The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-02-10
From the Bangor Commercial
"A Female FOrger.

Several years ago Nj. Allen Upper and
family resided in this city. After time
they moved to Houlton, thence to the
West
| Within the past two or three years Mrs.
| Topper has made for herself quite a fame
as "bee culturist," and has apparently
maintained herself and made quite a for
tune by raising bees.
She held an enviable reputation in the
city Of Des Moins, being greatly respected
| by every one who knew her, and very
prominent in religious, social and business
circles but it now appears that she has
! been engaged in a long series of forgeries,
having been driven to them by extreme
| financial pressure. Two years ago the
| signatures of Gov Carpenter and the Hon.
John A. kasson We're discovered on COM
| mercial paper as indorsers, made by Mrs
| Upper, and were forgeries, but were taken
up before maturity.
Several other business men were victim
| lied, but allowed the matter to be settled
without exposure, yet with some sacrifice.
But after a while the cashier Of the First
National Bank at Dubuque received letters
from banks at Davenport, Anamosa, Mont
icello, making inquiries as to the financial
standing of General John Hodgdon and
Platt Smith, whose notes had come into
possession of The banks. General IIodgdon
denied that he had any notes out and ell
quiries traced the forgeries to Mrs. Tup-
per.
Last Friday evening the City Marshal
of Des Mones received a dispatch from
the Cashier of the Monticello Bank to ar
rest Mrs. Upper on Il charge of forgery
on that bank to the amount OF Sl766 No
arrest was made, us she had left the city
for Cedar Rapids ten days before. Last
Saturday. draft drawn by Mrs. f. S.
Upper on c. j, johnson, and directed to
the savings Bank OF L. N Thomas of Des
Moines, was received 1t bore the indorse-
ment Of j. W. Bull of Cedar Rapids, where
the draft was dated and had been cashed
by Il bank there. The amount was for
$50 No such man resides in the city.
or is known at Des Moins, and the draft
was returned for protest for non-payment
This seemed to indicate that she was
there and still working her schemes; but
Saturday intelligence was received that
she had been arrested on charges made
by the Monticello Bank. Two of the
notes purchased by this bank were for
500, and signed by John lIodgdon, Du-
buque. Three We're for Sll9l: signed
by lIodgdon and indorsed by Platt Smith,
both Of which signatures are pronounced
torgeries
Mrs. Topper was Providence woman,
the daughter of Noah Smith, the Assist
ant Secretary of the United States Senate.
In 1913, at the age of %, she married AL
len Topper, a wealthy lumberman at Port
land, and they came to this city. Here they
resided Tor some time, then moved to lIoul-
ton. His health failed in a few years, and
the family, having become impoverished
moved to NaShngtOn county, Iowa.
Mrs. Topper provided for her children
and her invalid husband by teaching school
and carrying her baby back and forth with
her on horseback. In 1858 she began to
raise bees and was extremely successful.
She has edited two bee newspapers, pub
lished a book on bees, has lectured fire.
quently and still found time to give her
personal attention to her business and
manage her own correspondence She
has four daughters and one son, boy
about II years old
His eldest daughter is the wife Of
prominent lawyer, and is the pastor Of a
church in Colorado, and of reputed high
StdhulnS DIS Il speaker ana MEMBER OF So
ciety. Another daughter is a graduate Of
the State Agricultural College and is q
teacher in the High School at Marshall
town, which labor she has assumed while
fitting herself for the practice of medicine.
Another daughter is well known to fancy
poultry breeders in Iowa as Il dealer in
that stock.
1t is thought that Mrs. Upper began
to commit forgery about two years ago,
when she was sick for q long time in CON
sequence OF overwork. and her family
physician declares tnat she has not been
responsible for her acts for some time