Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-07-17

FOR Bait - How She Swindled
Farmers All Over the Country
Evading Capture For Years a
Registered Letter Leads 20 Her
Arrest-She Secured Thousands
OF Dollars by Shrewd Scheme.
CINCINNATI, July i6.-Mrs. Annie
alias Mary Mcdowell. alias Maggie
Bell, was prisoner at the county jail
last night, on q charge Of fraudulently
using the United States mails.
The woman Is one Of the shrewdest
workers known to the police,
TO all accounts, aud her arrest was due
to the good work OF Postofiice Inspee-
tors Lawrence Leatherman and George
Holden.
Information vas first received OF the
woman's crookedness some months ago,
but the efforts OF postal authorities To To-
cate her have hitherto been unavailiEg.
IL was known that she had been receiv-
ing mail and registered letters under
the name OF Mary Bell, and by accident.
about week ago, Inspector Leather
man learned that she had signed for
registered letter, giving her address AZ
SIS Ritteuhouse street.
For the previous few weeks she had
operated very quietly. and the authorl-
ties had nearly given up all hope OF
ever locating her.
HER SCHEME
was ono which had been operated
number OF times. but seldom with the
same success which she experienced.
She would advertise In the matrimO-
NAL papers over the country, among
Others one known as the Helping Hand,
OF Chicago, for husband, representing
herself variously as young widow, with
no children, divorced woman, and
mldde-aged maiden lady OF limited
means. This last device was seldom
made use Of, and when IL
was, she Informed lDr cor
respondent that what little money
she had was invested In real estate ia
such manner that she was unable to
realize on it. II has been found that
she received numerous replies, and
would invariably fall desperately Ia love
with her unknown aud unseen adnirer,
who was usually>of a susceptible nature.
In answer to,the plaSdings OF the pros
pective husband she WOULD send pho
tograph Of handsome~~aupg lsdyt.Ap-
parent!y just buddInf
with face and fig
fail 10 win the hea
the lonely bachelc
congenial compal
household and Oil
She usually wro
SEVERAL
In some cases as m,
contemplated ylclii
the point OF her
would urge her 10
would be married
would inform him q
ed from doing so by
cial stingency with
have been chronic
would beseech the Al
vance hur sufficient
transportation TO
residence, and pnrct
dreamy morning gowns .
to appear presentab
friends. The amountw
in forthcoming and W
materslzed the CORE
to sudden and abr
wondering awhile and
letters TO which no r.
celved the silly victim
the sensible conclusio
been swlndIed, and. rata
the fact public, allowed l.
drop, without attempting
10 justice.
Her operations were dot
the State, but extended the .
breadth OF the land, from CAT.
Texas and from the Atlantic 10 t-
Pacific.
HER VICTIMS
are in every State OF the Union, ana
Inspector Leatherman, 10 wh0m, with
Inspector Holden, ls due the credit Tor
the capture, have In their possession
the names OF thirty victims, who are
positively known, and who have con
sented 10 appear at the trial againss
the woman. Her easiest prey seems 70
have been widowers with children, and
she would write particularly gushing
letters to these, always saying: II VIII
be a mother 70 the dsrlngs, and they
will love mo as their own" This was
one OF her stereotyped expressions, and
was made use OF on every possible occar
sion. and the heart OF The lonely
vidover went out 20 her Her corres-
pondepce TO victims uonld 1ll q big
volume.
Inspector Lestherman discovered thai
she bad purchased several dozen photo
graphs OF pretty young girls from .
Fifth street photographer, who viii %
called upon 70 teetIfy 10 the case. ana
the.e were mailed a. likepesses Of her
self. 20 prospective yictlmos, who feaa'
lly fell into the ret set for them.
Her last victim, and the one who vas
named IN the afIidsvit accompanying
the warrant, was John Me, iafmef.
OF Bipus, Ind, from whom she ootslneo
about thirty dollars. ln inc last iss'sI
which she wrote 20 hils she promised 70
be . Vrood wife and loving hslpm3te.
Her operations, 10 sppeais. have osen
conducted over Q period OF 40 yehHh
and 10 tha. time she bad probabE req
Ted thousands OF dollars from vieams
whose names will never be known
srxxER WgAKxEss. that tired feel-
Jag. loss Of appetite sod nervous pIos-
tr.tIon are driven away Dy hooo
sarsaparlIIs. like mist before the mofs-