read the entire document, pay in cash, refuse credit, be assured of costs, pay taxes on time, object to any assessments for roads, and be assured title to any property was valid. His aspirations for his children were for them to become entirely independent and self-reliant. It did not matter what trade they sought as long as they were competent. His son could be a seamstress and his daughters blacksmiths, but whatever was chosen needed to be mastered." [Lazare Landeker's Destiny: Part 1 of 2]

References:

Carotenuti, Joseph A., "Lazare Landeker's Destiny: Part 1 of 2," May 2009, San Luis Obispo: Journal Plus.

Carotenuti, Joseph A., "Lazare Landeker's Destiny: Part 2 of 2," June 2009, San Luis Obispo: Journal Plus.

Marcel E. Cerf Collection, Carton 33, Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

"Funeral of L. Landeker," April 12, 1879: San Luis Obispo Tribune.

Stern, Norton B., "A Ukiah Murder in 1879," April 1986, Woodland Hills, CA: Western States Jewish History, Vol. XVIII, No. 3.

"Terrible Tragedy," April 4, 1879, Ukiah City Press.

"Violent Death," April 5, 1879, San Luis Obispo Tribune.

Dr. Arthur Zander Cerf

Yesterday (June 10, 2012) a dear relative passed away in San Francisco. Dr. Arthur Zander Cerf, born October 16, 1918, to Arthur Cerf and Addie Zander, was a compassionate and gentle soul. Whenever we had the opportunity to visit, Uncle Arthur gave his undivided attention and made me feel special in his eyes, something I have no doubt he did with everyone. Not only did he love his family, but he loved his brother and his brother's family. I will greatly miss him at family gatherings.

Young Arthur with his parents, Addie and Arthur.

Arthur with his wife, Shirley, in 1943.

Arthur on right with his brother, Alan.

Arthur's obituary reads, in part:

Arthur was a gifted and devoted physician, adored by his patients and admired by his colleagues. His geriatric medical practice evolved over time as he and his patients aged together. His professional career spanned over 60 years of delivering care as compassionately as possible. He was often referred to as "the physician's physician." Even after retiring from private practice, Arthur continued for many years serving those in need as the Medical Director of Central Gardens Convalescent Hospital, where he spent his final days, attended to by a grateful and caring staff, many of whom he had trained and mentored.

Arthur was a second generation San Franciscan, a graduate of Lowell High School, the University of California at Berkeley, UCSF Medical School and a veteran of World War II, all of which helped mold him to be the remarkable man that he was.

He had an inspiring zest for life, and unfailing devotion and love for his family. He will be greatly missed and always remembered as a wise and caring man. His passing leaves a large gap in the lives of everyone he touched.

Well said.

Arthur Cerf

Arthur Cerf, also known as Archie, was the youngest child of Aaron and Phoebe Levy Cerf, born in 1886 when his father was sixty-one and his mother was forty-five. He is fondly remembered.

Adele Rosenberg, the wife of Al Rosenberg, Arthur's nephew, had this to say about Arthur. "As far as I was concerned, Archie was a doll. He was a loving, loving man. He was sweet, and he was good natured. He was social, and he loved people. He loved his work. He loved the Selix [the men's store where he worked in his later years], and he loved his life. He really did. He was a very up man. I loved him. He was a delightful man. He and Al were very close because Arch was only about ten years older than Al. He was the baby. So there wasn't a lot of difference in their ages. And, of course, when I became engaged to Al, I was only seventeen. Arch was old for me but by the same token he was the younger element in the family. And I so enjoyed him."

"Arch used to come occasionally to my mother-in-law's, to Clotilde's," Adele continued. "And she was very, very fond of him, the younger brother and all this kind of jazz. And, of course, sometimes it caused a little bit of problems. Well, I particularly remember once, it was Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year's, and Marie and Lucien were I guess nineteen and twenty-one. Lucien had just become twenty-one, and they had just become engaged that day. And so there was a lot of excitement. He had gone to his grandfather's house and told them that they were getting married. He was there for dinner or something and got a cold treatment. They were not too happy about it because they didn't think he was old enough, you know that kind of thing. And then they came to us, and, of course, we made a big deal about it. I had known the family for many years and they were very close to us. So it was like something had been preordained."

"Anyhow, when the day was over and we were just relaxing and talking at dinner, I said, 'Wasn't this a lovely Rosh Hashanah?'"

"And Clotilde said, 'It wasn't for me.'"

"And I said, 'What do you mean it wasn't for you?'"

"'Well, I didn't hear from Archie.'"

"It spoiled her whole day. She was very involved with that type of thing. She required the attention. But Arch on the whole was a very, very sweet man. He really was. He had a lot of charisma. Everybody liked him. You've probably heard that many times. He was very likeable. And he was a sort of Dorian Gray, too, because he never aged until toward the end of his life. And Leo [Leo Rosenberg Alexander, another nephew of Arthur's] was that way, too, you know. He always looked twenty years younger than he was, very youthful type of face and small men. They just kept their looks very, very well."

Evidentally, Clotilde wasn't the only sister who doted on her youngest brother.

Arthur with his sister, Clarisse, who was eighteen years older.

Another nephew of Arthur's was Edgar Cerf, who told us, "Arthur, as we fondly called him Archie, was the youngest of the Cerfs. He had this big smile and this big twinkle in his eye. He had this sense of humor and also the ability to gain your confidence, which is why he was such a great clothing salesman."

Edgar's wife, Clara Ruelas Cerf, said of Arthur, "He also came to the house often. My memories are that I loved him dearly. He was charming. And believe me the ladies felt very much attracted to him. I don't care what his age was, the ladies did enjoy being with him. He used to tell us about some of the stories of his travels. He would go with groups on tours over the years after he was widowed, and he said he was never short of one or two ladies to escort wherever he was going. And I can easily understand because his manners were beautiful."

Arthur in his later years.

Adele Rosenberg remembered Arthur as being generous. "When Al's mother [Adele's mother-in-law] was in the hospital in her final illness, they didn't have any money, and we didn't have a hell of a lot. We were getting along quite well, and we were making a good living, but we didn't have any backlog of money. Regina [Arthur's brother's wife] and Edgar [Arthur's nephew] came along and gave us $500 toward the first week in the hospital. This sounds ridiculous, but it was 1953; it wasn't today. It was $1,600 for the first week in the hospital. And so Edgar and Regina gave us $500. Somebody else gave us some. And Arch would come to the hospital. His wife managed their finances, and she kept a very close hold on that. One day when he came, he had a secret compartment in his wallet and took out a $100 bill. That must have been squirreled away so that his wife wouldn't know about it. But he used to like to visit. He used to come and see us, to call on his sister."

We asked Adele if Arthur was more serious when he was visiting or lighthearted. She replied, "He was always up. I rarely remember Archie being down. He was always up. Of course, his brother, Lucien, was the one who was the real hypochondriac. He was difficult. He was always low. It's funny how in a family there can be such a difference in personalities. But Arch was wonderful. He was close to Al. The age deal entered into that. He had a closer relationship with his nephews than the others did because he was more of their generation. Like the hunting and fishing, they did it together."

References:

Interview with Adele Rosenberg, March 28-29, 1992, San Mateo, California.

Interview with Edgar and Clara Cerf, July 13, 1993, San Luis Obispo, California.