Trigger warning: there is a brief mention of suicide in this episode.
Introduction
Welcome back, and a special hello to all the new listeners! If you’re just joining us, think of this as jumping into the middle of an intriguing movie—I'll provide some context and encourage you to listen to previous episodes.
Today's Topic: Arthur Loeb - The Audacious Con Artist
In this episode, I introduce you to Arthur Loeb, a man whose life reads like a bizarre blend of dark comedy and audacious deceit. Born in 1895 in Chicago, Arthur's knack for exploiting disasters began early. He first made headlines in 1913 by posing as a reporter to swindle money meant for fire victims. This was just the start of a nearly 40-year career of scams.
Arthur Loeb’s Adventures:
Early Life and Family: Born to Ben and Jennie Loeb, Arthur was the youngest of four children. His father immigrated from Germany, and by 1910, Arthur was working as a driver for the stockyards in Chicago.
First Scam: In 1913, Arthur was arrested for collecting money under false pretenses, posing as a reporter helping fire victims.
Constant Presence in Calamity: Arthur had an uncanny ability to be near disasters, presenting himself as a hero. From the Eastland Disaster in 1915 to various other tragic events, Arthur claimed to have saved lives and received prestigious awards, including a fake Carnegie Medal.
Lecture and Vaudeville Circuit: Arthur took his fabricated heroism on tour, captivating audiences with dramatic stories and fake medals. His tales included saving lives during the Eastland Disaster and participating in other rescue operations.
Later Life and Final Acts: By the 1930s, Arthur was a perfume salesman but couldn't stay away from his con artist ways. He continued to exploit tragedies and eventually moved to Hollywood, where he claimed to work in films until his death in 1964.
Key Takeaways:
Manipulating Tragedy: Arthur's story is a sobering reminder of how some individuals exploit disasters for personal gain. His charm and convincing lies made his outrageous claims seem plausible.
-Stay Skeptical: Arthur's antics highlight the importance of verifying historical accounts and questioning sources. In today’s world, as in Arthur’s time, maintaining a healthy skepticism is crucial to avoid being duped by charismatic con artists.
Conclusion:
Arthur Loeb’s tale is a humorous yet sobering reminder of the lengths to which some will go for attention and recognition. His story serves as a lesson to stay informed, skeptical, and always double-check the facts. Join me next time as we continue to uncover the hidden histories of the Eastland Disaster and its many characters.
Thank you for listening! Until next time, stay curious and keep questioning.
Trigger warning: there is a brief mention of suicide in this episode.
Introduction
Welcome back, and a special hello to all the new listeners! If you’re just joining us, think of this as jumping into the middle of an intriguing movie—I'll provide some context and encourage you to listen to previous episodes.
Today's Topic: Arthur Loeb - The Audacious Con Artist
In this episode, I introduce you to Arthur Loeb, a man whose life reads like a bizarre blend of dark comedy and audacious deceit. Born in 1895 in Chicago, Arthur's knack for exploiting disasters began early. He first made headlines in 1913 by posing as a reporter to swindle money meant for fire victims. This was just the start of a nearly 40-year career of scams.
Arthur Loeb’s Adventures:
Early Life and Family: Born to Ben and Jennie Loeb, Arthur was the youngest of four children. His father immigrated from Germany, and by 1910, Arthur was working as a driver for the stockyards in Chicago.
First Scam: In 1913, Arthur was arrested for collecting money under false pretenses, posing as a reporter helping fire victims.
Constant Presence in Calamity: Arthur had an uncanny ability to be near disasters, presenting himself as a hero. From the Eastland Disaster in 1915 to various other tragic events, Arthur claimed to have saved lives and received prestigious awards, including a fake Carnegie Medal.
Lecture and Vaudeville Circuit: Arthur took his fabricated heroism on tour, captivating audiences with dramatic stories and fake medals. His tales included saving lives during the Eastland Disaster and participating in other rescue operations.
Later Life and Final Acts: By the 1930s, Arthur was a perfume salesman but couldn't stay away from his con artist ways. He continued to exploit tragedies and eventually moved to Hollywood, where he claimed to work in films until his death in 1964.
Key Takeaways:
Manipulating Tragedy: Arthur's story is a sobering reminder of how some individuals exploit disasters for personal gain. His charm and convincing lies made his outrageous claims seem plausible.
-Stay Skeptical: Arthur's antics highlight the importance of verifying historical accounts and questioning sources. In today’s world, as in Arthur’s time, maintaining a healthy skepticism is crucial to avoid being duped by charismatic con artists.
Conclusion:
Arthur Loeb’s tale is a humorous yet sobering reminder of the lengths to which some will go for attention and recognition. His story serves as a lesson to stay informed, skeptical, and always double-check the facts. Join me next time as we continue to uncover the hidden histories of the Eastland Disaster and its many characters.
Thank you for listening! Until next time, stay curious and keep questioning.
Hello, I'm Natalie Zett and welcome to Flower in the River. This podcast, inspired by my book of the same name, explores the 1915 Eastland disaster in Chicago and its enduring impact, particularly on my family's history. We'll explore the intertwining narratives of others impacted by this tragedy as well, and we'll dive into writing and genealogy and uncover the surprising supernatural elements that surface in family history research. Come along with me on this journey of discovery. Hello there, this is Natalie, and before we get started, I wanted to let you know that there is a very brief mention of suicide in this episode. Okay, we will continue now. Episode Okay, we will continue now. Why? Hello there? This is Natalie and welcome to episode 68 of Flower in the River podcast. This is going to be quite the podcast and it won't take long for you to figure that one out. I have lots of newcomers this past week and I want to welcome you and thank you for joining. But I have to say this is kind of like coming into the middle of a movie and I'll provide some context and encourage you to listen to past podcasts. But I'm eager to have you join us and I want to share what this journey is all about. Maybe you can relate.
