New-York tribune., 1886-08-26
TROUBLES or AN ORANGE WIDOW.
Is TIA CASE OF HONEST POVERTY
TRADEsMEN SUE HER FOR OBTAINING GOODS
UNDER FALSE PRETESCEs.

TRADEsMEN SUE HER For OBTAINING GOODS
UNDER FALSE PRETENCEs.
III Mrs. Charlotte Erwin, the young widow
who was arrested In Orange. n. J.. Tuesday night
for obtaining goods under false peences carries out her
expressed intentons tho lawyers OF Orange VIII DO
rousing business this fall Several Orange merchants
have alrsady brought suits against her and more are
preparing 10 do so to-day. These WILL it said all DC
like the first for obtaining goods under false pretenees
Every one who does sO Mrs. Erwin declares, VIII be
prosecuted In turn by her for damages and she makes
sood this threat about every attorney in Essex County
VIII be needed side the other for the number OF
hsr creditors seems to be legion Mrs. Erwin Is re-
markaby young woman to be the responsible head OF
household and TO have had all the experiences which she
has passed through She says that she was married
when only sixteen years old, that she is only twenty
nov" When she made this statement in court yesterday
few appeared to doubt the truthfulness Of
She said that her family have lived IN Orange for
about five months They went there early in April and
stayed at the Mansion House The party included
Mrs. Erwin her little boy: her mother and sepfaher.
who is an artist; her sister. Mrs Mason and her two
oroners, one OF whom Is real estate agent In Broad
way this city Mrs Erwin said that she wanted 10 rent
house to keep boarders After brief search she found
one all furnished In Ceutrssve. The rect OF It was
sos month Mrs stephen 7. ricknor owned It. The
youthful boarding house mistress paid q months
rent in advance and moved in Then she went around
10 the various stores IL the neighbOrhood told them
what she was going to do and opened accounts WIN
them For meat and vegetables she went to Dempsey
Brother They that she represented to them that
she owned property which in litigation. She also
oonght dry goods from ]. n Hustled giving as refer
ence E. j. Denning Co., Of this city. Mr.. Hustled did
nOt think necessary investigate this reference at
the tme but when he did be found that Mrs. Erwin was
unknown to that house. c. NJ. Decker Brothers;
them, did nearly all the other. with whom she
dealt promIu a. nrst. Then she ran up oi' u IS
brother, wanted suit OF clothes. She sent hlfn to
John Ready, local tailor. for outfit s0d t0!t Mr:
Ready thai she would settle the bill Besides these and
several others she ran bills At William Aliens livery
when the second months rent became due, Mrs.
Erwin paid It, out the third rent day found her without
funds @ Her andlady after waiting reasonanle @ .l.ns
turned out about two wesks This startled tne
trying vain to enect ssttlsment tor time.
Dempsey Brothers swOre out complaint against her
on Tuesday evening. charging her stated. Mrs
Erwin had taken up quarters at the Mansion House,
when she was found by ths OHicers She was greatly
surprised and denounced tho proceeding as
heusOg to walk 20 the police station. she was driven
there in carriage followed ny her sister aud orotner
her efforts obtain from friends IN New York
proving failure James W. Fields. wellknown local
lawyer. heard Of the and at once came forward
aud not onY became her and bondsmsn In $500
but also offered home In his family until the matter
saw that shs was lady" said Mr. Field last even
ug. and Tor that reason felt bound to help her ali IN
The called before Justice Davis yesterday
morning Mrs ~ win appeared handsomely IN "a
neatly ntung dress. Her eyes sparkleh with In
dis nation hrs sbe upon the con plananls
but gradually this so'tened and In te~ moments
she Her lawyer waived examination
until Monday aud renewed hail In $500 Ihon MIS-
Erwin let he know that she going to take tue
aud ordered lawyer 10 begin suit against
dempsey Brothers for $4,000 damages for false ltp.
prsOnmsnL she that she did not misr- present
her circumstances 70 them, bot that they kne" her
cond ton. Despite thls action on her part Mr. Ready
the tailor complaints against her. and other mer-
hants said they would DO the Mr Field, her
lawyer $3.50 will pay up ali she owes and that
all her debts we're honestly cOurraced that IA she eI
pected TO pay them ont the earnings OF her boarding
house Is Is a case" hf added OF honest poverty,
which is not yet . crime I this county