The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-18
AN ATTRACTIVE SWINDLER.
Depredations Of Mrs. DR.. Hudson in Boston
Making Tool of Clergyman.

Boston, Feb 17.-Boston merchants, dress
makers, hotel-keepers, jewellers, and others have
suffered considerably from the swndling devices
of Mrs. Dr. Hudson, whose fine presence pleas
ing address and taste in her personal adornment
have won the hearts of confding tradespeople.
She worked out her plans with such skill that
she has escaped the prison, where many for
much smaller offenses have been sent. Mrs.
Hudson was born and reared in Baltimore She
was the daughter of wealthy manufacturer.
In marrying David Hudson she offended her
relatives, who were opposed to the
of Methodist Church in Snowfall,
Md, number of years. His wife then seemed
to be devoted to her husband and her home.
Two children were born to them, a boy and
girl. Her husband subsequently moved to Med
way, Mass. and studied medicine lie dled IN
1875 AS as he became a physician the
town of Midway got too small for Mrs. Hudson
After her husbands death she is said to have
made tour through Massachusetts, swindling
people right and left. She then went to Phlla-
delphia, and from there to Baltimore From
Baltimore she went New York where Arnold,
Constable & Co., Lord q Taylor. James Nc
Creery, Daniel q Son, Miller d Grant Altman
Bros, and other firms were swindled by
her. Mrs. Hudson's method in New York
was to assume the names of women prominent
in society and to obtain goods by having the bills
charged She tried the game three times on
Arnold, Constable & Co. The third time they
detected her. and Jim" Irving who used to be
member of the police in New York, finally
tapped the woman on the shoulder, on the after
noon of Aug. ii, 1884, in the Grand Central
Depot just as she was about to take the train
for Cornwall on the Hudson, where she was
spending the summer in great splendor She
got out of the difficulty by paying for the goods
and by the nterpostion of a railroad official
From New York she went to Baltimore, and
from Baltimore she came to Boston. She began
to attend st. Paul's Church, aud seemed so de-
vout that she worked her way into the hearts
of many good people. She turned the
head of a young assistant rector of
the church that she induced
him to obtain for her in one instance alone the
sum of 5000. and he, in his blindness, was fire.
quently used to carry out some of her plans of
swinding He is now removed to q distant city.
Her transactions in Boston represent about $50,
900. Her daughter was her confederate She
swindled Hotel Pelham, the United States
Hotel, Henry HI. futile & Co., a large shoe con-
Germ; John K. Tarbox the insurance commits
sioner; Chandler & Co., dry goods dealers;
Shreve. Crump e Low. jewellers: Springer Bros,
cloak makers; f. NJ. Holmes Furniture Com
pany; Thomas F. Doherty q Co.. cloak makers;
Paines Furniture Company; D. P. 1lsey & Co,
furriers and matters; r. H. Stearns, dealer in
laces, dry goods and small wares, and about
twenty or thirty Others including milliners and
dress makers. Nearly everybody she asked
| trusted her, and few ever received cent The
woman is now stopping at suburban hotel