The evening world., 1891-08-18
ANNIE IS A MYSTERY MAKER.
Williamsburg POllCo Puzzled by Her
Tale Of a GhOStly Yandal,
She Doesn't Love the Resurre ton
Freak" Who SpoiIs Clothes.

police force has received a real rude shock
The police there have a copper-lined, steel
riveted mystery on their hands, and II is so
bafiilng In its intricacies as TO actually be-
wilder the keenest detective in the Nineteenth
Precinct, Oficer Michael Carroll.
The mystincation OF the police is due en-
tirely to the weird story dainty Annie Man
ger, a nu1y-haired, blue-eyed, glib-tongued
miss OF sixteen years, tells anent q burglar
who is malicious enough TO mutilate her pref
tlest gowns. she earnestly declares that the
burglar is a man whom she once thought she
saw lying dead in his comm.
Annie lives with her parents at pc Lorimer
street. Louis, her father, Is harness-maker.
This is the story Annie told TO the Williams
burg VidocQs, and which she repeated this
forenoon to an EVENING WORLD reporter:
"1n August, 1890, was introduced TO a
young man named George Smith at the South
First Street Methodist Episcopal Church. The
next time / met him at church he walked
home with me, and proposed that he should
call regularly.
"He was an awfully handsome fellow about
twenty-three years old, light-compleXioned
with lovely blue eyes. He acted rather fresh
that night and refused to allow him TO call
upon me. lie didn't like that, and he used To
tun uCIVoH hlc oNcly lllhc Mohu ouI VI lne
house.
"Then he was continually writing letters
TO me, asking me II wouldn't try and love
him and be his for life
one day In November last met Carrie
smith, who l always supposed was his
sister, and she said George was dead and
asked me II wouldn't go and see him In his
colin at 2BO South First street.
went and saw, as firmly believe, the
body OF George Smith In a front room In that
house. About two weeks after that | was
frightened almost to death at meeting George
on Grand street.
81 was so scared that ! swooncd right on
the street. When | recovered George told me
II wasn't he that saw in the CONN, but his
brother, although he was permitting II to be
understood that the dead man was George
Smith.
81 told him there and then wanted moth
Ing to do with resurrection freak / left
MIN, but he continued TO annoy me and write
letters up TO about month ago. That was
the last time saw him.
"ln his letters he referred to his intention
to get square with me, because his love had
turned to hate.
"On Saturday afternoon last while we
were all In the house my sister Louise came
down to the basement sitting-room and said
she couldn't get into her bureau drawer.
Louise and / occupy the same room on the
top noor front. Mamma gave Louise a key
and she went upstairs to unlock the drawer.
In few minutes she came downstairs
and said somebody had taken three neck
chains and three gold rings out OF her Jewel
box.
81 went upstairs again, and going to the
twenty OF them In all, had been cut and
mutilated beyond all possibility OF repair.
There were bodlces and skirts and jackets
and, sndEhere, you can see for yourself Just how
badly damaged they are"
Annie placed number OF the gowns before
the reporter for inspection, and there was not
the slightest doubt that they were slashed
beyond repair.
"NOw, made all these dresses myself, and
II Is queer thing that not dress belonging
TO anybody else In the house was even dis
turbed. MY sister Louise's clothes hang In
the same closet with mine, and ners: were
not harmed hit.
~ think 1t was all the work OF George
smith, but how he got In the house is mys-
terry. He would have to pass the front base
ment windows TO do that, and sat at the
window all the afternoon. / was in my room
only an hour before the dresses were found
destroyed.
ION the floor OF the room picked up this
note, which was In the same handwriting as
the letters smith used TO send to me:
SHORTY don't believe you better do IL.
Rensaler is soft on her yet. lie says he will
break your back II you touch anything OF
hers; so II you want 10 do II without his help
| amt with you. FRANK SWIFT
Now, smith used TO go under the name OF
Van RENSSELAER, at one time, and the shorty
referred TO, think, is a short man, with red
spot on the back OF his neck, who used TO go
by the windows ana smile horribly at me-"
nav II BHlh uutcI yhTn htT
believes every word OF II. The police are In a
quandary. When the Sergeant in charge
heard her tale about seeing a man in a CONN
dead, and then meeting him full OF life and
activity two weeks later, he scratched his
head and said laCOnically:
HIM She's got hair In her brain, I'm
thinking"
At 260 South First lives a family named
Gest. They h ave been there since May, 1890,
and the only person who died there In all that
time was an infant eighteen months old No
body ever lived there by the name OF George
Smith.
And another feature OF the case is that the
young woman, Carrie Smith, who Annie says
guided her TO Georges death-chamber, has
since died.
Annie was In thu Nabit OF meeting people on
the street, according to her recital, who had a
penchant tor escOrting her TO death chambers
little niece OF Carrie, Annie vows, met her
about month after George died, supposedly,
OF course, and told her Carrie lay dead In d
house on ClermOnt avenue.
81 went there" she says, land as entered
Carrie gasped her last. / couldn't fnd the
house again, know, as didn't get the num-
ber, but II was nice brOwn-stone house,
Mrs. Manger unwittingly revealed her hus-
bands opinion OF the yarn, when, In answer
TO question by the reporter, she replied:
"Oh, he says there's some crooked work
somewhere"
And there is. II the baby-faced Innocent
looking Annie was to be questioned "A bit
sharply by the police she might tell a few
things that would dispel the awful cloud OF
m now pnVelODinU fbn Manuar