The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1877-01-30
A Strange Case, with Woman in It.

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At Baltimore last week an interesting
and mysterious case was partly develop
ed in police circles, growing out of the
arrest of Mrs. Ashton on the charge
of attempting to obtain $500 from the
National Exchange Bank of that city.
The lady, who is young, prepossessing,
and fashionably attired, called at the
bank on Friday, and presentlnga check
for 80, 500, asked TO have IL cashed. 1t
was drawn by Steneburner & Richard,
wholesale grocers, In favor of Have
meyers q Elder, sugar reflners of New
York, and had an endorsement on the
back purporting to be the signature of
the latter firm. The teller told the lady
that she must get some one to identify
her. In short time she returned in
company with Mr.. w. j. Waterman,
well-known lawyer. Mr.. Waterman
said that the lady's name was Mrs.
Mary A. Ashton, and that she resided
in Lombard street, near Paca. He was
personally acquainted with her, and
knew her to be Christian lady of un-
eXceptlonable character. The bank
officers requested her to call on Satur-
day, which she did. In the meantime
Steneburner & Richards were visited,
and acknowledged that the check was
genuine, but could not account for its
being in Mrs. Ashton's possession.
They had mailed it on the 10th inst, to
Havemeyer & Elder. The latter firm
was telegraphed to, and in reply said
that the check had not reached them,
and that they did not know such a per-
son as Mrs. Mary A. Ashton.
Mrs. Ashton made the following ex-
planation as to how she received the
check: A Mr.. William Ramsey of
New York city was indebted to her
family in the sum of $4,000. A short
time ago she received a telegram saying
that Mr.. Ramsey was very ill. She went
to New York and called at Mr.. Ram
sey's residence. She found him dying,
and he said to her, "I am anxious to
pay you before / die" He then took
large bundle containing notes and green
backs from beneath his pillow. From
this bundle he took the check saying,
Here is q, check drawn on a Baltimore
bank. 1T is more convenient for you
than money, and you had better take
it," She took the check, and when
Ramsey was about to say more on the
subject, he was seized with violent fit
of coughing, and died almost instantly.
After she had finished this narrative,
Detective Crone introduced himself and
told her that she must accompany him
to the marshal's office. TO the Marshal
she acknowledged that her story of
having received the $500 check in New
York was false. This was not done,
however, until she had made another
statement to the effect that she was
handed it at the st. Nicholas Hotel by a
gentleman coming to Baltimore. Her
final confession was that she found the
check on the street with another one for
500 also sent by Steneburner and
Richards to New York firm. This is
also believed to be false.
She made similar assertion to Water
man, who processes to believe that she
did not act criminally, but declines to
explain her conduct. The police au-
thorities think she secured the letters
from a street letter-box, where they had
been mailed by a porter in Steneburner
& Richards store The post office au-
thorities investigated the case, but dis
covered nothing tending to implicate
employees. Complaints were made,
however, by r. b. Swaine and other
merchants, of having lost checks after
mailing, but none of them were present
ed at bank for payment. Mrs. Ashton
is aged %, and lives with her mother
and brothers. She is of good social
standing, though not rich. She mar
ried at l5,and has since been divorced on
her own appeal. 1t was ascertained
that for some time past she had been an
attendant at business college for in
struction in writing, taking her lessons
in the afternoon. Whether this was to
enable her to more skilfully trace other
PERSONS signatures, can only be conjec-
tured. The business community has
been much exercised over the case.
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