The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-07-30
READS LIKE ROMANCE.
MRS. HICKEN WIS PLACED IN JAIL
IN MARIETTA.
An Atlanta Merchant Had the Arrest Made.
A Story That Has Many of the Ele-
ments Of the Romance in It.

1t Is queer coincidence that the day after
Chief of Detectives Wright received tel
eSram from Mt Vernon. ILL.,, saying that
Mrs. e. r. White. the diamond bedecked
lady with many aliases. who is wanted in
Atlanta on a charge of forgery, was in that
city, that SHE should be arrested in Ma
rietta only twenty miles from Atlanta.
The circumstances have many elements
of romance about them.
Last Sunday morning she left Atlanta hotel
and walked to the union depot. On the way
to the train she bought a paper and when
! she took her seat in the sleeper she settled
herself comfortably and unfoded it.
She was Hastily clad in black. and present
ed quite striking appearance. She was
a pass niger who would attract more than
pa sEfng notice One passenger paid partic-
uar attention to the lady in black and TINS
passenger was Mr.. Eads, Of TIT firm OF
Eads- Neel Company. of this city.
Mr.. Eads occupied q seat not far from her,
and watched her closely. liz was conf
dent that in her he had recognized the
Mrs. E. r. White who passed a forged
check upon his house early in May. MI.
Eads scarcely lost sight of her during the
ride to Marietta, but he was aStOnlSheo 10
notice that on the way up she chaIseo iei
toilet and when she stepped OH the 'Idih a.
Marietta Sh9 wore, lnStedu u {" " VI
black, a gray dress ,,s.,
He was amazed at the sudden anu sh ,
change He hunted up Sherln McL1il anu
had her placed under arrest
She was greatly astonished, to all APP
u;arances when arrested, ana uecI@i - ~,
stoutly that shs had never seen MI. E9uS
and knew morning. of the TRANSACTION 10
which he referred She asserted most PCS-
itivelv that she had neW.r purchaSed any
thing at Mr. Eads's store, but despite her
protestations of innocence ana lsliol dli~e "'ie
was carried to the county jail
Behind the arrest is a surprisingly inter
esting story The career OF MIS- n. H.
White alias Mrs Hicken, is not unknown
in Atlanta She was in Atlanta IN May
and stopped at the Aragon. She Is char9eu
with psslng several forged checks upon
Atlanta merchants. According to the
stories told, she would visit store ana
buy several dollars worth of goods, III
payment Of which she would give check
signed by some person in Florida. Inc
excess over the bill she always pocketed'
Among the merchants she IS charged win
defrauding were three OF AtIantaS leaulh5
dry goods establishments. J. ReSehstelh
cashed a check for S54 the keely Company
cashed another for $50 and the Eads-Neel
Company cashed another for 500 1hese
checks We're banks in Ocala, Fla. Inc
last was on the First National bank, Oh
Ocala, and signed by b. W. A9he"'
payable to Mrs. r. NJ. White, whom she
represented herself to be, and was endorsed
by her. Accompanying 1t was personal
letter of Mr. Agnew incloslng the check To
her stating that it was sent by request
of her husband and also a telegram from
the cashier of the bank stating that the
check was good. This was shown the EadS-
Neel Company, and on 1t they let he nave
$23 worth of goods and PAID hef Szi III
money. one of the other checks was 10
Mrs e. r. W bite, whom she claimed to be-
70
lection, and came back protested ana pro-
nounced forgeries
Among the goods got a suit OF
clothes and a hat.
After Mrs Whites disappearance from
Atlanta every effort was made by CnleL
Connolly to aprrehend her. lie sent q mum
Der of kilograms to different cities, ana Is
sued descriptive circulars Offering a reward
og SO for her arrest. Not 4 word was
heard froin these kilograms and circulars
until last Saturday, when Acting CAlef OF
Police Wright received a telegram from
Mount Vernon. Ill, saying that ths woman
was at that place
# seems that she and her husband have
been in Marietta nearly all of the time
since leaving Atlanta. They. seem to nave
gone from Atlanta direct to Marietta about
May 25th, and stopped at the kennesa"
house under the name of Mr. and Mrs.
George Hicken Soon afterwards they
moved TO the foot Of KennesaW mountain
and rented from Mrs. Sally HaneS
Marietta's merchants were not long In
becoming Mrs. Hickens creditors. Mr..
George Hicken who claimed to be her has
band remained quietly in the background,
alleging bad health as the cause.
She succeeded in borrowing so from her
Iandllady on the ground that she could not
readily convert into cash a CHECK for go
on the Merchants bank, of Ocala. The
check was No. 80, signed by Mrs Edna
Thompson, payable to Mrs. E. Thompson
or order, directed to the Merchants bank,
of Ocala and bears the preeent date of
July 49, 1894 though the date, July 18th,
clearly supplies the place of another date.
The check was endorsed by Mrs. r.
Thompson and r. b. Mcconnell.
They were both committed on the war
rants Mr.. King, out Of kindness, went on
their bond and allowed them to remain at
the hotel On last Thursday Mrs. Hicken
left the hotel on the excuse that she was
going to the mountain While there she
boarded the train ana went to Atlanta.