The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-01-17
FRANTIC FEMALE FRAUD.
Maggie Mitchell in the Role ola Con-
hdeuce Woman-she Is Commit
ted TO Jail Amidst The Widest
Demonstration OF an Emo
ttonal Order.

About noon yesterday young woman
OF progressing appearance, but rather
plainly attired, entered the store OF
Messrs. Stone & Thomas, on Main street,
and after looking over number OF artl.
Giles in the store, ordered fifteen yards of
cashmere linirg e. The cools were neat
ly tied up, and the woman as she reach
ed cut her hands to receive them from
the clerk, Mr.. Henry Sturgeon, smiled
sweetly, and in voice, the tone OF which
savored strongly as belonging to one
whose guiless innocence could not be
questioned, gently waited on the atmos'
phere to Henry's astonished ears, the
words, "Thc:e goods are for DR.. Bates;
he will settle the bill" But Jerry was
reading han. and having DO
ticed the accounts in the news.
papers of the exploits OF
confidence woman, who had at various
times made use OF the name of DR.. Bates
to procure goods, suspicion OF the
transparency of the story led him to
mistrust the woman, and he refused her
tho goods, at the same time making an
endeavor to detaln the sprightly female
fraud. She was too quick tor hun, how
ever, and eluding mis- grasp, effected an
exit from the store aid proceeded down
Main street to Eleventh at u rapid gait
Turning down Eleventh street, the
woman passed into an alley-wsy near
Schultz's shoe store, and jumping over
three fences in the rear Of the building,
sscended flight of stairs leading to the
rear of a house fronting on Main street.
Entering the house, she passed down the
front stairway on to Main street, and
hurried on down Main. By this brilliant
comp Getat, she misled the parties in pur-
suit of her, and by the time
thew became aware of the dlrec-
ton taken by the woman, she
was going rapidly down Main street. IN
the vicinity OF Fourteenth street. Officer
Defnbaugh Immediately gave chase, and
gaining on the woman, whose pedal ex.
tremitles are SAID to be remarkable for n
female, she rushed into Huscmsn's livery
stable near Sixteenth street, and next
appeared in Alley B, between Fourteenth
and Sixteenth streets, at the rear of the
stables. The officer noticed her 90 into
the stable, and OH his arrival he was in
formed by an empioye OF the course
taken by the woman, aud hurrylng on
through the stable into the alley, again
caught sight of the object OF bis search.
Another short chase ensued, but the Off
Ger being the feetest, the fair but iraii
being who had placed too much conf
dence in the gul!ibility OF Wheeling mer-
chants, was soon locked in his arms, pre-
senting a tsblesu OF rare merit
The woman was Immediately taken to
Squire Caldwel.s office, where I'm effort
was made to have preliminary eXsml-
nation, but it being impossible to secure
the immediate presence OF one or two
essential witnesses the case was continued
till to day, and tie prisoner committed
to the county Jail
During the time the woman was
in the squire's office she talked in
coherantly, and cave her name as
Maggie Mitchell. She said that she re-
sided on Hanover street, Baltimore, and
that on coming TO this city, she mad fallen
in with a girl named Maggie Lsughiin,
who was the principal mover in the dii-
ferent confidence games she had attempt
ed. Messrs. Hallisy, Larkin, Speyer
and Ensheimer, all merchants whom the
woman had attempted to swindle, and
some of whom were really viclmizcd,
give 1t as their opinion that she is the
same woman who secured several shsws
on the strength of DIR. Bates name, of
which mention was made in these coll
umns at the time, but all endesvors to
effect her arrest have proved futile till
Yesterday.
Maggie appeared to be very much ex-
cited, aud her agitation gave rise to the
opinion by some present, that her mind
was not altogether right, and it Is more
than proba BILE that her plea OF defence
will be that OF insanity. Her "acting"
WAS of the emotional order, and her
plesdings to be allowed to return to her
home were very affecting, she declaring
that she would never again do anything
wrong, and that she couldn't 90 to jail.
So great WAS her agitation, that she shook
as though affected with aguc, and her
frequent bursts of eloquence in the way
of an appeal to the Squire 20 be released,
followed by oceans OF tears, showed her,
if not sincere In her protestatlons, to be
an actress of the emotional school OF no
mean ability. Especially when it was
that it would be impossible 10
give her hearing yesterday, AID that
she would have TO 90 TO Jail to await a
hearing to-day, did she become frantic,
and her emotions overcome her, and
with loud scream, she burst into II
food of tears and sank limp and
helpless into chair, murmuring,
at will break my poor mothers
heart; 1 was never in Jail before This
fine piece of acting, however, did not
soften the good Squire's heart, and the
only effect produced was the loud outlaws
of several big niggers in the room, who
"declared dat gal was shush uuft born
actress" highly enjoying her misery "a
she was hustled of to Jail by the police.