Natalie Zett:
I'm an independent researcher, author, writer, genealogist, and I care a lot about bringing to light the long-lost stories of the people affected by the Eastland disaster. I've already written a book called Flower in the River, which is the same title as this podcast, and that's about my family's tragic connection to the Eastland disaster. But back in November 2023, I stumbled upon another story of people who perished on the Eastland. I had never heard of these people before and despite the fact that many of these stories were well documented in various publications from that time period, for the is to understand the stories of other victims, their families, survivors and rescuers. It wasn't enough for me to just understand my family. I needed to understand Chicago of 1915. I needed to understand the world they lived in. Well, it snowballed and it snowballed and it just continues onward. As another note, I'm sharing my research in real time as I uncover it. So, in other words, these are very rough drafts and I call these podcasts sketches, because that's what they are and they serve as a foundation for other types of research down the road. I continue to be amazed by the sheer volume of information available and even more surprised that most of these stories have not been told and are fading away with time, with over 800 lives lost and countless others affected.
Natalie Zett:
My mission is to ensure that every story is heard and remembered. Well, what good is a mission unless it seems unattainable at the start right? So let's uncover and share these hidden histories together. I want to start with Johnstown, pennsylvania, because that's where I started and that's where so many of my family members immigrated to or were born. It's a town etched in the annals of history for its deadly floods and from my earliest days I was regaled with tales of heroism, particularly during the great Johnstown flood of 1889, where over 2,000 people died. The many stories of good people who rushed to aid their neighbors and of Clara Barton who set up camp to bring relief. But the shadows of these stories were darkened by whispers of those who robbed the corpses yes, I said that those who manipulated the tragedy for their own gain and those who sought to control the narrative for their own ends. I heard these stories also from the time I was a child.
Natalie Zett:
So when I first learned about my family's connection to the Eastland disaster back 25 years ago, I thought remember what happened with Johnstown, and my thoughts inevitably turned to a haunting question who is going to try to exploit this. I even had my main character in Flower in the River express that fear more than once, because, well, both of us are very cognizant of the darker side of these things when they happen. Here is what happened, though. I made the error earlier in my life of assuming that people who exploit these types of tragic events are somehow trying to just get rich, but I discovered a more insidious truth the craving for attention can be just as addictive as any drug, and sometimes supersedes greed. Some individuals will distort historical narratives, withhold information, twist facts and fabricate stories, all for the intoxicating rush of control and recognition. Most of the time, in my experience, these individuals have no familial connection to these events either.
Natalie Zett:
So during my Eastland research, I stumbled upon articles about such a character who made me think, nope, not touching this guy with a 10-foot pole. But then I had a moment. I asked myself what would my literary hero, carl Sandburg, do Now? Sandburg was not one to pull punches. He penned some very scathing articles about the Eastland disaster, often under pseudonyms, and even wrote a graphic poem that was banned for years. It's called the Eastland and it begins. For years it's called the Eastland and it begins. Let's be honest now for a couple of minutes, even though we're in Chicago, since you asked me about it, I'll let you have it straight my guts ain't ticklish about the Eastland.
Natalie Zett:
Inspired by the poet's raw honesty, I decided to introduce you to Arthur Loeb, possibly the most audacious con artist I've ever read about. This guy wasn't your run-of-the-mill fraudster hiding in the shadows. Oh no, arthur Loeb was more of a look at me. I'm on the front page kind of con man. I've collected every news clip I could find on him and, believe me, there are plenty. So let's jump into the bizarro world of Arthur Loeb, a man with some serious amends to make as far as I'm concerned. Man with some serious amends to make as far as I'm concerned. His story will expose the dark underbelly of historical events and the opportunists who exploit them for their own twisted gains. And I'm going to let Arthur primarily do the talking, through his own words from various interviews and his actions and activities that were captured by the newspapers and other publications of his time. So let's do this thing.
Natalie Zett:
Arthur Loeb was born in 1895 in Chicago to Ben Loeb and Jenny Dreyfus. Loeb, ben, his father, immigrated from Germany to Cincinnati where they first settled and they had three children Izzy or probably Isadora, leo and Carola. Somewhere between 1885, that was when Carola was born and 1895, the family moved to Chicago where Arthur was born. At that point Ben was 53 years old and Jenny was 42. And I am not sure what Ben the father did for a living, but I think he was a laborer. According to the 1910 census, the family was living in Chicago and Jenny, the mom, was widowed and Arthur was working as a driver for the Stockyards.
