The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-04-11
A woMAN's CURIOUS FoRGER1E,.
How q Memphis School Teacher Rais,d
Several Thousand Dollars.

A very curious case of forgery by
woman, in which the motive for tile
offense appears to be undiscoverable, is
reported by the Memphis appeal. Mis-
Mary Hampton, for ten years a teach'r
in the public schools of that city, is Il Q
culprit. She lived with her mother, q
widow and also teacher in the public
schools, in house furnished by the city
and adjoining the school in which theY
taught. Miss Hampton is small il
stature, delicate and consumptive in az
pearance, and 80 years old. Her salarr
With her mothers came to $l40 q montl.
In November last Miss Hampton
bought of the County Court Clerk, JAIME,
Reilly, $3.50 worth of city scrip, givin.;
her individual note for $3.50, and as col
lateral note for $500 purporting to hav,
been drawn by j. T. Osborne on Jamei
T. Leath, and bearing Mr. Leath's in
dorsement. When the note fell due par;
of it was paid and three new bills by Os.
borne on Leath, indorsed by the latter,
were given, two Of which were paid BY
Miss Hampton at maturity. All fou'
we're forgeries as 10 the Endorsement antI
drawer Of the uotes. Osborne is myth.
In December, 1877, before these for.
geries were discovered, hiss Hampton,
bought 500 more city scrip from Mr..
Reilly, giving him three orders, due III
one, two and three months, on the Boar.
of Education for salary due Miss Hamp
ton and her mother, both of whom appa
rently signed the orders. Mrs. Hamp
toms signature was forged, and the Boar,
of Education holds no moneys for eithe
Miss Hampton or her mother.
In January last Miss Hampton oh
tained loan Of 81, 500 cash on not,
signed by herself and indorsed by Mn
Kate E. Dawson from President Fisher,
of the Emmett Bank. The indorsemen;
was forged. She obtained the indorse
ment of druggist of Memphis to he,
note for $500, by depositing with hinI
forged notes of hand calling for $2,S00,
and negotiated the indorsed note at once.
She borrowed several thousand dollar,
from personal friends without giving Sc
curity, and finally borrowed money OIL
certificate of Indebtedness given her
by the Board of Education at her re-
quest, and then, making affidavit that
the certificate was lost, drew the mone1
due her thereon. It should be addei
that last fall she made q present of
cart load of new furniture to the pastor
of St. Bridget's Church, the bill for
which was sent to the church some few
months later.
There is scarcely trace left of tie
thousands of dollars which Miss Hamo-
ton within few months has secured ly
these devices. When accused she de-
MED almost everything, and seemed 10
be amused at her own detection. When
her victims called to see her she up
braided them with faithlessness and
treachery, and then commenced crying.
II has been discovered taat che has been
heavy purchaser of dry goods-princi-
pally ladies wear-duriug the past wear.
1t one house her annual bill amounted
to about 81 900, and at another $780,
EIer bills at millinery establishments
we're also quite large, and at jewelry
stores she occasionally made nice p,lr-
chases. These dry goods, &C., she never
wore, always dressing neatly and plainly,
and what she did with them remains to
be discovered. Mr.. Fisher, of the En-
met Bank, Mr.. Reilly and Col. Leath
have received anonymous letters pur-
porting to come from relative of hers,
who claims to be the guilty party in ail
the above transactions. These letters
are curiously worded and written and are
believed to be spurious, and written
either by Miss Hampton or some confed-
crate of hers. There is as yet no pro-
| ceeding of any kind against Miss Hamp-
ton, who with her mother stood well in
the esteem of the community. It is said
that since her exposure the daughter has
several times attempted suicide.