Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-04-04
Stanton Vindicator.
FRIDAY EasCCnnNING. APRIL a. 1890.
LOCAL.
ARREST OF a STAUNTON LADY IN
PHILADELPHIA

AO1AAn
ARREST OF a STANTON LADY IN
PHILADELPHIA.
R. SIMPLIFY IN CARRYING OUT A
| ROMANTIC IDEA ABOUT SHOP
| LIFTING-SHE is BELIEVED TO BE IN
sANE-sKETCH OF HER LIFE.
The following appears in the Philadelphia
Record of yesterday:
woman giving her name as Mary R. Ship
ley, OF Staunton, Va. was arrested yesterday
afternoon at Wanamaker's Grand Depot by
Special Officer Tindale on the charge Of shop
lifting. lie officer testified before Magis-
trate Clement that the woman had stolen
about $25 worth of goods, and had confessed
that she had stolen goods from other stores.
She was held in $500 bail for trial.
A Geographic despatch from the same
city of Wednesday afternoon, to the Balti-
more Sun, gives this account Of it:
A woman giving the name of Mary Rebecca
Shipley, and her residence Staunton, Va. was
arrested here to-day for shoplifting and about
500 worth OF goods recovered. To the mag
istrate she made the following statement:
II have had many romantic adventures, do
you know, but this is the most romantic one
Philadelphia who visited me in Staunton and
read to me an account Of the experiences OF the
female shoplifters in the large bazars in
Philadelphia and New York. fell to think
ing over the matter until finally / got the
notion into my head that would try my own
hand at it, just to 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: had money to make my purchases with
but went from one large store to another,
picking up any little trit1e that cook my fan
cy. took everything to my hotel room, and
have it there now. L did not remove the
price marks OF tags, and | can pick out the
goods which got from each store separately.
| decided to give supper at the hotel and
invite the superintendent and the head ladies
from each store from which had taken any
thing, to meet me, and intended 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. l
would not use the goods for myself. / had
abundance without them Of course 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. The magistrate and
detectives expressed the opinion that ''the
prisoner had the strongest nerve for novice
at shoplifting that they had yet encountered,
OF was out OF her mind and unable to realize
/ her situation" They inclined to the latter
opinion. The woman claims to have wealthy
and respectable connections in Staunton.
A few weeks ago, Miss Mary r. Shipley
Of Stanton left here, intending to visit
the meeting of the Baltimore Conference M.
E. Church, South, then in session at Balti.
move, and after it's adjournment to go to
Philadelphia to visit her aged grandmother
She is well known in this city and highly
esteemed by those who know her. She is a
lady past youth and comfortably off, having
an income that would put out of the cues
ton any necessity for resorting to illegal
means to get what she needed. Some years
ago, while engaged in the millinery depart
ment of Maj. j. W. Newton's dry
goods store, she was left comfortable
fortune of $4,000 by relatives. Her
early education having been neglected she
at once, on getting possession Of the funds,
entered as a pupil in one of the female sem
inaries here, to improve it. She was there
for year. Since that time she has
lived comfortably on her income. In busi-
ness matters, of which however, she knew
as little as a child, she has been scrupu-
lousy correct and her character for integ-
rity here is of the highest. She is consis-
tent member Of the church, and her life in
all respects u.s. in the opinion of those who
know her best, of the most exemplary char
acter. Her liberality and charity is mark
ed and on two. occasions she gave a check
Of 81 900 to the Baltimore Conference of
the NJ. E. Church South. She has been
very charitable to the poor here.
A prominent physician to whom our re-
porter applied last evening, and who knows
her well, said her mind seemed to be defec-
tive in some respects, though he could not
say she was insane. 1t will be very clear
to those who read her examination before
the magistrate andiwho knew her here, that
her eccentricity which has always been
marked, has developed into badly I'M
balanced mind.
SKETCH OF AN UNUSUAL LIFE.
The history Of Miss Shipley's life is an
unusual one. She was born in Baltimore
of German parents. When she was child
her mother and father separated and she
was taken charge OF by friends in the
West. When she grew larger these friends
took her to Baltimore and put her at the
firm Of Armstrong. Gator & Co. s, to learn
bonnet trimming. In 1873, Maj. J. w.
Newton, the proprietor of large dry goods
and millinery store here, wanted bonnet
trimmer and the Baltimore firm recon-
mended Miss Shipley, who came. She
came to Staunton in 1878.
In 1875 her parents who were getting old
had come together again, and were hunting
for their daughter. They traced her to
Staunton. She went to Baltimore to see
them, and strange to say On the day she
arrived there, Oh the day after, both of the
old people died in a few hours of each
other. Their fortune amounting to $35 900
fell to her. She returned to Staunton, and
determining to repair the early neglect of
her education, went to school for one ses-
sion at one of the colleges. The position
of grown woman pupil, however, among
school children, did not prove pleasant, and
she left at the end of the session.
Since then she has lived comfortable on
the interest of her money, which had been
judiciously invested for her by her former
employer, Maj. Newton. Her friends here
are deeply interested in her case and last
night were making arrangements to send
To Dhi1oJo1rhio 70
character and render her any service need
ed. Her grandmother, whom she is visit
ing in Philadelphia, is lady of large