Natalie Zett:
In the Chicago Tribune on February 18, 1913, there's an article that marked one of Arthur's first appearances in a newspaper. Headline fraud reporter locked up Youth representing himself as helping fire victims. Victims collects $8 on the South Side. Arthur Loeb, who is about 18 years old and lives at 5003 Wentworth Avenue, was arrested yesterday. He obtained $8 from South Side residents by representing himself as a reporter for the Tribune. He told his victims he was collecting money for the relief of families made homeless by the Ingram and Cali buildings fire. He was identified by three victims Henry S Gorbecht, r Astenius and Mrs Mary Clark, and we have a follow-up article in the Suburbanite Economist on February 21, 1913. Police have arrested a young man named Arthur Loeb who has been collecting money, claiming that he was authorized to do so for the relief of fire sufferers. He claimed to be connected with the newspaper. He is a fraud. Look out for him. And finally, in the day book, on 26th of March 1913. Arthur Loeb, 185516 Wentworth Avenue, was sentenced to six months in Bridewell and fined $1 and costs for violation of parole.
Natalie Zett:
Role Note the full name of this institution is the Chicago House of Correct. Brilliant, convincing and most likely very charismatic. This guy smells disaster from miles away and swims right into the chaos. Picture this. You're emotional, you're traumatized and you're grieving. And enter Arthur with a charming smile and the promise to fix everything. He's got the empathy of a best friend and the cunning of a con artist. All he needs is a bit of cash to make it all better. Spoiler alert the only thing disappearing faster than your money is Arthur himself, usually into the back of a police car. And this, my friends, is just the beginning of a nearly 40-year career of scamming. Arthur is just like the Energizer bunny of fraud. He just keeps going.
Natalie Zett:
But 1913 isn't over, so hold on the Chicago Daily Tribune article dated August 24, 1913. In this article the headline reads Dives off top of Masonic Temple, man hurls himself to death in State Street from the capstone of building. And who happens to be there? None other than Arthur Loeb. According to the same article, arthur, still working as a chauffeur and now living at the New Bradford Hotel located at 3000 Michigan Avenue costing $5 to $8 a week in 1912, was one of the few on the street who witnessed the man's fatal plunge. Arthur recounted I heard someone yell, look out and I looked up. He was turning over and over in the air with his arms and legs out in all directions. I turned my head away when he struck the pavement.
Natalie Zett:
This is just the beginning of Arthur Loeb's curious proximity to calamity. Is it coincidence, serendipity or perhaps something more sinister? There's several things to note here. Number one throughout all of these articles, arthur often has different addresses, different names, different ages. There's a whole lot of deception going on with this guy and it only gets more pronounced as time goes by. One thing I found in my research, but I can't corroborate Arthur may have gotten married in 1913, and I wonder who the lucky woman was.
Natalie Zett:
We are now in 1914, and this is from the Naperville Clarion on the 11th of February 1914. The headline is really brief, it's almost like a blurb. It says County prisoners may be put to work. Harry Loeb, alias of Arthur Loeb, took money under false pretenses. That's it. Now it is 1915 and Arthur Loeb is on the move. This is from the Houston Post, saturday, march 6, 1915. Headline. Headline arthur loeb now faces a highway robbery charge.
Natalie Zett:
He is accused of holding up an automobile party on montgomery road. Detectives spraidley and goodson have filed a charge of highway robbery against arthur loeb, who was arrested shortly after an automobile party consisting of JL Hall and several friends were held up at points of pistols by a masked man and his pal on the Montgomery Road near the city limits. Loeb had been serving a sentence on the Ditch Gang for a misdemeanor and Friday, according to the police, several persons who witnessed the holdup from the gallery a short time ago, he registered at one of the prominent hotels. Charges were filed in Justice Ray's court Moving on. This article is from the Arkansas Democrat, friday, april 9th 1915. Arthur Loeb, alias Arthur Lang, who was arrested at the New Capital Hotel yesterday afternoon by city detective ES Jones, is still held at police headquarters pending an investigation by Earl C Roddenberry, head of the Little Rock Bureau of Identification. Mr Roddenberry this morning received a telegram from the chief of police at Houston, texas, who states that Loeb was arrested there several weeks ago on charges of vagrancy and highway robbery.
Natalie Zett:
Loeb is apparently 24 years old, he is well educated and was neatly dressed years old. He is well-educated and was neatly dressed. He at first claimed to have trained Jess Willard and said he that would be Lope was the champion lightweight of the West. Note Jess Willard was a real person. He was the American professional boxer who held the world. He has with him letters from persons in San Antonio, dallas, fort Worth, houston and other Texas cities. Loeb visited Joyland Skating Rink Wednesday night and borrowed money of JW Lippincott, the owner. Loeb represented himself as being wealthy and said he would return the money as soon as he received it from his guardian. It is said he addressed a letter to his guardian asking for $25,000 to start an ice plant in Little Rock. After being closely questioned by the detectives, loeb admitted he was never Willard's trainer and did not even know him.
Natalie Zett:
Loeb has a wound on his head which he claims resulted from much hard working out with Willard at Havana. He had a fake telegram which he presented to the SR Thomas Auto Company in efforts to quote-unquote borrow an automobile. The telegram stated he had an automobile en route to Little Rock and would arrive here in a few days. The officers in Texas, chicago, oklahoma have sent photographs of Loeb. The local officers will hold him until they fully investigate his record. Here's the follow-up article from the Arkansas Democrat April 13, 1915. And I'm reading all of this because another character in the Arthur Loeb story is his constant reference to his head injury. As we go along you'll see he cites different reasons for that Headline.
