Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-02-02

II 5TT
/ from the stsss Resistsr.
/ sTAn1ETNG EOtaGEhnEs.
The SAD and Terrible Tails ~fa wreck.
\ ed NIind--A rs. Ellen 3. Tnppsr Ar
| ressed Ter Forgery The Trans.
nctien Fully Proved-De-
tails OF the Csrcum-
| stances.
Probably no woman in Iowa has
been SO prominent as Mrs. Ellen s
Upper, the noted bee culturist. Fol
| years she has been authority on all
matters pertaining to the apiary.. She
hns been an able and popular writer
on these themes, the editor of several
public Journals devoted to this sub.
feet, and lecturer on Bees and theil
caro- in the State Agricultural Col.
lege. She has also been somewhat
prominent as an advocate of female
suffrage.
FoRGERIEs AT NARsTIAII.roWN. ~
About tho last Of December, 1876,
forgeriesof the names Of Hon. James
Harlan, Mr.. Burroughs, and other
prominent and wealthy men of Mar
shaltown, were discovered. Steps
were taken to discover the perpetra-
tor of the forgerics and they were
very soon traced to Mrs. Ellen s.
Upper. The Register was fully in
formed, by its Marshaltown cores
pondent, Of the circumstances hut re-
Trained from mention OF them In the
hope that the matter could be ari'ang-
cd and good name be kept unfair
nishcd. aE9
MIR. Harlan knew nothing OF tho
manner in which his name had been
used until the Register letters were
shown to him ut the Slavery House.
The amount of the MarshalltOwn
forgeries was about one thoucand
dollars. The notes were sold to q
bank in that city. As soon as the
lforgcries were discovered Mrs. Tnp-
per was informed and Immediately
confessed to the wrong she had done
and promised prompt PREPARATION. In
a few days she paid the bank $3.50,
anda subsequently, paid the entire
amount. No criminal proceedings
were commenced. sEsS
OTHER FoRGERIEs
| of Il most startling character have
since been discovered and fully traced
to the hand of Mrs. Upper.
ORDER OF ARREST.
Friday afternoon Marshal Hafner
received q telegram from MONTICELLO
directing him to arrest Mrs. Ellen 5
Upper, ona charge of selling forged
notes to the Monticello Bank for
$1,000. Proceeding to Cottage Grove
the officer was informed that she was
not at home, being absent on business
connected with her profession. There
at present writing, the matter rests.
OTHER AND EARLIER TRANSACTIONS.
The pitiful story would not be COM
plete without the history of the recent
transactions. Nearly two years since
the names Of Gov. Carpenter and
Hon. John A kasson were found OH
commercial paper as endorsers for
Mrs. Topper. Both signatures were
forgeries. On one of the notes, at
least. money was obtained, but the
paper was taken up before maturity.
More recently the name of Mr.. Mauls-
by. of Cottage Grove, was similarly
tempered with. That note was also
redeemed, but not untilcypOsure had
taken place.
About the same time the name OF
one of the wcalthiest men in Des
Moines was forged. The forgery was
discovered but out of regard for the
family nothing was done III the mat
ter and the persons whose names
were illegally used sustained IN
silence some loss in connection with
the transaction.
Aside from raising money on notes
in this manner she has repeatedly
drawn through banks in the North
ern and Eastern portions of the State
on the State National, Citizens Ma
tional, and other Des Moines Banks
where she had no funds nor account
| Yesterday morning draft drawn
by Ellen $. Upper, on {. j John.
ston, cat Thomas Savings Bank
Des Moines, was sent 10 the lows
National Bank for collection. Beins
presented at Mr.. Thomas counter j
was found that no man by that name
ever had any funds at his Bank, nol
could man of that name be found il
the city. The draft had been Gu
dorsed by y. w. Bull, through tn
Cedar Rapids Bank, must have bccl
/ realized upon. The amount wa
$l35. Last evenings train here tn
, protest to Cedar Rapids.
THE PLAN OF OPERATION
, appears to have been brought abou
Ibv some early debts, of what amour
is not now known. 1t is supposed
that the debts were paid with tn
: proceeds OF forged endorsements o
unauthorized drafts. As these fcl
due they xyere replaced by nihe
paper of a similar character, IN a dill
: icrent portion of the State. Thi
o went on until the final and sad terml
= nation.
Yesterday afternoon intelligenc
was received in Des Moines that Mr.
: Topper was dangerously iilat Stat
: Center, and s,lmmoning medical NJ
/, from Des Moines. Physicians liav
started forlh by the Narrow Gau9
} Road. &
D Her family physician yesterday III
n formed the author OF this article this
n the woman had been undoubtedly
. a greater or less extent derangcd 70
q two wears. An unusual mental strai
: connected with her large bushes
l. and constant labor. added to sever
financial distresses. has weakened Inc
= mind until she has not longer pcrie
o use Of her faculties, and in the deli
= ium consequent on this state she h;
I, done things which her real NOR
!, worth and sense of right. in more I;
- vored moments, would have taugl
n her were wholly and crimipal
Il wrong.
DC LATER.-Last evening intelligent
II was received III Des MoiRcs that MI
is Topper had been arrested and was
custody. The total amount of q
y Monticello forgeries is 81, 766. A fl
description of the notes is as follow
40 one note for $50, dated December. 8. 1873.
~ One note for 1856, dated December, ;, lS5
~ Both these notes are signed by Jol
y ~ Hodgdon, Dubuque.
~ One note for $40, dated December .. ISIS.
II. One note for s3l6, dated December $50
One note for 1856, dated December l, 1872.
These three are signed by yol
b. Hodgdon and endorsed by Pl
IT. Smith. Both signatures are II
- gcries. The notes were purchas
:" by the Monticello Bank, betwc
en- January 18th and 22nd.
" For the family In the great distr'
that has fallen upon them throu
the wrong doing of the mother, thu
is the deepest sympathy here, VINE
they are known so well and 40 high
- respected. Two os her daughters
~ now with her.
An IT'S A SAD STORY.
wv and its excuses can only be found
I'm the supposed insanity of this unh:
~. py woman. That she was mcnta
he unsound has been for a long Il
he considered certain, by those =
knew Mrs. Topper best. Many OF
actions in Des Moines, prior to
discovery Of any Of these occurrens
have furnished the amplest proof
'ty her moral nnaccountability.
n 3 -
Mt. Read the advertisement in this
- per Of the only located Specialist