St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-07-26
BAD EDITH HAMMOND.
She Is Reported to Be "The
Wiekedest Woman in the
World"
The Downfall Of a Woman
Who Had a Very Remark
able Career.
Entieed Away From Her Home
by the Notorious Billy
ButtneP.
Picked Up in the Streets Of
st. Louis--StOry Of Her
Life.

Liz
Edith Hammond is the wickedest
woman in the world, says the st. Louis
Chronicle. She declares so herself. and
says she is glad of it. She was once the
fond daughter of a millionaire and the
wife of one of the most prominent men
in New York, and yet two nights ago
she was found dressed in ragged gar
ments and stupid from drinking upon
the corner of Pine and Fourteenth
streets.
Her career is unequaled. She has
caused more unhappineSs and commit
ted more crimes than any woman who
ever lived. She is but thIrty-two years
old. but she looks twice that age.
Hammond was her maiden name, and
twelve years ago she was a leader in
New York society and was the heiress
of $1,000 900. Her mother was dead.
and her father, William B. Hammond.
was one of the most prominent bankers
in New York.
To please her father she married Her
man r. Thompson. young New Orker
of wealth and family. 1t was not long
before she discovered that she did not
love him and never could.
While spending a few days of her
wedding tour in Chicago. she met the
famous Billy Buttner. the celebrated
divorce shark" who Is now serving
sentence of fifteen years in Sing Sing
prison. He fell desperately in love
with her, and she with him. She shut
him from her mind. She had chosen
her husband. and must abide by her
choice.
Not 50 with him, however.
He knew she was a wife. but that did
not stop him from winning her love.
He followed her to New York and
wrote letter after letter to her. begging
her to meet him and telling her of his
love. Love finally triumphed and the
Young wife commenced her downward
career.
Buttner. after much persuasion, in
duced her to leave her husband and fly
with him. She took the jewels and
what money she could get and the pair
went to Chicago.
Buttner had nothing but his brains ana
handsome face. The young wife SOON
repented her rash deed. but it was too
late. and nothing was left to her but to
she had sacrificed so much for. In Chi
cagO he installed her in luxurious apart
mentS. and then commenced life OF
crime and daring Swlndling schemes.
Butter, dressed in the most approved
fashion, went about town, frequentlng
the swell resorts, and made the ac-
Quaintance of wealthy married men.
He would invite them to his apartments
and introduce them TO ''DaShing' Edith
HammOnda as she was afterWard known.
She was an apt pupil, and soon grad
uated with the highest percentage from
Buttner'S school of vice.
Her wonderful beauty fascinated the
victims. and when cards were produced
they failed to notice the clever tricks
that were costing them thousands of
dollars. Champagne flowed as freely
as wafer, aud daylight usually found
a victim an occupant of Buttner's
apartments. Then the game COM
menced in earnest.
''WOuld his wife like to know where
he had spent the nlght?'
No. certainly not; and victim would
pay eXOrbItant sums for silence. That
is the way the pair lived. They made
enormous sums by their SWinGllng
schemes, but they squandered it as
rapidly as it came to them.
Victims finally became scarce. People
had heard of Buttner and Steered clear
of him. Something must be done.
Money must be had. He was lawyer,
and he puzzled his brain fer money
making scheme. Finally he formed
plan, which for cunningness and daring
has never been equaled.
He opened an Office on La Sale street
and advertised that he could procure
divorces ''for men only" quickly, and
on the slightest prOYOcatiOn. When a
man called and wanted 10 sue his wife
for divorce Buttner would sit down and
draw up paper charging the wife with
every OffenSe he could think of. The
papers he would file in some obscure
Colorado court, but the clients wife
would never be notified.
When the case was called "Dashing"
Edith Hammond would appear in court
and represent herself as the mans wife.
The charges would be made, and when
she took the stand she would at first
deny everything, and finally break
down, and with tears in her big blue
ewes acknowledge that the charges were
true. and upon her knees beg "her huS-
band" to forgive her and take her back.
OF course he would refuse, and divorce
would be Immediately granted.
The first the mans wife would know
about it was when she was told her hus-
band had been granted a divorce, and
was cast aside forever. She was power
less. No one would listen TO her tale,
and she would finally submit to the out
rage.
So clever was Edith Hammond that
by wearing DISCUSSES she has appeared
in one court. before the same judge.
three times in one month, and imperSOn-
u. E.1s4a-
80 beautiful was She" as one man
expressed it, that when tears came
into her big blue eyes it would make
an iron dog come down from a door
step and lick her hands,"
They continued TO secure fraudulent
divorces for many months, making
thousands Of dollars. Chicago became
too hot for the pair about two years
ago. and they fed to New York. In
that city a short time ago Buttner was
arrested for forging the seal Of the
supreme court to divorce papers. He
was sentenced to fifteen yeOTs in Sing
Sing. and Edith was left alone.
She returned to Chicago and cOntin
ued her career of crime. She was ar
rested several times for drugging men
and robbing them, and once for at
tempting to murder man. All of her
victims were wealthy and prominent,
and. to avoid publicity, they refused to
prosecute and Edith always regained
her liberty. She went from bad to
worse and, as her wOndrOus beauty
faded. she sank lower and lower, until
she became the associate Of the lowest
criminals in Chicago.
To the police and her associates she
was known as "Dashing Edith Ham
mOnd, the wickedest woman in the
world" and she glOried in the name.
The police finally drove her Oat of the
city and she came to st. Louis.