Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-25
HUNGRY JOE ECLIPsED.
Artful Mary Hanserfs Bold and Sue
cessful SwIndIing Ventures.
From tie Ne3o YORK Sun.

cessful swindling Ventures
From tie Neao York Sun.
Mrs. Mary A. Hansen, of many aliases,
the champion woman confidence operator
of the world, was arrested Saturday in
Jersey City. The complainant in this last
charge made against her is Frederick
Bohmert, a saloon keeper at 1872 Alien
street, in this city. About year ago she
entered his barroOm with a friend by
whom she was introduced to him as
Mrs. Mary c. Clinck. She was a
handsome, stylish woman, apparently
about a. years of age. Her
clothing was costly and fashionable,
and big diamonds spaTkled in her ears
and on her fingers. She called again next
day and got into conversation with Bon
inert. She said she had something to tell
him, aud asked him to accompany her to
an uptown hotel. He consented, and in
"a private room she related her story. She
said that her uncle, who was a clergyman
IN Germany and very wealthy, had died
and beQueathed to her real and personal
property valued at 100000. Her hus-
band, she asserted, was then in Germany
endeavOring to settle the estate and con-
vert 1t into cash. She produced several
cabIegrams and many letters purpOrtlng
10 have been sent to her from her husband,
IN w mon he gave JlG luDsL ldNOI dult dC-
counts OF the progress he was making
in obtaining the fortune. Then she
said that in order TO prosecute
the business it WAS necessary that
she should have money, and, as she had
spent all her own, she wanted to know
whether Bohmert would advance her some
to help pay her lawyers and other eX-
penses in Germany. She offered to give
HIM notes for any loans that be might
30, ~ IA fHf
as soon AS she should gain possession OF
her property. BOhmert was completely
captivated by the charming manners and
evident sincerity of the stranger, and
readily consented to let her have what
ever funds she needed. Then she bor-
r0wed 5000 from him. After that she
called on him almost every week, and at
each visit obtained a considerable sum,
until She bad succeeded in getting over
$1,000 from him. This was all the
money he had in the world,
and when she asked him for more
he had none to give her. His inabih-
~ tOturther assist ner troubled him even
more than it aid her, and, after thinking
over the matter for some time, he hit
upon an expendient. John Mesan. a sa-
lOonkeeper at First avenue and Houston
street, was his intimate friend. Mesan,
ne thought, had money, and to him Bob
lutib went Win 0IIs. AulCks inc lazy
repeated her story and BOhmert cOrrobO-
rated 1t. Mesan told them that he had no
ready cash, but so thoroughly were his
feelings worked upon by the wOman's
narrative that he offered to raise the
money by "A mortgage on his saloon. Mrs.
Clinck with tears of gratitude accepted
this proposal, and in a few DAYS she re-
ceiVed 81, 500 from Mesan on the mortgage.
After that transaction she was for
long time missing, and BOhmert could find
no trace OF her. Then he began to sus-
pect that be had been sWindled. In his
trouble he went to Jersey City to consult
Police Inspector Lange, with whom he
had been very intimate years ago in Ger
many. From the description which he
gave OF Mrs. Clinck the Inspector thought
he recognized her as Mrs. Mary A. Han
sen, known in police circles as the queen
Of confidence women. Lange showed
Bohmert Mrs. Hansen's picture in the
rogues' gallery, and the saloon-keeper
Immediately identified it. Acting upon
the Inspectors advice Bohmert returned
20 this city and obtained at the TOmbs
a warrant for Mrs. Clinck's arrest on
a charge of grand larceny. He and
Detectives Haley and Rutland then
went 10 Jersey City, where they were
Joined by Inspector LANCE and Detective
Dalton. and the whole party went to Mrs.
Chnck's house at AZ Height street on Ber-
yen Hill. servant there told them she
was out. While they were waiting at the
corner for her return boy came out of
the house and looked up ard down the
street suspiciOusly. The officers saw him,
and were convinced that Mrs. Clinck was
in hiding. They went back to the house,
entered 1t, and began systematic search.
Inspector LANCE found the woman con-
cealed behind lot Of dresses in a closet.
When she saw Bohmert she recognized
him, but denied that she had swindled
him. She said her husband was the gull
ty party. She then consented to come TO
this city, and was brought to headquar-
ters. There she said she was i'll OF pneu-
monia. and doctor was sent for.
The record OF Mrs. Cllnc6, alias Hansen,
Is remarkable. In October, 1876. she got
s., 600 from John Wannamaker, of Phila-
delphia. she afterward swindled a
wealthy butcher out OF a fine house,
richly furnished, at 2,303 Catharine street,
in that city, where she lived in great STYLE.
Among her coniederates were Marcus
Sacia and his son Charles, who were
prominent in the Palsade insurance
frauds and the great Lewis will case. In
the latter part Of 1876 she came to Jersey
City. and under the name of Mary
A. Gibson swindled II. A. Parmen-
ter out OF $500. From Horace II.
Farrier she got 1900, and from
John Garretson $l,SO0, In each case
she represented that she wanted
advances to help her collect large legacies
in Germany. She SAID that Cardinal Nc
Closkey and Archbishop Woods were her
friends, and were helping her 10 recover
her property. For these frauds she was
arrested and tried in Jersey City, but
Counsellor Winfield, now District AttOr-
ney, appeared for her, and fairly ridiculed
the case out Of court. After her acquittal
she made the acquaintance of an old shoe
maker named Cliuck, who took a great
fancy TO her. She married him, and then
packed him OIL 10 Germany, after having
Instructed him to send her the cablegrams
and letters that form such an important
feature OF her subsequent frauds.