Natalie Zett:
Alleged Trainer of Willard is fined. Arthur Loeb, alias Arthur Lang, self-styled trainer of Jess Willard, heavyweight champion of the world, arrested last Thursday at the New Capital Hotel by city detective ES Jones after he had attempted to stage several money-getting schemes which smacked of quote get-rich-quick Wallingford style, was fined $50 and costs yesterday by Municipal Judge Fred A Ising on the charge of vagrancy. Loeb, who now claims to be from Chicago, reached Little Rock Wednesday and before night had borrowed $12 of JW Lippincott, owner of Joyland, on the strength of a letter to his guardian asking for $25,000 to start an ice plant in Little Rock. He wore bandages about his head and right hand, claiming they covered injuries received at the hands of Willard, whom he said he had trained for the fight with Johnson, flashing a telegram which he said showed he would have a large racing car here this week. Loeb attempted to borrow a car for a few minutes from the SR Thomas Auto Company. He later admitted he had no car. After his arrest by Detective Jones, loeb persuaded a fellow prisoner to give him $5 to keep for him. That's the end of that article.
Natalie Zett:
The term get-rich-quick Wallingford refers to a character from the early 20th century, specifically from a series of stories. The character, j Rufus Wallingford, is a charming con artist who engages in various schemes to make quick money, often at the expense of gullible investors. The stories were popular and highlighted Wallingford's clever but unscrupulous method. Hmm, life is imitating art. At this point Now we're moving to the first crescendo of Arthur Loeb's story. So he returns to Chicago, probably trying to figure out his next adventure.
Natalie Zett:
When the July 24, 1915 capsizing of the Eastland happened, while most of us humans see that as a tragedy, arthur saw opportunity. Just four days later, arthur once again makes the papers. This is from the Detroit Free Press, july 28, 1915. Headline Eastland rescuer held on suspicion of looting. Arrest of volunteer diver follows complaints about jewelry. Prisoner has crime record Special to the Free Press Press, chicago July 27th.
Natalie Zett:
Arthur Loeb, 20 years old, who, clad only in bathing suit, has been loitering on the Eastland since its capsizing, assisting in the recovery of bodies and is said to have rescued two girls from drowning, was taken into custody shortly before noon today and locked up at the detective bureau pending an investigation of suspicion that he has been robbing bodies in the 2nd Regiment Armory of Valuables. Loeb was arrested March 26, 1913, on a charge of obtaining money by false pretenses after he had obtained six dollars to be used, he said, for the relief of the victims of the Ingram apartment fire At that time. He is alleged to have posed as a reporter. He was prosecuted by the newspaper, found guilty and sentenced to serve six months in the House of Correction. The arrest today followed by complaints made to police by officials of the Western Electric Company who asserted they had received complaints from relatives of the victims that the bodies were denuded of jewelry.
Natalie Zett:
I really have no words for this. Yes, it's horrible, and besides myself I have two regular podcast listeners who also lost a family member on the Eastland. So the idea of this guy going through the 2nd Regiment Armory, which is where most of the corpses were laid out for identification. This guy going through the 2nd Regiment Armory and which is where most of the corpses were laid out for identification, this guy going through the 2nd Regiment Armory and robbing corpses that might have been my family member, might have been their family member. I have no words, but fortunately the newspapers and publications of 1915 and beyond have a lot of words, so we will continue. The same story, the one that I just shared with you, was also covered in other publications and we don't need to go through that again Continuing.
Natalie Zett:
This is from the day book in Chicago, 6 of August 1915, headline News of the Day Concerning Chicago. Arthur Loeb, arrested when searching corpses on Eastland, was given permission to do so and was freed. I was furious when I read that and it only gets crazier as the years go by. But if you can hang in there, I promise that Arthur's death is the coup de grace, and that's a French term that literally translates into blow of mercy and refers to a final, decisive action or event that ends something in a definitive and often dramatic way. If you can wade through all this sludge, it's worth it. After Arthur gets off for corpse robbing, what do you think happens, he was shown mercy and forgiveness. So what happens? This happens the Day Book 16th of August 1915, arthur Loeb, chauffeur, arrested and exonerated in connection with alleged robbing of bodies of Eastland victims, again arrested, this time for beating man he had nearly run down.
Natalie Zett:
Okay, I bet you're having trouble believing all this, right? Well, what I'm going to do is put the sources of all these news clips on my website so you can look them up yourself. It really is quite something. In case you're wondering, arthur is just revving up. This is from a publication called the Modern View. Seems to be out of Chicago, friday August 20th 1915.
Natalie Zett:
Arthur Loeb, a member of the Chicago Yacht Club, was standing on Clark Street Bridge when the Eastland capsized and witnessed the struggles of two girls in the river. When the Eastland capsized and witnessed the struggles of two girls in the river, without removing his coat, he made the high dive into the river from the bridge and rescued both of them. Note, this is from me. Arthur, who hails from very humble beginnings, is now trying to fake it until he makes it among the high society elite. This is his latest stunt, pretending to be the member of the Yacht Club. Arthur's schemes are evolving, expanding from preying on the grieving to hobnobbing with the rich and famous. His bag of tricks just keeps getting bigger and more ridiculous.
Natalie Zett:
By August of 1915, arthur goes to Detroit. Wait till you hear this one. This is from the Detroit Free Press, monday, august 23rd 1915. Headline Rescued 38 Lives and 67 Bodies in Boat Tragedy. Arthur Loeb, professional diver to lecture on Eastland disaster in Chicago River. 38 lives were saved and 67 bodies were rescued in the Eastland disaster in the Chicago River July 24th by Arthur Loeb, a professional diver who came to Detroit Sunday to lecture on his experiences.
