The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1876-03-24
Mrs. Upper Forgeries Is She Insane!


We published last week., says the
Marshall Oowa) TIRES, an account OF
some of the vagaries Of Mrs. Ellen 5.
Topper, of Des Moiaes, the celebrated
bee culturist, and stated that for some
time she has been in the habit OF forg-
ing the names of wealthy and well
known men to notes and afterward ne
gotiating them at some bank. OF late
lit appears that she has become perfect
ly reckless in her transactions of this
character, appending the names of par
ties with whom she only had the slight
est acquaintance to commercial paper
and selling it at the most ruinous and
extravagant discounts. During all this
time, however, she has cOntrived to
meet this paper when it came due until
quite recently, when her extrava-
giant discounts seem to
have accumulated faster than her
power to liquidate. Her latest achieve
ment was at Monticello, in Jones Coun-
ty, where she sold upward Of $4,000
worth Of forged notes early last week,
using the names of prominent Dubuque
men as indorsers. These were soon
discovered to be forgeries, and the VIC
tins at once went to work to apprehend
her, and telegraphed far and near to
ascertain her whereabouts. Saturday
morning Mrs. Upper arrived at State
Center on visit to her husband, who is
teaching school in that vicinity. She
had no sooner left the cars, however,
than she was taken into custody by the
authorities and placed in durance at
the hotel. 1t seems that the terrible
excitement through which she has
been passing for the past few months,
and the arrest, were more than her
shattered nervous system was able to
endure, and she was taken very Ill with
disease of the heart, to which she has
been more or less subject for several
years. She was made as comfortable
as possible and her husband sent for.
Her daughter in this city and her family
physician, DIR. Stone, Of Des Moines,
were also quickly summoned by tele-
graph. On the same train with her
daughter arrived the Sheriff of Jones
County and the cashier Of the bank at
Monticello. These WORTHLESS, notwith-
standing that the unhappy woman was
dangerously i'll, insisted on taking her
with them to Jones County on Sunday
nights train in spite Of the remon-
strances Of her physician, who said il
was absolutely dangerous toremove her
in her existing condition. The Time.
has all along believed Mrs. upper to be
insane, a monomaniac, morally ire
sponsible for her acts. The denouenaen
of her sad career more than ever con
firms it in it's first belief. When he
daughter, Miss Kate Upper, of thi
city, arrived, letter was placed in he
hand by her mother with the request tina
) she would read it.
The letter was a most affecting one
Passing over parts Of it that refer onl,
to her struggles to maintain herself ant
her family she adds Enclosed yol
will find two notes. The circumstance
under which l obtained them I mus
keep secret even from you. promised
not Is use them unless driven to it b.
dire necessity, and desire you also no
to use them unless absolutely. necessar.
to save your mothers good name.
The notes were as follows:
DIES MONIES, Dec. 1, 1875.
Thirty uttyS itlttT udtts piofuirU w poy IAl 2
Ellen s. Topper or bearer the sum Of | 900 wit
, interest at 10 per cent. per annum.
: JESusH CHRIST.
mark.
y The other note was for $500 at sixt
days and signed as above. This full
. bears out the theory Of the Times wit
: regard to her insanity, and it woul
certainly seem that instead Of being i
the clutches of the law the unfortunat
prisoner should be in some asylum
where medical skill might be used j
q the endeavor to restore the shattere
mind of this once brilliant and talente
;. woman to its former health and yigol