The Obsession of George Jarvis

George Jarvis, a young man who was employed as a delivery clerk for him by H. S. Ochs, a merchant on Front street, was arrested by Deputy Taylor and a station marshal yesterday on a warrant sworn out by Martha McKenzie, charging him with sending an obscene letter to her through the mails on October 14th. He was taken before Justice Caldwell and a preliminary examination set for Saturday. He could not furnish $500 bail and was remanded to jail. The arrest of Jarvis is the result of his continued persecution of two sisters, Martha and Margaret McKenzie, who live at the Peace house on Front street and are dressmakers. It seems that about a year ago Jarvis, who was then a clerk for City Treasurer Enos, became acquainted with the women. They were then living in the Sacramento house on Front and Cedar streets. He fell in love with both of them, but his affection was not reciprocated. His attentions became so marked that the women concluded to leave their lodgings and move to the Peace house. They then did for months but they could not get rid of Jarvis, who then got a room in the same house. They still refused to have anything to do with him, and then he began sending the girls cards making charges of the most obscene and beastly character against them. He also sent cards to certain young men of their acquaintance. Later, finding oral threats of no avail, he began making open threats in frequent letters. Later he wrote to at least one man that the cards printed and would begin sending them out again. He soon carried out his threat, and sent prominent men about the city letters of the most obscene description. Not content with sending the cards to men about town, he also sent them to the mother and sister of the girls he was persecuting. The landlady of the Peace house also received one of the cards, which informed her that her lodgers were leading dissolute lives in the house and specified the rooms. Jarvis was seen at the county jail last night by a Post-Intelligencer reporter. He had not made an attempt to get bonds, and was loud in his threats of vengeance upon the girls, talking of suing for damages by false imprisonment, etc. He spoke in the vilest manner concerning the girls and boldly stated that the girls had pursued him rather than having been pursued by him. He denied that he ever sent any mail matter except by messenger boys. He said that he had spent every cent of his earnings on them and was now poor, but that he would borrow money and fight the case to the bitter end.