Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-05-29
MRS. wALLNGFORD.
An Account of the ExtraOrdlnary Career OF
a Female Adventures.


a Female Adventures.
Philadelphia Cor. New York Herald.
The sensational career of Anna Wal
lingford, or, as she now calls herself, An
ma Halves, Is well known in this city,
and several prominent Philadelphians
have good cause to remember her ap-
pearance among them five years ago.
The WOman's history prior to that time
is not entirely known, but fragments of
it have been gathered both from her own
statements and from the investigations
of Philadelphia detectives, who were en-
gagged upon some of the many remark
able cases in which ''the Wallingford"
has passed either as plaintiff or defen-
dant.
Although this extraordinary woman
has always maintained with singular per
tinacity that her mother was the sister
of ex-President J Johnson, it is quite well
established that she is the daughter of
James Whitmore, an humble farmer liV-
ing near Springs Place, Murray county
Ga. There is q record to the effect that
as far back as 1865 she was known in
Georgia as "Moll Gentil, the Rebel Spy"
What particular service she may have
rendered the Southern confederacy are
not matters of history, and her own ac-
counts of her various exploits and start
ling experiences are eXtraVagant and
conflicting. Soon after the war she set
up an imaginary claim for $3.50, 900 dam
ages in compensation for the damages in
f1icted upon her property by Sherman's
army on the march to the sea. She ex-
ercised all the power of her blandish-
ments upon Col. Frank Sepellus, South
ern provost marshal, whom she besought
to sign certificates concerning her enOr-
nous losses. Col. Sepellus, however,
was less susceptible than some Of her
subsequent victims, and her. claim was
ignored. 49,. .s
HER ADVENTURES IN THE WEST.
In 1868 this woman of many expedi-
ents appears in Leavenworth, Kan,
where she passed as Adelina Wright
Of Tennessee. One year later she
married a hack driver nance Collier,
with whom she lived ten months.
At the end of that time she had
Collier arrested upon charge of
stealing her diamonds and other Yalu-
ables. Collier was acquitted of the charge
and soon after went to Colorado, where
he procured a divorce. From Leaven-
worth the adventures went to Platte
City, where she maintained a suite OF
elegant apartments and became nOtori-
GUS under the suggestive nickname OF
"The Big Casino" It was about this time.
according to her own statements, that
she was married to D. w. WallingfOrd.
whom she always spoke of as "the cap
| tain" and whose death upon the frontier
! she used to picture with the most vivid
pathos. Brevet Capt. Wallingford was
first lieutenant of the Seventh cavalry
! Until he came under the influence of this
woman he is said to have borne the rep
utation of a gentleman and brave sol
der. The General Court Martial Of May
! 10, 1870, dismissed him from the service
One of the charges against him was that
he had registered disreputable woman
as his wife. Though Wallingford and
the woman lived together in Chicago fol-
more than year there is said to be nc
evidence that they were ever legally
married.
It was in 1873 that the chequered ca
reer of this woman brought her into the
society of the capital, where she appear
ed as the widow of Capt. Walllngford
While residing in Washington she WoI
the affections of Lieut.. VIM. II. Tiffany
Lieut.. Tiffany married the widow" anC
soon afterwards was divorced from her
The marriage ceremony was performed
by the Rev. @. A. Van Andra, Of st. Louis
and his brides name was registered a.
Amelia Clawdine Wallingford. In spite
swore, while on trial nthis city, that sht
was never married except to Capt Wal
lingford.
In 1875, the year of her marriage will
Lieut.. Tiffany, while boarding at tn
u Lindell house, st. Louis, she alleged tina
she had been robbed of an elegant dia
mond worth $4,000. The proprietor Q
, the hotel Investigated the case, foun,
that the mate of the lost gem was apast
brilliant of little value and elected hi
tenant She afterward went to the La
/ clede hotel, where she remained for som
) time.
? HOW PHILADELPHIA AGREED WITH HER.
Philadelphia in the year 1875 becam
familiar with the stylish toilet and ex
travagant equippage of lady who FIRE
quently drove in the park and on Chest
nut street, attended by liveried coach
j. man. It was "the Wallingford" AGAR
: who appeared this time as the wife, O
, alleged wife, of a NorristoWn gentleman
: During the period of her PHILADELPHIA
: residence the woman succeeded in impos
2 ing upon the credulity of Mayor Stokel
: and many prominent lawyers, who Wer
/ impressed by her plausible stories an
/ ladylike manner. She had considerabl
e difficulty with Philadelphia lawyer
), VINO espoused one of her legal enterprise
f and afterward had cause to regret it. tn
f lawsuit of the adventures against tn
3 Pennsylvania Railroad company is we
g remembered. She alleged that her bag
e gage was lost or stolen while she wa
s travelling in Indiana upon one of tn
2 roads leased by the Pennsylvania con
4 pany, and thereupon brought SUI
: to recover $4,000. She was represente
: by F. Carroll Brewster, and the larg
2 claim was based upon her .fabuloT
0 stories of diamonds, rubies, laces, and a
t untold wealth of valuables in her lo
: trunk. The suit was subsequently Sc
8 tied by the payment of $3.50 to the CLAIM
|, ant.
e George Benkert was another Philade
e phia victim of her manifold schemes. 81
l. charged him with having stolen 81 ,Ot
K from her room in a Cape May hotel II
is case W Is heard before Justice Cassids
z T d l.