The Portland daily press., 1885-02-16
WICKED WIDOW.
A Woman who Has Swindled Bos-
ton People Extensively.
Insurance Commissioner TarbOx's Ex-
perienCe with Her.

BOSTON, Feb. 10.-The papers hero devote
several columns to exposing the swindllng
schemes of Mrs. DIR. e. S. Hudson and her
daughter Amy, aged 16, the latter acting as a
stool pigeon" This woman is pictured as "a
tall wlllcWy figure, with head whose features
bear in every line marks of culture, refine
ment, education, and all the graces that go 10
make magnificent woman. About two
years ago this magnificent comet, moving in
her own peculiar orbit, swept down on the in
nocent commonwealth of Massachusetts. She
came fresh from the clutches of the New YORK
police, so it is calculated, bat to look at her
one would imagine she was fresh from the
court Of st. James.
This is Mrs. DR.. E. s. Hudson, who is now
stopping at suburban hotel. No female
swindler III this country has carried her work
TO sacn a successful issue as this woman. Her
victims in Boston are numbered by the hun
deeds, and iucU6e the best known merchants
and dealers in the city. She also took in In
surance Commissioner Tarbox, from whom she
rented suite of rooms and furnished them
gorgeously. on wind. Furniture, carpets,
tapestry pictures, in fact everything luxuri-
GUS, came into the house by carloads at least
once week. AS soon as the dealers found
that the bills were uncOllectable the goods
We're seized and carried away again. Mr.. Tar
box said to a reporter: "Tha constant Jerking
of the door bell by Mrs. Hudsens creditors
was becoming fearful annoyance both to my
wife and myself. Every day scmebody .Rould
relate to us some new exploit Of swinding
nature. The neighborhood was becoming too
hot for US. Something had to be done, and /
determined to secure possession of the apart
ments according to the terms of the lease, but
the dance she led me was-well, / can't ex-
press it. Such transcsndant cheek. 1t COM
pletely overpowered me-" He said further
that he lost something like $60,a months rent,
but he would gladly have given 5000 not to
have met with the woman.
Mira Hrdson'g arinAiiOo while il vvant sn
low az to borrow 90 cents from poor cook,
took in diamonds, precious laces, satins, silks,
velvets, gorgeous furniture, peaches as ST. a
piece, and Sll the sumptuousness that even
millionares hesitate to indulge in. She was
always attired III the most expensive robes.
A striking feature ia this womans character
was her assumption of religious feryor. She
will never bs forgotten by this generation of
members in St. Paul's e 5iscopal church. She
selected this community as her special prey,
and onS lady who was a fervent msmoer of this
congregation owes the immediate cause OF her
death to this accomplished siren. Her connec-
tion With young assistant rector of the church
was shameful to the last degree. She turAed
the young mans head SO thoroughly as to
make him look upon her SO the very essence of
Christian charity and devoutness, and induced
him to obtain fer her in one instance alone
the sum of $500, and he, in his blindness, was
frequently used to carry cut some OF her most
nefarious schemes. Whom the xplosion came
III resulted IN Almost the utter rulBatiOn OF tue
young man and his removal to distant city
So far as it could bs estimated her swiudlings
in Boston alone are believed to amount some-
where between $4,000 and $50, 600.
Among the more prominent of the trades
people and othnIs who have bsen sWndled by
Mrs. Hadson in the past eighteen months are:
Hotel Pelham, U. S. Hotel, John X. Tarbox,
Henry H Tuttls & Co., Shreve, Crump &
Low, Il. M. Holmes Furniture Co, Paine's
Farniture Co, Theophile Jonval, r. f.
Stearns & Co., Gsorge johnson, Boylston
Mark5t, Chandler & Co, Leopold Babo, Boyce
Brothers, Mrs. e. L. d. Moffett, and many
otbeTs.
Mrs. Hudson Is the widow of Dr. E. S. Hud-
son, formerly practicing physician of Med
way, whose death is believed to haye been
caused By the disgrace brought upon him By
his Wife's conduct. M criminal action has
yet been brought against her. The Herald has
fully Investigated her record, and asserts that
similar practices in Baltimore, Pniiadelphia
and New York caused her hasty departure
from thoge cities.