Cemetery Tales: Swindling dentist; Deadly feud

October 1, 2024

A swindling dentist and a deadly feud between neighbors are the first featured stories in this month’s Cemetery Tales series.

Dentist used marriage to swindle women

The swindling dentist, Arthur Arlington, went by many names and was in prison multiple times. — Arlington, a dentist by trade, swindled numerous women out of money, landing him in prison multiple times.

Smooth-talking swindler Arthur Arlington was no stranger to California prisons. He also went by the names Andrew Arlington, Andrew Young, Llewelyn Miller (believed to be his real name) and Charles Holman.

In February 1901, Arlington was convicted of grand larceny for his penchant for “swindling women through matrimonial bureaus.” Swiping a woman’s purse with $200 was a step too far for the law and he was sentenced to life at Folsom State Prison. In today’s money, $200 in 1900 is worth the equivalent of $7,500 today.

Back then, bureaus facilitated arranged marriages, almost like a modern dating service. Arlington would cast “fishing” lines through these bureaus and reel in women trying to change their circumstances.

While waiting for an appeal from his earlier life sentence, he wasted no time in connecting with marriage bureaus.

While in jail, continues to swindle women

“Not at all discouraged by a life sentence for swindling women, Arlington has been casting his lines for other victims, while he has been an inmate at the county jail awaiting the result of an appeal to the state supreme court,” reported the Oakland Tribune, Nov. 12, 1900. “He’s been advertising himself through an east coast marriage bureau as a California capitalist in search of a wife and has (already lured) one woman to come to California to share his phantom fortune.”

When she arrived from Chicago with her two daughters, the widow found her husband-to-be was in a jail cell. The photo he sent her was actually a photograph of a local politician. The victim has even brought her two daughters with her.

His appeal failed and he was sent to Folsom. According to prison records, he was 60 years old at the time he was received. Newspaper accounts differ on the age, reporting him as “65 years of age but well preserved.”

Also, authorities didn’t know much about Arlington, other than his California criminal record of two prior grand larceny convictions.

Many names, little known about swindling dentist

“He carefully refrained from making any reference to his family and the authorities (knew nothing of) his life prior to coming to this coast. His only reference to his past was a statement that he was a graduate of dentistry and formerly practiced his profession,” according to the San Francisco Chronicle, Feb. 4, 1901.

He was paroled in February 1911 but didn’t enjoy freedom very long. In September, he was arrested in Oakland for violating his parole.

“He sent in forged monthly statements to the state parole office. Prior to 1901, Arlington committed wholesale bigamy by marrying many women, fleecing them of their fortunes and deserting them,” reported the San Francisco Chronicle, Sept. 3, 1911.

He passed away a few months later on Dec. 23, 1911. Arlington is buried in the cemetery at Folsom State Prison.

Neighbors’ feud turns fatal

Perry Cole apparently didn’t get along well with neighbor Harry McCauley.

A feud with his neighbor turned deadly, landing Perry Cole in San Quentin, were his is still buried. — Perry Cole, 41712, landed in San Quentin after he shot his neighbor.

On Sept. 28, 1925, police responded to a shooting in a Los Angeles neighborhood. There they found McCauley dead in the front yard of his home. During their investigation, police quickly identified their suspect: neighbor Perry Cole.

“(Animosity) of long standing is said to have existed between the pair,” according to the United Press.

For months, police searched for Cole, but it took a stroke of luck, and an observant police lieutenant, to finally catch him.

As a new Elks Lodge for black men was forming, Los Angeles Police Lt. McDuff, himself a member of a black chapter of the Elks, was on hand to help organize the new lodge.

“McDuff had an opportunity to look over the candidates presented by the lodge. It did not take (him) long to spot Cole as a (wanted) man,” reports the Imperial Valley Press, Nov. 21, 1925.

He politely excused himself and quickly called the sheriff’s office. Two deputies arrived and the lieutenant instructed them to wait outside until Cole came to them.

Cole walks into arms of police

“Following the custom used by (most) lodges, the candidates were blindfolded during initiation,” the newspaper reported. “Cole was told to march straight forward with his arms outstretched.”

He did so, guided by Lt. McDuff, and was marched into the arms of the police.

At the station, Cole admitted shooting the victim with a shotgun, but claimed it was self-defense.

The 65-year-old Cole was received at San Quentin Feb. 5, 1926, and given the number 41712. He was sentenced to serve up to 10 years for manslaughter.

He passed away in the San Quentin hospital Nov. 7, 1927, and was buried at the prison cemetery.

By Don Chaddock, Inside CDCR editor

Editor’s note: Every October, Unlocking History looks into the stories of the people buried in the state prison cemeteries.

Learn more about California prison history.

Follow CDCR on YouTube, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter). Listen to the CDCR Unlocked podcast.