Natalie Zett:
Mr Loeb intended to be a passenger on the ill-fated boat but arrived at the wharf too late. He then went on the Clark Street Bridge and watched the steamer as it moved away from the dock. When it listed and turned over, he looked on it in horror until aroused by the cries of two girls struggling in the water near the bridge. Casting off his coat and shoes, he dived from the bridge and succeeded in putting them aboard the tug Racine before being compelled to strike one who dragged him under the water. He worked for 72 hours without rest and was then rushed to a hospital where the surgeons put 21 stitches in his head to close a wound received in diving into the hull.
Natalie Zett:
Mr Loeb carries a medal awarded him by Chicago citizens for heroic conduct. For heroic conduct, okay, remember the head injury from way before. Now it's worked its way into the Eastland story that Arthur Loeb is successfully peddling, by the way. And another thing I want to say when I was looking at the Chicago newspapers various newspapers, daybook Tribune and some of the smaller publications there is absolutely no record of Arthur Loeb assisting with anything regarding the Eastland other than, you know, corpse robbing. So that's that. But it's 2024 as I'm recording this, and something like the lecture circuit might not mean a whole lot to modern listeners, so you probably know that news didn't really travel back then like it does now. You could easily go to another city, do your thing and be gone before anyone ever heard about it.
Natalie Zett:
At the turn of the 20th century in the United States, lectures and the lecture circuit were vital for education, intellectual exchange and community engagement. Lectures provided accessible learning opportunities and cultural enrichment, fostering public discourse and social cohesion. Influential figures like Susan B Anthony and Frederick Douglass used lectures to advocate for reform and spread important ideas. Lectures also served as popular entertainment, offering diverse topics that captivated audiences. For many speakers the circuit was a lucrative career path. Arthur Loeb also hit the vaudeville circuit. What's vaudeville? Vaudeville was also, at the turn of the 20th century, a popular form of entertainment in the United States and there were troops of vaudevillian performers who traveled from town to town trying to find stages to perform on, and it was characterized by variety acts of comedy, music, dance, all kinds of stuff, and performers often toured extensively. Stuff and performers often toured extensively, seeking out venues and audiences across different towns and cities.
Natalie Zett:
So Arthur Loeb, who falsely claimed to be a rescuer from the Eastland disaster, took to both the lecturing and vaudeville circuits to capitalize on his fabricated heroism. And I bet, all things aside, arthur Loeb must have been a heck of a storyteller, because he deceived a lot of people. And let us not forget his two favorite things financial gain and public attention. I think Loeb was addicted to attention and he continues to expand his horizons. It's 1915 and Arthur continues moving on. Now he's in Washington DC. This story is from the Times-Herald Washington DC from August 9th 1915. What happens is he's telling the same story and his story. For the most part it expands, but his core story, the one about his rescues on the Eastland stays the same. But now he tells the same story with this addition, the same story with this edition. Mr Loeb wears two medals, one awarded by the citizens of Chicago for his bravery and a Carnegie medal. Mr Loeb will appear at the Lafayette Theater on East Street today and tomorrow.
Natalie Zett:
Okay, so he's able to keep moving because, again, there's a lack of national media at that point and there wasn't the instant communication like we have today. What's a little bit confusing is how law enforcement agencies communicated with one another. What I've read, law enforcement was localized and less coordinated across state lines. That was what I read in various publications. However, as we've just seen, there was some communication going on between various states, as in Arkansas, as in Texas in Arthur's case but there was no national database and no real efficient way for authorities in one state to quickly share information with those in another. That's general, but, as you can see, there are exceptions to that rule. And there was high mobility. A person like Arthur could hop on a train and be in the next city before anybody realized what he had done. There were no public records or identification, the way that we have them, meaning that it made it difficult to track individuals across state lines. So this guy could use different names and slightly alter his date of birth, everything else, without getting detected for very long. And somebody speculated that people were generally more trusting and less skeptical back then of individuals' claims, especially if those claims were dramatic and compelling individual's claims, especially if those claims were dramatic and compelling. I have to say that still is the case even now. I mean, how many con artists have we read about in the last few years? Bernie Madoff, anybody. So that's a high-level explanation of how he was able to move in the way. That may have you scratching your head. So Arthur Loeb was really making the rounds in 1915.
Natalie Zett:
I have similar articles from Washington DC, new York City, omaha, Nebraska, buffalo, new York and Kentucky, and here's another one from Washington DC. This is October 8th 1915, evening Star. Arthur Loeb of Chicago, who saved 38 lives and recovered 67 bodies in the Eastland disaster in Chicago River July 24th the Eastland disaster in Chicago River July 24th and who was given the Carnegie Medal for Heroism with $2,000 and a special gold medal by the city of Chicago, came to Washington today and plans to call on President Wilson at the White House during a brief visit here. Holy smokes. So he's really giving himself quite the promotion, is he not? I'd like to talk about this Carnegie Medal that Arthur said he was awarded. Well, there actually is a Carnegie Medal Fund Commission website with a list of all the Carnegie heroes from the time the award was created.
Natalie Zett:
Quote the twofold mission of the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission to recognize and support those who perform acts of heroism in civilian life in the United States and Canada. And I checked and checked and checked and Loeb's name is not in it. But I did want to corroborate that and fortunately I got lucky. This is from the Springfield News Sun from May 30, 1916. No medal awarded, says manager of commission.
