Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-04-09
The Case of MISS Mary Rebecca shipley.
SHE Is PARTIALLY INSANE AND VICTIM OF
KLEProMANIA,

The Case of Miss Mary Rebecca Shipley.
SHE Is PARTIALLY INSANE AND VICTIM oE
KLEProMANIA.
i The news brought here by the Philadelphia
4 papers last Thursday evening that Miss Mary
Rebecca Shipley had been arrested in that city
for shop-lifting created great surprise in this
city where she has lived for 16 years and was
respected. AS she is possessed of sufficient
means to live comfortably upon the interest OF
her money invested, having. it is said, fallen
heir to $4,000 the death. some years since .oi
her father and mother, there could be no motive
arising from necessity, to steal, and the most
reasonable as well as charitable theory is that
she is partially insane. and that her insanity
has assumed the phase of kleptomania. She
left here some weeks since. it is said, to visit
her grandmother. woman of considerable
means living in Philadelphia.
| She was arrested iu Wannamaker's store. To
the Magistrate before whom she was taken in
Philadelphia she made ,as reported in a Phiad-
elphia despatch. the following singular state
ment:-
81 have had many romantic adventures, do
you know, but this is the most romantic one Of
| them all. had a gentleman friend from Phil
| adelphia who visited me in Staunton and read
/ to me an account 0fthe expertness of the female
|
and New York. I fell to thinking over the
matter until finally got the notion into my
| head that would try my own hand at 1t, just
| tie see whether could take anything without
| being detected. Not with the idea OF stealing,
you know, but Just to see whether l had the
skill and audacity that they possessed Well
| came here two weeks ago. l had money to
make my purchases with, but went from one
| large store to another, picking up any little
| trine that took my fancy. l took everything
| 10 my hotel room, and have 1t there now.
| did not remove the price marks or tags. and
can pick out the goods which got from each
| the hotel and invite the superintendent and
| the head ladies from each store from which L
had taken anything to meet me, and intend.
ed to ask each lady TO identify her own goods
and return them to her. And, by the way.
| had decided to do that very thing Tomorrow
night. would not u-e the goods for myself.
had abundance without them. Of course l
wouldn't want the story of my arrest to get into
the papers. Romantic idea altogether, wasn't
| She was present while her trunk was being
| searched and composedly ate her lunch, and
was In the same placid mood when removed
| to the county prison.
| RELEASED ON BAIL.
| Since the above ives prepared for publication,
| the Associated Press despatch dated Philadel-
phia, April 4th, has been received and reads as
| follows
| MARY Rebecca Shipley. from Staunton, Va,
who was unprecedented Wednesday for shop
|
ing confession, has been released on $500 bail.
Her bondsman is s. L. Gobel, of the Eagle
Hotel, where Miss Shlpiey was boarding. De
tective Smith said to-day that Miss Shipley
had told Gobel that he need not feel that she
was a thief because she had not taken the
| goods which were found in her trunk from var
| ious stores with a criminal intent. Detective
Smith also said he had received letter from
Major j. W. Newton. Staunton. Va, informing
| him that Newton was the executor of the estate
| of Miss Shipley's mother. and that he would
srart for Philadelphia to-day to take Miss
Shipley home with him.
Gibson, lawyer at NOrristOwn. who made an
appeal on behalf of Miss Shipley. He stated
| that he was well acquainted with her and knew
| her family and her history. He said she had
| been eccentric since she was young girl.
| Chief Of Detectives Wood also received tele-
| more corroborating Miss Shipleys story about
| her respectable connections and sent 1t over to
| Detective Smith. Her grandmother. Mrs.
Davis, resides on north Fourth street and is
ninety five years old.
Detective Smith to day finished asserting
| the goods belonging to different firms which
had been identified by the owners of Miss
| Ship,ey's pilferings, and said he would return
them at once He said it was probable that
would get their goods back, and nobody felt
like prosecuting the defendant.
LATER STILL.
A special despatch to the Baltimore sun
dated Philadelphia April 9th, says
major James w. Newton, the guardian of
Rebecca Shipley, otherwise Mary Shfpley. the
| self fessed shoplifter, accompanied by
Attorney James BuIngardner Jr arrived from
Staunton, Va, Saturday. During an interview
with Magistrate Clement and Detective George
Smith, of Wanamaker's store, they expressed
willingness to become bOndsmen in d large
| amount for Miss Shipley. They ascrtbed her
causes They sad that if
released they would take her back with them
to Baltimore. The magistrate informed them
that this was not necessary, as security had
entered
fixed for April 8. when Miss Shipley would
probably be released. Major Newton said Miss
Sh1pley had been boarding with q family
named Gibson in StauntOD, and had an income
of 5000 year from an Investment of $4,000 in
real estate In addition to the story of Miss
Shipley's life originally published in the Sun,
Major Newton said she was the child of a
runaway marriage. and her mother was after
ward d serted by the girls father. 1t was then
that Rebecca was adopted by an Ohio family.
Thirteen years afterward her foster-mother
of ac ,uaintanea with Major Newton restora-
ton to her mother and recovery of her sister
have already been tod. Major Newton said
that after receiving One-third of an estate OF
So, 600 belonging to her mother, Rebecca had
fallen in to the hands of sharperS in this city.
who squandered 81 900 Oft before he interfered
He persuaded her to let him take charge of her
property, and when she consented he invested
the remnant, about Sl2 600. for her in Stanton
property. which yields her $500 year. There
is another investment of $4,000 in securities
which has not turned out well. In the
course OF conversation with Detective Smith
Antielam they were In opposing corps of the
tvs armies. Newton and Bumgardner being in
the Fifth Virginia Regiment, in Stonewall
Jackson's division. while Smith was in Sedg
wicks corps of the Union army. Miss Shipey
stopped at the Eagle Hotel for a snort time
yesterday, but returned to her grandmother's
home, where she is resting quietly"
NOTE OF CORRECTION.
After the above was in type we received the
following note
please correct in your paper the statements
that Miss Shipley gave $1,000 to the Southern
Methodist church, and that she left here with
the intention OF attending the Methodist Con
ference All the donations of any amount she
has given have Deen given to the Presbyterian
church. She left stanton with the intention
of visiting Philadelphia, and did not stop in
Baltimore understand she gave to the Y. NJ.
G. A.
Respectfully,
NJ. W. NEWTON.