The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-02-04

ways a full attendance at tnese neyo .
ings. All had received letters ana Were
afraid that if they ignored invifatlons
their absence would be construed as
THE ICE BROKEN.
This went on for three months. untL
at last one brave woman broke the ice
and told a friend of her letter: she WAS
surprised to find that her friend had
ually the thing became topic Ior gen
eral discussion in the set that was at
tackled. 1t was found that even inc
ladies that had been attacked had re
ceived letters They were directed against
other women. The ladies compared notes
and came to the. concluso on that tney
were written by the same person. lney
kept the matter quiet for some time ana
took no notice of the letters. Elnaliy
the writer, finding that she had faiied
in her object, began to write lelteFS OF
q still more offensive kind. Some lady
was informed through the mail that her
dresses were not of the proper styie,
that Mrs. So-and-So had been talkin 8
about her personal appearance, and thar
her best friend had been taking apout
her in scandalous manner. One LADY,
who has a pet dog, received a letter
which severely criticised her for TAX
ing that animal with her when she went
walking. Suspicion seemed to rest on
no one in particular as the author OF
the letters. and no one felt quite safe
anywhere. After every social event. the
letters would come full of gossip about
The people WIlO Hdu DGeA plSSSuts liz
circle of those who received the bulle-
tins began to widen.
A COUNTER MOVE.
In November, the husbands of the
in response to call issued by Mr.: Hor-
ace Wait to discuss plans for abating
the nuisance. The meeting was held at
Mr.. Waits home. No. 54 Clinton ave-
pointed committee to investigate the
source of the letters. They have been
at work, assisted by Chief Murphy and
Postmaster Jordan, ever since, and on
Friday their labors were rewarded by
the discovery of the culprit.
Something in the character of the let
ters seemed to direct suspicion to Miss
Holland at the very outset But the alb
tie effort was made TO connect her with
the affair. The committee procured au-
thentic specimens of the handwriting of
every one who, they thought, could pos
twice they seemed to be on the point of
a discovery. In each case, q woman was
brought into serious jeopardy by the
errors of the New York handwriting
experts employed In each case, however,
the pains taken by the committee avert
ed a lamentable blunder.
Meanwhile, Chief Murphy and Postmas-
ter Jordan were called into consultation,
and Detectives Person and Douglass
were put on the case. But at this stage
there was really nothing to work on.
There was no clue whatever. The Off
GERS were given specimens of the anony-
nous handwriting, and with list of the
names of those who had received the
letters. They shadowed every prominent
society lady in the city. They went shop
ping with them to New York, followed
them when they made calls and never
lost track of them until convinced that
they were innocent of all connection
with the scandal. They followed them
night and day until they saw them mail
a batch of letters and got a glimpse
Of the names and addresses upon the
envelopes.
handwriting of people of prominence.
They We're taken. with the anonymous
letters, to Carvalho and other hand
HER SPLEEN GRATIFIED.
Clara Holland all this time was free
from suspicion: was able to view her
work with a feeling that there wass no
danger of detection. When Mrs. Fisk
she confided in Miss Holland, who ap-
psared to sympathize with her. The
husbands of the recipients of the let
ters dropped in to discuss the progress
Hollane was busy at her typewriter.
The affairs were talked over in her
presence. Mr.. Fisk never thought of dis
trusting her She was acquainted with
private affairs. Thus she was kept fully
Informed as to the impression which the
letters produced, and knew every turn
shat was taken in the investigation.
days before she was arrested.
LIGHT AT LAST.
At that time, in some way, a letter,
written by her, got into the hands of
Dr. Edge. He took it to Chief Murphy,
as he had every piece or writing he had
come across in the past three months,
and a comparison was made with the
unsigned epistles. A slight resemblance
n rrit i'm on .
novice in such matters. DR.. Edge hur-
red with his find to Carvalho. The ex-
pert pronounced the writing to be that
Of the anonymous writer. Detectives
instructed to shadow Miss Holland. They
met her as she left the annex boat every
morning, and followed her to the Office.
One of them stationed himself opposite
the Hudson County Bank Building and
watched the. Office of Fisk & Parmly,
never once losing sight of the quarry.
When Miss Holland 1e1t the building
she was again followed. If she took
lunch in nearby restaurant, a detec-
i've was at a. table near her. She was
shadowed wherever she went in Jersey
City. The detectives only left her when
they had seen her safe aboard the boat
and on her way home after her day S
work was done. Chief Murphy received
daily reports of what was done. The OBJ
ject Of the police in following the sus-
pected woman SO closely was to catch
anonymous letters. Unless they did that
they could not positively prove her guilt.
CAUGHT IN THE ACT.
Friday last their three months of hard
work WAS rewarded. Both detectives
We're watching The law Office at Gve
o'clock, when Miss Holland was seen to
leave it.. She carried in her hand an Of
ing a law document and enc 9r two small
Ter letters In long envelopes. She was
accompanied by two other ladies to
whom she said -goodby at the corner.
She went down York street, and in the
middle of the block was seen TO extract
hidden recess of her clothing. AT Hud-
son street she turned and went through
TO Montgomery street. She looked the
letters over and when in front of Tay-
lor's Hotel she prepared to mail them.
She first dropped the large envelope III
which she glanced hastily about her she
mailed the square envelope.
Although she was cautious, the detec-
lives were one or two many for her In
the instant that she had held the letter
poised, before inserting 1t in the box,
Pserson had passed her glanced over her
rem Hardenbergh' Mr.. Hardenbargh' S
was one of the names furnished the de-
tectives and the writing on the envelope
was identical with one Of the three
hands adopted by the anonymous writer.
Pierson told his discovery to Douglass
who followed Miss Holland to her home
IN st. James Place. Brooklyn. Pierson
carelessly lounged up against the letter
COX. He sent a messenger post haste
for Postmaster Jordan. He would allow
10 one to drop any mail into the box, and
when carrier called to collect the mail,
ne prevailed upon him from doing so.
tho I0,es9r tay- 0t1