Natalie Zett:
Head of Carnegie Board denies statement issued by man representing self as Arthur Loeb. The man who was in Springfield on May 19th and for several days following that date, representing himself is Arthur Loeb, a hero of the Eastland disaster, has received no award from the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission. According to FM Wilmot, manager of the commission, the man presented letters to prove his statements. In his letter, mr Wilmot says quote Through our newspaper clipping service Wilmott says quote Through our newspaper clipping service I have received clippings in which it is stated that Arthur Loeb had received a Carnegie Medal set with diamonds and a check for $2,000 for acts performed by him at the time of the Eastland disaster. I beg to inform you that Mr Loeb has received no award from the commission, either of a medal or money, and none of our medals gold, silver or bronze are set with diamonds.
Natalie Zett:
Mr Wilmot asks that the mistaken impression given by the article of May 19th be corrected. He was busted right. Did that stop, arthur Loeb? What do you think? Nah, arthur Loeb went full steam ahead and kept performing through Ohio to Florida and Georgia. That's the articles I was able to find. But something must have happened, because by January 19th 1917,. He married Gertrude Thomas of Cleveland, Ohio, and our Arthur settled down for a little bit. This is from the Chicago Tribune Eastland disaster hero marries Cleveland girl.
Natalie Zett:
The ill wind of the Eastland disaster blew once favorably at least, when the news was received yesterday of the marriage of Miss Gertrude Thomas, cleveland, ohio, and Arthur Loeb. Loeb was a diver who was credited with saving many lives when the Eastland turned over. His exploits came to the eyes of Miss Thomas, who is an aeronaut and fond of stunts. Last summer Miss Thomas met Loeb at Gordon Beach, a resort of Cleveland where Loeb was a lifesaver. Okay, end of that article.
Natalie Zett:
A few definitions here. One definition An aeronaut, which is what Miss Thomas was, that's a person who operates or travels in an airship or balloon, and this term originates from the early days of aviation, particularly referring to those involved in the operation of lighter-than-air craft such as hot air balloons, gas balloons and dirigibles. So, in other words, gertrude Thomas might have actually been doing something interesting here and she was taken in by Arthur. I did find the list of their marriage in the records from Cuyahoga County, ohio. Marriage in the records from Cuyahoga County, ohio, and at that point it states that Arthur was living in Cincinnati which is quite far from Cleveland, by the way, and this is where his family originally lived before moving to Chicago and Gertrude was living on Cleveland's west side. They were both married at least once before and, knowing Arthur as we do now, it could have been more times.
Natalie Zett:
Arthur was 27 and gives his occupation as diver, which differs from what the Chicago Tribune wrote, since they said he was a lifesaver, otherwise known as lifeguard. So what do you think he's going to do now? Do you think he's going to calm down and behave himself? Between the time he got married until May 1918, he still had time to lecture all over the place and he was making his way to Hawaii. And at that point he added to his resume just one year after the Eastland disaster, loeb again won fame by his work following the Cleveland Tunnel explosion. So now he's got the guy jumping out of the building. He's got the Eastland disaster disaster and now the Cleveland Tunnel explosion. And there was a significant incident known as the Cleveland Waterworks Tunnel disaster, which occurred, ironically, on July 24th 1916. During the construction of a water intake tunnel under Lake Erie, workers encountered a pocket of natural gas which led to a catastrophic explosion. This disaster resulted in the deaths of 11 workers and 10 rescuers who succumbed to toxic fumes while attempting to save the trapped men.
Natalie Zett:
That's from Cleveland, historical Ohio Memory. As someone who grew up in Cleveland, I'd never heard of this. Either Arthur continued and he was lecturing, performing, or maybe on the run in 1916. So I'm not sure how Arthur could have managed to be around for the Cleveland Waterworks tunnel disaster and fit that into his demanding lecturing schedule. And here's another one I found a document called the Recruiter's Bulletin. I found it on Google Books. I'm not sure if all the armed services had this. But in 1917, there was a listing here Cleveland applicant want Carnegie Medal. The newest applicant of note for enlistment in the Marine Corps. Arthur sets his sights high. Have you noticed that?
Natalie Zett:
Back to the article Arthur Loeb, 33 of Cleveland, hero of the famous Eastland disaster. Loeb sprang into national fame when he rescued 33 persons from the Eastland when she became top-heavy and overturned in the Chicago River during the summer of 1915. He received a Carnegie Medal. He was rejected by the Marine recruiting sergeant at Cleveland because of a bursted blood vessel but immediately left for Washington to undergo an operation. Oh my Well things, as you can imagine, they didn't work out with Gertrude. And by 1919, as you can imagine, they didn't work out with Gertrude. And by 1919, arthur was in the news again, still doing his Eastland shtick. But he made a detour to Hawaii and I'm going to warn you that things are going to sound all confusing in some ways, but I think that's part of Arthur's shtick as well. To keep things vague and confusing, here's an article from the Hilo Daily Tribune. This is August 26, 1919.
