The Washington times., 1894-07-15
SHE LEFT MANY VICTIMS
Extraordinary Career Of Handsome
Scotch Adventures.
DUPED LONDON'S SWELL SET
Lived Like Duchess and Entertained Law.
ishly-Would Bewitch the Devil, Says Prof.
Blackie-Numberless Innocents Who Spent
Large Sums for Her Acquaintance.

The career OF a remarkable adventures has
temporarily been checked by the committai
in London Of Mrs. Annie Frost, alias Mrs.
Gordon Baillie, on charge Of fraud. Aided
by an unusually attractive face and figure
and sharp wits TO match, this Mrs. Gordon
Baillie, beginning life as the daughter OF Q
Scotch woman who travelled about with q
carter, has managed at various times to swindle
merchants in England, Australia and New
Zealand out of several thousand pounds, to
secure assistance" from a venerable baronet
(since deceased) to the extent of $25. 900. and
to move in society SO elevated that the Prince
and Princess of Wales and other members OF
the royal family were present to witness her
charming impersonations in tableaux.
Mrs. Baillie. who was then Miss Mary Ann
Sutherland, first came into public notice in
Peterhead and Aberdeen as a Bible woman.
She was very active revivalist, and was con-
sidered a woman of great piety, attending and
addressing religious meetings. She was next
heard of in Rome. Turin, and Paris, returning
to Dundee in 1872, where she started on a bril-
liant career Of swindling which fttingly
closed in Perth penitentiary- On her release
Edinburgh became her headquarters until she
fled to London and took a large house in 81.
James terrace. Regents Park, and Miss Og-
ivy Bruce-that was her new name-could be
seen driving along every day in carriage
and pair. The lavishly furnished house in st.
james terrace had been secured on the same
plan as that adopted in Dundee in 1872. and
after three months she was obliged to leave
the metropolis temporarily.
Her next exploi. was the renting OF man.
sion and snootings in the highlands at Moni-
ack near Beanly. Accompanied by young
man in the capacity of private secretary''-
her former private secretary was at this time
undergoing penal servitude-"Miss Bruce
al
ing firms OF Inverness who cater for the wants
OF sportsmen and tourists during their stay
in the highlands, and cellar and wardrobe
were furnished with the best. Here she lived
a fashionable life, priding herself on her high
land ancestors and producing the broadsword
of her sires for the ediAcation of her visitors
But this life without funds soon came to an
end, and while the landlord of the house and
shootings levied on several huge and heavy
boxes at the railway station, his fair tenant,
driven over in smart dogcart. managed to
step into the London train at another station
on the line. The landlord meanwhile. with
thoughts of jewelry and plate. opened the
boxes he had captured, to find them filed
with bricks and straw.
Miss Bruce did not remain idle long, and
she next figures with another woman named
Kate Miller in 4 conspiracy to defraud a num-
Der of merchants and for obtaining $4,000
from Mrs. Graham under false pretenses.
Miss Bruce in the meantime had fled to
America, leaving the Miller woman to bear
the brunt of the law. During the exauiina-
ton the fact came out that an old baronet
had given substantial evidence OF his sus-
ceptibilty to Miss Bruces charms by loan
of S25, 900, no part Of which was ever paid.
After tour of America, Australia. and New
Zealand she returned to London. where she
once more took her place IL high society. On
May 19, 1885, as the records show she fig-
ured as Greek maiden in the opening tab
leau of the artists costume ball at Princes
Hall. an event graced by the presence of Al.
bert Edward and other members of the royal
household. She next appeared in Scotland
as ''the crofters friend" under the name Of
Mrs. Gordon Baiilie, and collected subscrip-
tions for the objects of her charitable solicit
tude. which she neglected to turn over. The
Edinburgh Evening Dispatch unearthed her
previous history. and its exposure of the ad-
ventures caused a great sensation at the
time. Edinburgh became too hot for her, for
she vfctimized many townsmen and bigwigs
in the city, including no less personase
than Professor Blackie, who afterward de-
clared that such witch of woman would
cheat the devil himself.
London was again favored with Miss Bruce's
patronage, and under the name of Mrs. Annie
Frost she was charged, on October %. 1883,
with certain r P. B. Frost. at the central
criminal court, with conspiring to obtain
koous oy ialse pEeteuSes. luo icllaIe Iris-
oner had been representing that she was the
owner of vast estates in Australia and en-
gagged in an extensive scheme Of emigration
10 those estates. and to Australia generally,
from the agricultural districts OF the United
Kingdom particularly from the croitcrs' dis
tricts of Scotland The history of her career
as presented to the court showed that she had
assumed no less than forty different names,
and had left victims in Turin, Florence,
Rome, Brussels, as well as all parts Of Sco:-
land Complaints came also from Australia
and New Zealand. She was sentenced TO five
years penal seryitude, and as her sentence
only expired in October last, she has not lost
much time in renewing operations.