Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-07-24

AND WHAT CAME OF 1.-THE WON
DERFU1. WoMAN,' ON TRIAL-STRANGE
STORY.
&C., &C., nc.
Miss Carlotta F. Shotwell, who is said to
be lady Of prepossessing appearance,
brilliant conversational powers, and lady
like department. is now on trial III New
York on charge of grand larceny, Gene
raj Philip D. Roddy, of Alabama, former
ly of the Confederate service, being the
complainant The opening OF the case by
ex-Judge Fullerton, counsel for the plain
tiff, reveals history of female craft, cum
ming and persistency seldom known in the
history of crime. The New York ''Her-
aldo says:
The accused was placed at the bar yes
terday and the trial commenced before
Judge Sutherland. Miss Shotwell or Mrs.
Roddy is a petite brunette, and was attired
in mourning. She occupied a seat by her
counsel, the affable and 'ssilver-tongued"
Algernon S. Sullivan. There was no diff
Guilty experienced in procuring jury, and
the only question propounded to them by
Assistant District Attorney Lyon was
whether they were men of families. After
His Honor that Judge Fullerton and Mr..
("Johnny'') Davenport had been designated
! to take the active management OF the case
on behalf Of the prosecution, as it involved
| the knowledge of a great many facts and
| circumstances which it was impossible for
| him to acquire in the conduct of the bust
| ness of the Court
! THE PROSECUTING COUNSEL STATE
b M1ENT.
Judge Fullerton, sin furtherance of the
ends of justice" and not in consequence of
the payment, as MI. Skimpole would say,
of a little bill' by the prosecuting witness,
proceeded in a dramatic and pathetic man.
ner to give a general and interesting his
( tory of General Roddy and the prisoner at
| the bar, whom he denomlnated an adven-
| turess. He said the jury would be sur
prised to learn that she was only charged
| with stealing an opera glass, some private
papers and seven English sovereigns, the
total value of which was about $50. The
accused was woman OF more than ordl-
nary ability, well brought up, educated,
possessed Of extraordinary conversational
powers and not without personal attrac-
tions General Roddy was introduced to
her by mutual lady friend in this city in
1867, and the acquaintanceship grew into
an intimacy that continued for several
years. By her extraordinary powers of
fascination, he alleged, she was enabled to
WELD an almost irresistible power over
General Roddy, at first asking small sums,
and when her imperious demands for lar
ger amounts were not met she ceased play
ing the angel, her wings disappeared, ard
then she showed her claws, threatening his
exposure to wife and children. She knew
at her first introduction that he was mar
ried and had q family.
From place to place in this city, and to
various other places she followed him, de-
manding money, land receiving in the ag-
gregate $50 900, which brought him almost
to poverty. This woman went to his room
stealthily, opened his trunk and stole his
private papers, shook them in his face and
threatened to expose himself as well as 9th
ers. In 1872 they dissolved all relation
ship, at which time he gave her a bond of
railroad corporation of great value,
agreeing within the time to give her the
menced suit, without any warning,
knowing that that would lead to an inves-
LEGATION and to exposure. The General,
OF wishing to engage in this litigation
effected settlement with her, she agree
ing to deliver the bond, but failed to keep
her promise. In short time the prisoner
commenced another action upon the same
paper.
MORE BLOOD MONEY WAS DEMANDED
and more came, and the bond was given
! up. She then adopted another line of at
4 tack and wrote to his wife, and, worn out
and half insane, the General took steam
Rer to Europe. While there, happening to
Aa5e up a copy Of the Herald, y he read an
a0eount Of the arrest Of a man named
Everett for stealing the property of the
prisoner, which turned out to be the bond
that he had deposited with other valuable
papers in his trunk. On the night before
he went to Europe the accused had entered
his room and stolen the bond. She COM
menced law suits against him in the name
of ShotWell, and in order to get rid of her
he went to Taylor's Hotel in Jersey City,
N. j.; but she followed him there, and
whenever he went to Washington she
would go too. If he took to himself the
termost parts of the earth the woman at
the bar beset his path. She would cling to
his carriage and be dragged through the
streets and sit for hours at his room door
in hotels. The celebrated Brinkley divorce
trial suggested to the prisoner the idea
that she could pretend to be the wife of
General Roddy; and accordingly she visit
ed his place Of business and demanded Il
certain amount Of money from his partner,
which was refused, whereupon
MISS sHoTwELL THREATENED TO
DESTROY
Mr. Roddy and his business. When she
next met the General she stated some
things that he knew no other person was
aware Of, and which only could have been
learned from his private papers, that he
supposed were placed beyond her reach in
Jersey City. When asked how she got
that information the apt reply was, 81 am
smarter than you think I am" lie then
found out that his papers, an opera glass
and seven English gold sovereigns had
been stolen, and, urged BY his friends,
legal proceedings were instituted and an
Indictment found by the Grand jury A
search warrant was issued and part of the
stolen property was found in her posses
sion. Mr.. Fullerton, in closing his ad-
dress, said that this was not the only mar
ried man she had within her clutches she
was not the victim Of the complainant's
! lust, but an adventures and one who
levies black-mail upon those who get
! within her power. :
The complainant,
PHILIP D. RODDY, WAS THE NEXT
WITNESS.
He was shown the opera glass and a bun
die of private papers which he identified as
being in trunk in his room at Taylor's
Hotel, in Jersey City, and which We're alb
stracted from it, together with seven Eng.
lish sovereigns. in March last; he asked
the prisoner, who was at the Ashland
House. how she got into his trunk, and
the reply was, 'Roddy, L am smarter than
YOU are , at an anteeedent conversation he
had complained of a hotel bill that was
presented to him for payment, when he
said, i will pay no more; she replied,
you will pay just what please; have
cot you he urged her to return his pa
pers, promising to do anything if she re-
stored them, but she declined, adding that
would do her any good The threatened to
take out 4 search warrant, which was met
i