Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-06-10
From the Portland Daily Press.
Oracle ST. JOHN CLEMANCE.
A DAsHING FEMALE JACK sIiEPPERD.-A con-
FIDENcg WOMAN yICTniIzEs FKYEBURG
PEoPLE.-ARREsTRD IN PoRTLAND.-sHE
BREAKS OUT OF PRISON.

Mr.. J. s. Spring of Fryeburg, some years
AGO went to California and engaged in
mining. lie was very successful, struck a
profitable vein of ore and became wealthy
mine owner. He resided ut first at Grass
Valley, but subsequently ut Ophir, having
his mine Mt Oakland, near by, and doing
business also in Sacramento. About three
years ago the family met lady ut Grass
Valley who pleased them very much. She
gave her name rs Oracle st. John Clemance,
said she was a sister of eX-G0v. Tod OF
Ohio, and professed TO be the widow OF
l w. IL. Clemance, and TO have inherited
large property from her father. Mrs Glenn
ance and the Spring family became very
intimate, 50 much so that she resided from
that time continually with them. She ap-
peared to have money Of her own, and so
conducted herself that no suspicious were
aroused rs to the genuinenesS Of all her
statements.
Ia December 1875, Mr.. Spring took his
wife and daughter and came on to Frye
burg. arriving in January. At the time OF
his departure he left $500 with Mrs
| Clemance, of which sum 'hc was 20 use
what was required for household expenses,
about $500. and the other thousand She
| told him she could loan To senator Sharon
aud yet enough interest thereon 70 pay the
| expenses OF the trip east. The Springs
reached Frycburg in January of this year
and, soon after, Mrs Spring wrote 10 Mrs.
/ CIemSncc % come on ana Join them. To
/ this Mrs. Clcmaucc returned answer that
owing 10 the Eastern climate and her deli
cate health az the time, IL would not be adj
/ yisablc. Furthermore, she said she had
no money % spare for the purpose. Later.
ON the first of March, Mr. Spring sent her
! 81 500. and told her what WAS not required
/ for her use IN coming East she must tie
! post iu the Sacramento Savings Bank for
Mr.. Springs daughter Ida, n il was a
| legacy left 10 that lady.
! The last of March Mrs. Clemancc ar
rived ~ Frycburg, and soon after she went
with the Springs 20 visit Mr.. Sweat : fam
/ ily i'm BroWnhed. While there she stated
| 10 ;hc Spring, that instead OF putting the
money In the savings bank she had taken
/ il. added 5000 To- it from her own property
! (Which she hld rcccived) and let Senator
| Sharon have IL, taking his note for $4,000
payable IN january loS0. The $500 She
| said was the Interest he was 20 pay. She
offered this note To Mrs Spring and told
her To put it in her trunk, but Mrs. Spring
replied that il would be- ~ safe IN Mrs.
! Clcmance'> a. her own
/ May 18th Mr.. Spring started from Frye
| burg on q trip 10 Sacramento, intending 10
wind up hi, business there and return and
settle down in Frycburg, leaving his lnmi-
I IL aud Mrs. Clcmaucc I'm Brownl.e!l. The
| day following Mrs. Clcmancc stated She
must make trip TO Dixon, H., To visit
some relations, and she made arrange
mcnts for Mrs. Spring To meet her at Al
bany, y. Y. on her return, aud travel with
her ON hi. way To- Sacramento Mr.
| Spring thought he would travel through
! cleveland and inquire something about
Mrs. Clemancc's antccedentS. He Their"
| ascertained that Gov Tod left 4 daughter
Oracle who married man named Glenn
ancc, but the couple were living NJ loms,-
town, Ohio.
Mrs. Clcmancc ia the meantime tcle-
grnphed Mrs. Spring from Chicago TO
meet her ~ Albany, and direct her answer
ing telegram 10 Syracuse Mrs. Spring
replied she could not accept. ON May
18th Mrs. Spring received telegram from
Mrs. ClcmnHCc. dated Albany, asking her
10 come Oh and she could llnd her at the
Dclayan House. Th, telegram was also
answered. declining the invitation.
ON the Sunday Mrs Clcmuncc sent the
last telegram, Mr. Springs brother, IN
Frycburg, received u telegram from Mr..
j. ;. Spring, stating that Mrs. Clcmancc
had been In Sacramento May 2lst and drew
the money, $1,000, which she had deposited
in the savings bank there-ths being the
whole amount Mr.. Spring had sent her
since he and his family first came East,
and inQuirins If she was there, in Fryehurg.
The next day he tclcgraphcd he was about
O. leave for Maine with a rcquisiti0n from
the Governor of California for her arrest
that An officer would be- sent on the day
following, and that the chief OF police
would send % telegram % Marshal Bridges
To arrest her on her arrival in Portland.
Before this telegram arrived Mrs. Glenn
aucc appeared in Portland, reaching here
the same day, the 18th, the telegram was
sent 20 Mrs Spring from Albany. She
sent u Mr., Spring IA forward her trunk
20 the PrcblC House, where she WAS stop
ping The next day tho telegram came
from The sacramento chief OF police. Mrs.
Springs brother was i'm town aud spotted
Mrs. Clcmlncc without her seeing hun.
lie notified Marshal Bridges. VINO proceed
ed 10 the hotel and took her into custody.
She was treated with ppItcucsS ana placed
in the female lying room at the station
10 await Mr. j. L. Spring arrival The
same day Mr.. Spring tclcgraphcd that the
$4,000 note was forgery IL has been
a,ccrtainel that a note without signature
and without any date. except the year, but
in other respects a duplicate Of the Sharon
note, was written in this city last Fast
day. II was Immediately after Fast Day
that Mrs. Clemancc produced the Sharon
note nj BrOwuhcld, saying she received II
| bv mail, and explained the reason why 10
was in an envelope poStmarked Portland,
was, that 1t was rcmailcd from this city.
Mrs. Clemance admits having had the form
for the note written for her on Fast Day,
saving she did it merely to compare II with
| the Sharon note, and 10 see If it was cor
rectly written Her statement now is the
money for the note was left with lawyer in
| San Francisco named GOrham, who was 10
exchange it for the Sharon note and send
her the note by mail
When first arrested Mrs. Clcmance wrote
letter purporting TO be addressed To 4
| brother Edward ID. Tod, resident in Wash
ington, who she said would be here last
Monday There are no indications that
she has communicated with any contdant
while here. There is little doubt the Shar-
on note was made in Portland. Before She
left Brown1eld she borrowed $50 from DIR.
Sweat and $50 from Mrs. Spring.
Yesterday morning Mrs. Clemance sue
| ceeded in making her escape from the
station. She broke out between midnight
and a. IN. She had managed probably
to cut the wooden bars of the window of
the lodging room where she was confined
with the knife with which she cut her food
for supper, and hid the shavings under the
bed She then raised the window and
squeezed through into the narrow walk
| back of the station, sealed the fence into
Chestnut street and cleared 1t is thought