Leon S Soeder: Murderer

Leon S Soedor was born around 1866 in Germany and came to America at age 17. His mother was Magdalena Linkenhelt. His father had died of unusual circumstances.

In 1901 he married Pilar Mirander, he had an insurance policy on her worth $200,000. She died mysteriously.

18 April 1903 he left for Alaska, returning to San Francisco on 15 Sep 1903. He then said he was leaving for Germany 24 Oct 1903. He had met a women named Katherine Flatley, whom he wanted marry. He sends her a telegram from New York asking for $100 because he was robbed. She sends it.
He ends up back in California with his brother-in-law Joseph Blaise, whom he put a insurance policy on for $10,000. He then proceeds to Germany and talks his brother-in-law to return to America with him.

When they reached New York, about December 1, Soeder at once attempted to procure an insurance policy on Blaise’s life for $5000.00, but as there seemed to be considerable delay, he lost patience and brought Blaise to San Francisco, arriving here on December 13. On December 26, Soeder wrote to Miss Flatley announcing his arrival in San Francisco, and informing her that he was sick and desired her to call. He concluded the letter by promising to make her additional presents as soon as his “fortune” arrived. She ignore his request.

n January 11, 1904, Wm. Hogan, a laborer, was passing along Taylor Street, between Green and Vallejo, where he found a man lying at the bottom of a cliff, and on close inspection it was found that the man was dead. There was a cut on the back of his head and on the right side of the throat was a deep knife wound. His pockets were turned inside out, but this had been so thoroughly done, that it was suspected the object of doing so was to create the false impression that the motive for the crime was robbery. Soeder and Blaise roomed together at the residence of Jos. Neibias at 827 Jackson Street, and on the following morning Soeder told the landlord that Blaise had not been home that night and as he had $90.00 in his pockets, he feared foul play. Leon would identify the body, and acted grief stricken.

Shortly afterward, when it was learned that Soeder was an ex-convict and had a heavy insurance on his brother-in-law’s life, he was taken into custody.
Detective Tom Gibson was assigned to the case and in Soeder’s rooms he found a knife, on which was human blood.

Here are the newspaper accounts of the case:

Inmate #20791 San Quentin Prison

Rec: 15 Spe 1904

Crime: 1st degree Murder

Term: Death

He had a previous conviction I did not find, San Quentin Prison Inmate #16073 Rec: 29 Jan 1894, burglary of Johnson's Restaurant got 3 year term.

He was hung 29 March 1907 at San Quentin Prison, his last request was not to be buried in the prison cemetery where he could hear the cell doors slam and the screams from the inmates in the yard. The few newspaper article links I posted are of his execution.

I made him a tree on Ancestry.

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Leon S Soeder: Murderer

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