The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-04-05
4 I-onlam's Curious Fosgeries.
now 4 MEMPHIS SCHOOL TEACHER RAISED
SEVERAL. THOUSAND DOLLARS WHICH
HAVE ENTIRELY DISAPPEARED.

A very curious case oI IOIH6igso9 d W.
man. in which the motive Tor the offense
appears to he uudiscnverable, is reported .
by the Memphis Appe0L Miss Mary
Hampton, for ten years teacher IN the }
public schools of that city, IL the culprh, /
She lived with her mother, widow and
also teacher i'm the public schools, IN /
house furnished by the city aud adjoining
the echool in which tLey taught Miss
Hampton is small in stature, delicate and
nsumptive in appearance and thirty years
old. Her salary, with her mothers, came /
to $40 a month.
In November last Miss Hampton bought
Of the County Court Clerk, James Reilly,
$3.50 worth Of city scrip, giving her indi (
vdual note for $3.50, and as collateral
nOie for $500 purporting to have been drawn
by James II. Osborne on James I. Leath
and bearing Mr.. Lcath'S indOTsement.-
/ When the note fell due part Of il was paid
and three new bills by Osborne on Leath,
ipdorscd by the latter, were given, two of
/ which were paid by Miss Hampton at ma
1 turity All four were forgeries TO the
/ Endorsement and the drawer of the notes.
/ Osborne is myth.
In December, 1877, before these forgeries
we're discovered, Miss Hampton bought
800 more city scrip from Mr.. Reilly, Civ
/ ing him three orders, due in one, two and
three months on the Board of Education
/ for salary duo Miss Hampton and her
mother, both of whom apparently signed
the orders. Mrs. Hamptou's 5 signature was
/ forged, and the Board Of Education holds
no moneys for either Miss Hampton or her
! mother
I In January last Miss Hampton obtained
. a loan of 81. 500 cash ON note signed by
herself and ndorsed by Mrs Kate Z. Daw-
son from President Fisher of the Emmet
| Bank. The Endorsement was forged. She
/ obtained the Endorsement of a druggist of
, Memphis to her note for $500 by deposit
ing with him forged notes of hand calling
for SO, 500 and negotiated the indorsed
note at once. She borrowed several thOus-
and dollars from personal friends without
| giving security, and finally borrowed money
| on certificate of indebtedness given her
by the Board of Education at her request,
! and then making affidavit that the ceItif-
cate was lost, drew the money due her
thereon. 1t should be added that last fall
I she made present Of a cart-load Of new
furniture TO the pastor of St. Bridget's
church, the bill for which was sent to the
church some months later.
There is scarcely a trace left Of the
thousands of dollars which Miss Hampton
within few months has secured by these
devices. When accused she denied almost
everything, and seemed to be amused at
her own detection. When her victims
called to see her she upbraided them with
faithlessuess aud treachery, and then com
menCed crying. 1t has been discovered
that sic has been a heavy purchaser Of dry
gouds-principally ladies' wear-duTing
the past year. At one house her annual
bill amounted to 81 900 and at another
some $500. Her bills at millinery e>tab-
lishmenrs we're also quite large, and at jew
elry stores she occasionally made nice pur-
! chascs. 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 Emmet
Bank, Mr.. Reilly and Colonel Leath have
, received anonymous letters puTpoTting to
come from relative of hers, who claims
, to have been the guilty party in all the
above transactions. These letters are Gu
f riuusly worded aud written, and are be
, lievcd to be spurious, and written either by
Miss Hampton ur sonc confederate of hers.
= One of them is as follows
MEMPHIS February 10, 1873.
, SIN: saw Miss Hampton with You on Satur-
] ! day, and knew, from the white, haVEard face
] / that ny wrong doing had done her harm, which
, / | meant ShUUll for / sWure three years ugD To
: do her all thc harm that was Ia my power. FOR
= am man thlt at"a] ; pays ProPie osicR Whth
t they do me wrong ant the opportunities came
I in turn win Mrs Da"son, Reilly aud McCuHe
Z l have don" rcT favOrs in money mut;erS, sc
J. won 'hcr c"uhicnce. She wrote Mrs. Dawson
=, Intercepted aud replied 70 her, There is not
. hand cnt.'t write when choose. The scvcra
,!,r,,s ,r M. Nv si,, t,,,'i- tI,.,T noe a.',.r
;, she was out. aud mcet ting her, promised t.
call and have it attended to. Wholly unsus
:. pCctfug, size handed II ana I took it. The not,
n You hold - NOT even Miss Hampt0u's, for
: changed it, bringing note pretended iron
u Mrs. Dawson, telling her thar the time to,
Is short aud tU make il longer. She was complete
Il I ly duped, uu1 wrote the note to you under al
: / these repTesr ntatiOHs. ] meant to harm her
, hut not to cause hcr mother any trouble, no
re to cnduugeT their friends ! hope, Therefore
"A you will CXOucrate her from all blame. She j
! too straightforward not 10 pay you In suCt
l. sums as she wOuid be able As cannot. ! lea. y
Ie for parts unknown. when this letter shall b.
/ posted Tor Truly yours.
W. II. LAURASCE.
, Known as +. r. Slaughter.
i0 There is as yet no proceeding of any kim
against Miss Hampton, who with her moth
y er stood well in the esteem of the ccmmu
nifty. 1t is said that since her exposure TIA
e. daughter has several times attempted su
tv eide.
nj