National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-01-21
FEMALE FORGER ARRESTED
HEB MOVEMENTS IN THE DISTRICT.
THE STYLE OF WORK AND THE VICTIMS.
A SENATOR'S NQNEY-LETTER STOLEN.
She Begs Aims and RObs the Charitable.


The columns Of THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN
have from time to time chronicled the events
transpiring IN police circles ranging from minor
offences to those Of more serious nature, in all Of
which the perpetrators Of crime and offenders
against the law have chiefly been Of the male
sex. 1t has been In exceptional cases only, and
those far remote from each other, that females
have been suspected Of completely in acts Of
Wrong.doipg, where they were the principals and
instigators of others to commit nefarious deeds,
that would cause heavy punishment to be Wis
tied upon them n arrested and found guilty Of
the charges made against them. But recently
women, becoming emboldened by the success at
tending their efforts at pilfering, black. mailing
and other crimes unnecessary to mention here,
have pushed further out on the sea Of crime, and
now some Of the most noted professional workers
in the country are females, and looked upon BY
the authorities as the most dangerous people in
that business. This city, generally speaking, has
been fortunate in its freedom from this class, as
all the robbing done BY females has, with few ex-
ceptions been OF small articles Of which the
money value was 9 nominal sum, trifIng In
has put in an appearances, and in the few months
of her operating worked to some purpose, heeced
several citizens quite badly, and realized quite
Within the past few months complaints have
been received At police Headquarters, from differ
ent parties, that their names had been forged to
checks, the money obtained thereon,
GENUINE CHECKS
had been raised to On amount exceeding that for
which they were drawn, notes and drafts pur-
Joined, oyercoats missed and others Of q trihing
nature. When most Of these charges were made,
it was found BY tracing the paper back to FIRST
hands that o woman was the principal party fig-
uring in nearly all the crimes. Detectives Nc
Dewitt and Miller were given the matter in
charge, and with their accustomed energy went
to work to fathOm out the criminal They sue
ceeded so we'll that Tuesday night they arrested
rid Ia oaraA 0rfv haF ATra
Compley, as being the individual, and took her
to police headquarters where she is still held for
further hearing. In the meantime they com
and unraveling her many crimes. They first find
that Mr.. Crosby, Of the National hotel, cashed
June SO, 1874 drawn by Eppa Hunton on the
Farmers and Merchants Bank, Of Baltimore,
for $40, and to be charged to his account. The
check was returned from Baltimore protested,
and Mr.. Hunton afterwards pronounced his sigma
tuTe
FORGERY.
The woman had then disappeared, and the facts
OF the case were given to the authorities. LAST
RSGfoPds SnS woman %S Brought to Mr Thomas
Knowles, Of High street, Georgetown, q check on
Middleton & 20. for fifty dollars, signed by Ad-
ing 1t was sent by the housekseper, Miss Wood,
and he would Oblige the Admiral by cashing It.
Wishing to accommodate his friend, and thinking
1t was needed at q time when he could not come
to the bank, the money was sent by the psuedo
Miss Wood to the Admiral. The check came to
the bank in due time, and went to protest, much
to the surprise Of the holder and then the forgery
came to light. She, at later period, obtained
from a merchant in the West End a full suit OF
clothes, for which he received in payments forged
check, she seeming to have them in abundance
and could dispose Of them without fear Of appre-
hensOn.
Senator johnson, Of Virginia, has room at the
house Of James Riley, No. sos Twelfth street
northwest One day as he was about departing
from the parlors he was called back, and left his
letter containing q blank note, signed and in
dorsed, which was to go to his son-ln-law, and by
him be filled out for the amount requisite In the
business transaction in which they were engaged.
Two females passed out the hall, one OF whom
reached into the hat and took the letter, but got
away before the direction taken could be discoV-
cred.
THE SENATOR
visited headquarters last night, and recognized
the woman there as being the person that stole
the letters from his tile.
Under the assumed name Of Ellen Howard she
called upon Mr.. ConRgre, on T street, and repre-
scented to him that her husband was formerly
newspaper editor, gave reference OF other news
tsistanee as she was door and had 1--WE children to
support and was without work. The gentleman
having little money about him, gave her check
on Riggs & CO. for . small amount, but when the
check was presented the teller noticed that It
mad been tempered with and thu amonnt raiGod,
some two months since she forged the name of
Hon. James Wilson, OF Iowa, to letter stating
that she was relative Of his, and, armed with
this communication, she proceeded to the resi-
dence Of Mrs. johnson, OF E street, and rented
the house (furnished) for so per month. Here
was a rich harvest. She stole, sold or pawned
beds and furniture until she had pretty we'll
cleaned 1t, and then left, letting the owner dis
cover her departure as best she could.
About her final exploit was week ago, when
she called at the house Of John 7. Cook, No. ToS
Eleventh street, and as Mrs. Hammond, collecting
charity, stole fine overcoat out OF the hall while
the lady of the house went to obtain her food.
Mrs. Cook also recognized her yesterday, when
she confessed to the deed, and told Mrs. Cook
where the coat had been pawned.
When arrested she said that she had been q
teacher in the Anthony Bowen school building,
but was removed to give place to q colored sppll-
cant, which was found to be untrue. On her per-
son was found q number Of pawn-tickets, which
will bring to light, in all probability, many Of the
missing articles. The detectives, IN making her
arrest, have stopped the career Of bold and dau-
gerous woman, and deserve the thanks Of the
community.