Natalie Zett:
Hero of Eastland tells exploits. Arthur Loeb sports Carnegie Diamond medals for saving many lives. Scars, proof of action dived 247 feet into the hull of a ship in Honolulu Harbor, says Mr Loeb. Yes, I'm the hero of the Eastland, said the large young man sitting down on the extra chair in the office. Quote I brought up 38 live people and 67 dead bodies and received two gold medals from Chicago and the North Shore citizens. His name is Arthur Loeb.
Natalie Zett:
Miss Arthur Loeb Quote I am the only man in the world with a Carnegie Medal for bravery, with five diamonds worth $10,000,. He continued. I have been in three disasters in three years and have saved lives in every one. I dived into the hull of the Eastland and struck my forehead on an iron fitting, and I am the only man alive today, with a broken blood vessel in the brain and a fractured skull. Only one alive here. The young man bent over and held his breath while a hideous and purple lump commenced to raise on his temple where his skull was lost or missing. He kept this up until he was implored to stop for the sake of others present. Quote.
Natalie Zett:
No one has ever known the real story of the Eastland disaster, but I am going to tell it right here in Hilo. He continued. You see, she was chartered for 2,200 passengers and there were 4,000 on board. There were 1,462 bodies recovered at once and in 25 days afterward 153 more, making a total of 1,615 dead altogether. First I went down naked, then I went down in a bathing suit and finally in a diving suit Dives 247 feet underwater. Underwater I was sent for when the F-4 went down in Honolulu Harbor and I dived 247 feet down to her hull At Peoria this is Peoria, illinois, by the way in a boat accident I brought up 32 dead bodies. A boat dropped on me and crushed my hands and they are just becoming healed now, he added as he displayed the slight scars.
Natalie Zett:
Arthur Loeb is a bell diver for the United States government, he says, and has been for 13 years in charge of the life-saving station at Jackson Park, chicago Saving Station at Jackson Park, chicago. He is now on his way to France where, he says he is going to be in charge of 300 men who will dive down to the halls of ships sunk about breast that's in France and the Irish coast and endeavor to bring them up again, wears medals with pride. He is now on his way from the Orient and will go to Honolulu Friday and take the Sheridan to the States on her next trip. He is a large young man with a remarkable chest development and was wearing his two gold medals for life-saving. Yesterday, about town, he gave a talk and showed some movies of the Eastland disaster at the Gaiety last evening and will repeat this evening. I am 31 years old and weigh 227 pounds, said he, and when I go down my suit weighs 1,000 pounds, the shoes weigh 500 pounds, the belt 300 pounds, the helmet 89 pounds and the other things bring it up to a thousand. But time was short and those who wish to know the rest of the story of the Eastland hero can hear him at the gaiety tonight. Why, he's quite the tease, isn't he, our Arthur? Anyway, now here it gets a little kludgy, so bear with me.
Natalie Zett:
So by November 9th 1919, the Oregon Daily Journal reports that Arthur and his brand new wife are stuck in Hawaii. I'm going to try to condense this story. So he's somehow stranded in Hawaii, near Mauna Loa, the volcano which just exploded. According to him and I'm thinking, apparently by now even nature cannot take this mess anymore he was with some companions with the intent of quote unquote bagging a shark. I will spare the details because they're way gory. But for all his trouble, he said he bagged a 19-foot shark and now had a collection of shark teeth to add to his collection of other shiny objects. He's much like a crow, when you think about it, anyway. So Arthur then went on a rant about sugar and pineapple and then claimed to have discovered wait for it the champion hula dancer of the world, because, as we know by now, arthur likes to be around successful people.
Natalie Zett:
But here comes the love story. So, on his way from someplace to somewhere else, arthur stops off in Portland, oregon, where he met a woman on a Monday, married her on a Friday of that same week and then they headed off to Hawaii where they were stuck, for reasons we don't know, for two months. Her name was Lenore, and that is, mercifully, the end of that article. Name was Lenore, and that is, mercifully, the end of that article. There's more. This is the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, wednesday, november 12th 1919. Our King of the Bell Divers is still out there talking up a storm and during a lecture in Bozeman, montana, he's still talking about the Eastland and the Carnegie Medal. But now he's added to his resume that he spent time in Vladivostok, Russia, where he was involved in the raising of a government vessel. Hang in there, we're coming to the end of this.
Natalie Zett:
So in the 1920s, arthur and his shiny medals are still traveling all over the place. He seems to favor places like Montana, kansas and Wyoming, and Washington State at best. But the news clips slow down until 1930. In the 1930 census Arthur is living in LA with his wife Lenore and their daughter Patricia, who was six. His job wait for it is perfume salesman. That probably is the actual truth. But you can't keep this guy down. So he goes to Decatur, illinois, and in the Decatur Daily Review, may 9th 1930, he is now Captain Loeb and the headline is Captain Loeb, real Hero Led life of adventures in deep waters.
Natalie Zett:
Captain Arthur Loeb, hero of the Eastland disaster which occurred on the Chicago River July 24th 1915, is in Decatur as the custodian of the whale being exhibited here. A fracture of the skull and a broken blood vessel received when his head hit one of the steel ribs of the Eastland. After he saved 38 lives and brought up 67 dead bodies put Loeb out of the diving business forever. You'd think he'd remember what he said. From town to town, but anyway, in 72 hours, without being out of the water more than five minutes at a time, captain Loeb performed his Eastland rescue work before he was injured. In 135 minutes he had saved 38 lives. His reward was a Carnegie Medal and $20,000 in cash.
