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.