The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-08-29

short wait for the return Of Beeson and
Mercer was made, and then Mrs, Har-
mon was asked to step over to Super
intendent Bonfeld's Office and make an
explanation.
The woman took her arrest with all
nonchalance OF an old-time confidence
worker, She exhibited no surprise,
and walked along with perfect uncon'
Germ.
At the station Officer Budlhu turned
his prisoner over to Captain Gross, ex-
planning the charges against her.
Then commenced a systematic exam
ination OF Mrs. Harmon and her Rc-
cusers which lasted nearly five hours,
and which loft the impression on both
Chief Bontield and his assistant that
she was about the smartest they had
ever had to deal with After Captain
Gross had tried his skill at cross exam
inaton for about two hours, Chief Bon
field arrived and tried Tor three hours
to find out to what extent the
woman was guilty OF tho attempt to eX-
tort money or levy bIackmaIl.
TOLD her TO GO HOME,
After this examination tho chief OK
pressed his belief that the woman was
a tool in the hands OF more designing
people, and allowed her to 90 home,
without lodging u complaint against
her.
When she left tho Office OF the chief
OF detectives she was besiogod by Il par
ty OF reporters, whom she stood off with
all the sang lroid OF one who was used
TO trying situations. In fact, through
out her ordeal she showed GOODNESS and
nerve seldom exhibited even by men
under like circumstances,
She positively refused TO make any
statement except to correct the name
which she first gave, saying her name
is Mrs. Harmon Arson instead OF Mrs.
Il. |. Harmon. She referred the re-
porters to Chief Boniield for her state
ment, and warmed them II they gave n
different version she would rush into
print on her own account aud make the
proper corrections,
She disclaimed all acquaintance with
Commissioner Mercer, and even went
SO far as to claim she did not even know
his,name. At the request OF Chief Bon
field she wrote n note to Mr.. Beeson ask
ing him to furnish the chief with the
name OF the CommissiCnenwho came
down to the exhibit with him. She re-
marked incidentally that she had known
Mr.. Beeson ever since she WAS fourteen
years oil age.
10 Chief BonaeId Mrs. Harmon made
the statement that as she was passing
through the agricultural building some
time ago she overheard some one Mt the
Wolf.schmidt exhibit make the remark,
az would give good many thousand
dollars il / could only get acquainted
with the Judges who are to make the
awards in this building" This. she
claimed, suggested to her the idea that
she might do n very profitable stroke OF
business by bringing the two parties
together and furnished her with the
necessary pretext to open up negotia'
tons to that end.
THOUGHT IT LEGITIMATE BUSINESS.
In this connection she explained that
she was broker by profession and felt
that the scheme she had in view came
in the line OF her legitimate business.
She also claimed that she set the figure
for her services at $4,000 because she
had understood tho exhibitor to say
himself that such service would be
worth to him anywhere from $4,000 to
$4,000. She had modeslly set her fig.
ure at the lowest sum mentioned. She
insisted that in all her negotiations she
had simply had the idea in view to
bring the exhibitors and judges to.
gether, and for that purpose had brought
Commissioner Beeson around to domon-
strate that she was in position to carry
out that end.