Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-05
A wOMAN'S CURIOUS CRIME.
How She Tried to Evade Payment of a
Debt to Friend in this City.
THE INGENIOUS STORY SHE ooNoocrEp-NvEsrI-
CATION BY PosT-oFf1cE INSPECTORS COOL
NESS BAFFLEs THEM-BUr ARRESTED on A
CHARGE OF PERJURY SHE coNFEssEs.


CATION BY Posr-oFFrcE INsPEcroRs-HER COOL
NESS BATTLES THEM-BUr ARRESTED on A
CHARGE OF PERJURY SHE coSFEssEs.
An interesting case has recently been inves-
tigated by Gen. Harrison. the inspector of the
money-order system Of the Post Office depart
ment. He regards it as one of the most re-
markable that has come within his official ex-
perience. He received information of the case
from a letter dated June 6, 1888, from Dr. Mar
shall l.. Brown, Of Alsen, suburb of Boston,
making formal complaint to the superin-
tendent of tae money order-system that his
wife, Helen A. Brown, during the first week in
January, 1888, purchased in the main
post-ofice in Boston a money order for the
sum of $685. payable in this city to Mrs. Put
nam, which was said to be lost The case was
investigated at Boston by Inspector Boyn-
ton. and it was found that no such
order issued from the Boston post
office. Inspector Smith reported that
no advice of any such order was received at
the Washington post-ofice. Inspector Boynton
then forwarded the affidavit of Mrs. Brown
giving minute details of the alleged purchase
of the order. About the same time an inquiry
was set on foot by Mrs. Putnam in this city.
Any one familiar with the money-order sys-
tenn knows that the application for every
which 1t is sent Then, too, the blank sent by
the buyer of the order to the person addressed
does not bear his or her name. It simply con-
tains the amount named in the order and orders
the postmaster of the town or city designated
to pay that sum to the person named in a letter
of advice which is sent by the postmaster who
filled out the blank. The person receiving the
i1rst blank must sign the receipt, and if the sig
nature does not agree with the name mentioned
IN the letter of advice the money is not paid.
TUE STORY OF A FEMALE FRIENDSHIP
Here was mystery which required solution.
and Gen. Harrison went on to Boston for that
purpose. He learned the following facts:
About five years ago Mrs. Putnam. whose
health was quite delicate was taken very i'll in
Boston, and by accident DIR. Brown was called
to attend her. Subsequently Mrs. Brown
called with the doctor and was kind and at
tentlve to the invalid. A strong friendship
sprang up between the two ladies which re-
suited In frequent letters in which endearing
sentiments were lavishly expressed. Mrs. Put
nam being addressed by Mrs Brown as ''My
Dear Prill' and by Fanny, Mrs. Browns
daughter, as Aunt Prill," and Mrs. Brown by
Mrs. Putnam as MY Dear Fanny
MISS FANNYs VISIT SOUTH.
About August, 1887, Miss Fanny, school
girl, spent some time in the south for her
health. While absent from home she appears
to have been somewhat extravagant. and to
ing north, she stopped in Washington and WIS.,
tied Aunt Prill, who generously entertained
her, showed her the sights of the capital. and
when she left for home made loan of S38,
which 1t was promised would be returned by
Mrs. Brown.
But Mrs. Putnam was not repaid. After the
lapse of several weeks, during which no men
ton was made of the S3S, she introduced a
quiet hint in one of her letters that she needed
the money. Still there was no response from
Boston. Then she wrote again and sent a
broader hint but tho silence remained I'M
broken. A terse explanation of the circum-
stances under which the money was lent failed
to recall the wife of the Allston physician to a
sense OF her obligation. Then Mrs Putnams
patience was exhausted, and she demanded the
payment OF the debt, whereupon Mrs. Brown
condescended to write that she had long ago
returned the money in the shape of money
order. and she expressed in emphatic terms her
contempt for person who would persist in
dunning an honest woman for debt that had
already been paid. This led to the complaint
made by Mrs. Putnam at the Washington Office
PUZZLED Posr-oFFICE INSPECTORS.
When Gen. Harrison, with Inspector Boyn-
ton, called on Mrs. Brown at her home she re-
ceived them pleasantly. When she was asked
to explain where and when she had bought the
money order which she had sent to Mrs Put
nam she gave n detailed account of her visit to
the Boston post-ofice in the first week in Janu-
airy, 1888, and by her description of the corri-
dor showed her familiarity with the building.
She M Soned so many little incidents con-
nected W. the alleged purchase of the money
order tina inspectors were inclined to be-
lieve her s, ~. But when they returned to
the post-office and examined more closely into
the case they were more than ever convinced
that the money order could not have been
bought there. They examined the records of
all the division post-offices of the Boston Office
but there was no trace of Mrs. Browns money
order. Then they favored Mrs. Brown with
another call. They tried to brighten her into
a confession that she had made a wrong state
ment, but she as bold as a lion DIR. Brown
was present, and interrupted the officers: I'D
have you understand, sir, that YOU are talking
to my wife, Mrs. Brown answered the officers
as coolly as though they had been asking her
about the weather. She reiterated her state
ment that she had bought the money order.
and even specified the window at which the
money was paid in. Mrs. Brown saw that the
officers were puzzled, and, feeling sure that
her cause would triumph,
SHE WENT STEP TOO FAR
and gave them the first opportunity to disprove
her story. While giving an elaborate account
of her movements on that day, she said that she
wrote Mrs. Putnam's name on the money order
blank, and saw it sealed and stamped When
they heard that the inspectors knew she was
lying. They knew she had not sent a money
order with the name of the person to whom the
money was sent written on the blank. They
told her she was committing perjury, but she
smilingly adhered to her story. She readily
signed an affidavit and made oath that she was
telling the truth. There was not waver of
the hand or moments hesitation. The off,
GERS explained to her the serious consequences
which followed deliberate perjury, but she was
not to be scared by any such talk She assured
her official visitors that she was a woman of
veracity. She felt deeply aggrieved that they
should doubt her word She looked the pic
ture of injured dignity, and her chances would
have fallen with crushing force upon less hard
ened hearts than were possessed by the two in
spectors. To give weight to her story Mrs.
Brown babe her daughter produce a letter
from Mrs. Putnam containing this postscript:
Il forgot to thank you for the post-offce order"
She had reserved that as her last gun. and. sup
posing that she had swept the doubts of her
visitors from existence, she again became the
agreeable hostess. Not once during the inter-
view had she lost her temper. Not once did
she hesitate in her replies to questions. The
inspectors returned to the Boston post-office
and again searched the records. At last they
found the duplicate of postal note for few
cents which Mrs. Brown had sent to Mrs. Put
nam. The postscript in that letter had refer
ence to that postal note and not to a money
order. Then the officials came to the conclu-
sion that thew had