Natalie Zett:
The Eastland hero is the former champion deep-sea diver of the world. He won the world's record in 1915 in Honolulu, raising the submarine F-4 from a depth of 287 feet. I thought he couldn't dive anymore. Anyway, a ring, oh God. And here we go again. A ring on his finger was taken by him from one of the skeletons he found as the hero of the Cleveland Tunnel explosion. July 24th 1916, captain Loeb was the first man to enter the death hole at crib number five. He brought out four individuals whom he saved and rescued 13 bodies from a watery grave. We're not done yet.
Natalie Zett:
Lusitania when the Lusitania disaster occurred, captain Loeb went out to make an attempt to locate the ship, but it had sunk too deep, banned from diving by his skull fracture and broken blood. Vessel, captain Loeb now spends his time as captain of the Hercules, a whaling vessel operating at Long Beach, california. End of article. So what he's doing is now he's going around exhibiting this whale or something, and this made me think of the Minnesota State Fair and Little Irvy, the frozen whale. Have you heard of this? So there really was a little Irvie. And my friends who grew up in the Twin Cities and around Minnesota recall going to the Minnesota State Fair as children and seeing little Irvie on exhibition. Little Irvie was a 20-ton whale who was sadly harpooned and then frozen with liquid nitrogen. This was 1967, and Little Irvy and his owner, if you want to call him that spent the next 25 years going around the United States in a refrigerated truck displaying Little Irvy as a sideshow attraction.
Natalie Zett:
Had Arthur been born later or lived longer, he could have been part of the state fair circuit with the medals, the rescue stories and the whale. Oh, blow the man down, girlies. Blow the man down To me, way, way, blow the man down. Blow the man down, girlies. Here's the reality. Arthur is still in LA working as a salesman but now claims to be widowed. I did additional research and his daughter, patricia, sadly died at the age of 13. We're getting near the end here, folks.
Natalie Zett:
This is from the Oregon Journal, july 5th 1946. By 1946, he's gone Hollywood and now, according to him, is either directing films or working as an extra. It is really hard to read through this mush, but in an article they did mention that he was allegedly involved with a film called Bad Bascom with Wallace Beery, and of course there's no record of Arthur in this film. But he is living in LA and Lenore, his late wife, has miraculously risen from the dead because she is also mentioned in this 1946 article In the 1950 census. Arthur is in the gift shop of the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas. His job on the death certificate was listed as salesman of ladies general merchandise and the informant of his death was his wife, lenore, who was still very much alive and she lived until 1983.
Natalie Zett:
That's the end of this, and I know this was a long one. This is the longest podcast I've done in a while, but I had to get all of this in because this is so unbelievable. And of all the people associated with the Eastland, arthur Loeb has been the easiest one to research right out of the gate. I was able to find 55 records about him, including census records, newspaper articles and death records. In corporate language you might call that low-hanging fruit. It was so easy to find. Yet here's what makes no sense to me After doing a scan of various publications and websites that are about the Eastland, he's either not mentioned or he's still being mentioned as a hero. I don't know why, and even the saddest stories that I've shared with you about the Eastland still have this glimmer of hope and light. I think there were way many more good people who rose to the occasion, and even those who struggled after the Eastland disaster I have nothing but respect for. But I wanted to share this story because, like it or not, arthur Loeb is also part of the Eastland disaster.
Natalie Zett:
Arthur Loeb's antics read like a dark comedy, a testament to the adage that truth is stranger than fiction. I have to say this guy was brilliant and that, along with his charm and convincing lies, made his claims seem authentic because they were actually based on real disasters. He bothered to research those disasters, probably much better than the people who researched or who didn't research him. And whether he was pretending to dive off of bridges, hobnob with the elite or heroically rescue people, arthur's escapades were nothing short of theatrical. And please don't forget Arthur might be gone, but his type has never left the planet. And con artists like Arthur are masters of manipulating emotions and circumstances. They can make the most outrageous claims sound plausible, which is why it's always crucial to step back and maintain a healthy skepticism In today's world, just as in Arthur's time we've got to verify information and question people who are so adamant and present themselves as authorities right?
Natalie Zett:
After all, I love a good story, don't you? But we don't want to be the gullible audience in a con artist's performance, and I had to follow my own advice when it comes to these Eastland Chronicles stories. I have to share with you everything that I run into, whether I like it or not. In other words, I can't just cherry pick only the stories that I like and keep retelling them right, because there's so much more to this as there is to all of history. And speaking of that, I want to share a very uplifting quote from Denise Allen of PA Ancestors or Pennsylvania Ancestors. If you have ancestry in Pennsylvania, which I think everybody does, that's where you want to go to learn more. I will leave a link in my show notes to her website and podcast as well.
Natalie Zett:
Here it goes Genealogists are the new historians. We no longer just do family trees. We uncover the lives of everyday people and highlight their struggles and triumphs. It's more relatable than repeat stories from textbooks and will be the history people remember of this country. Thanks for that, denise. Talk to you all next week. Have a good one. Hey, that's it for this episode and thanks for coming along for the ride. Please subscribe or follow so you can keep up with all the episodes, and for more information, please go to my website, that's wwwflowerintherivercom. I hope you'll consider buying my book, available as audiobook, ebook, paperback and hardcover, because I still owe people money and that's my running joke. But the one thing I'm serious about is that this podcast and my book are dedicated to the memory of all who experienced the Eastland disaster of 1915. Goodbye for now.