New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-04
PASSED AS MRS. HUNTINGTON.
MRS. SOPHIA c. SMITH ARRESTED FOR
SWINDLING sTOREKEEPERS.
SHE CONFESsEs TO OBTAINING DRYGOODs FROM
MERCHANTS AND HORSES FROM LIVERY

MERCHANTS AND HORSES FROM LIVERY
STABLE MEN.
Mrs. Sophia Caroin. Smith. a welI-edncated
woman, who has been acting recently as the house
keeper at various fashionable houses In TINS city'
is a prisoner at Police Headquarters, charged WIN
representing herself Mrs. Coils i. Hunuhgloh'
the wife Of the wealthy railroad man, now III 9a"
Francisco She is charged with swndling drygcooS
houses on an extensive scale. The woman VcuihS'
n s said also include several livery stable Keep
er. and small tradesmen in the uptown dis'r.c's'
and although only few nave come 10" "
prosecute her, It is expected that when her arrest
is made known there will be many comp.ainants'
The woman's arrest came about through william
Jackson & Co.. of No S5 Sxth-ave' VINO nave peeh
swndled by her they say. 10 the amount OF XII
In a few weeks she made her appearance a. '"e-i
store two weeks ago in carriage ana aI'er a.
nouncing herself to be Mrs Huntington OF NO. %
park-ave ordered a small bill Of goods. and a''er
direc,inp them TO be charged to her. drove away
,our,, tho articles with her. Three days alter
ward she came again. and purchased dress LOT
$50 She ordered $ worth OF alterations ~ ~
made in IT, and returning the next day anu dP
nrovlne the changes made took the garment away
The woman's next visit was on october 81. enc
49,, ohoao an imnorted costume, the price of when
nos s,,o Some alterations were required 10 ms
dress also and the pseudo Mrs Huhuhs'oh w.
:, ,or ,ben TO be made, saying she would can LOT
the dress on Saturday on her way to the "a''o'''
where she was TO dine with soihe Ii'e'N''
ORDERED IT CHARGED.
The woman ordered the dress 10 pe c"aiee" -
her account At the same time she choSe "'"P
.r the price Of which was 50 o ana oFdereu t''s
p -, ber AZ The Huntington house. at No. 30
J,,,-ove The wrapper was delivered there on the
,ouow,ne day and was received by the house-
Loener A short time after its receipt heS'e"S'
ho, called at the house atnd delivered an uhs'sheu
~. ". ,hicb read: "Gve to bearer Mrs. Huntington
", ~ article 60 The boy said he had been sent
~ vrs smith from Volts butcher-shop at No.
$50 Sixth-ave .-,,o.
and she went to the jackson store TO get an eA-
:na,ion The firm then learned for the first time
,na, Ms Huntington in San Francisco. The
o,,ca were Informed and two detectives went 10
PPocksons store Saturday 70 wait for inc wonam; i
she drove up in hansoih oii 'a'u'""S ''''s W
WAS p'aSeu Woman at first professed great indignation
"a declared that Jackson x co. should suffer TOT
she indlgnity put upon her. but she was drlVeh 10
P9iee ,be way she tried up postal card and
b but the pieces were recovered ana pastsead sd 'o
The result xdoM sa' Hns aH? Tr1 n aTnshed
1dn Mps at So T West TSenieih-s The den'asss-
ilo 1 "S the house ard on her room being searched
% large quantity OF new clothing was found there'
THE WOMAN CONFEssEs
,.,or the woman confessed to Acting Captain
o,Rren that she had swindled jackson & CO. anu
several other firms
oaora,,o "a her story she is the widow Of An
..any ogden Smith OF No. $50 Washins' 'on-ave.'
prooklvn. Mr. Smith. until bis death eight years
oao held an important position in the silk firm OF
charles spielman & Co.. Of Grand ard Greene sts.'
I'm, died leaving his widow In reduced circum,
,arces She had two sons TO support and obtained
several positions housekeeper, one OF them pehs
a. the Huntington house. When Mr. and Mrs. iiuRt-
a. a.nr .i ieft for San Francisco in March .as she
nss discharged, and since had been enp.oyel as
teacher by the Rev. J. Il. T.bbitt. Of Hoo:ac, ~ j.
Trs smith was taken TO jefferson Market ycsicr-
Az and was remandcd 70 Police Headquarters Bills
10 m er nossess!on show that she had swindcd Jonii
Waiker of No IS West Fifteenth-st., of Sl4 10 ana
NJ Wolrse OF No. 2l0 West Seventy-second-st, OUT
~ tas for carriage hire representing herself as MIS-
Huntington and as Mrs George Wolf The wife OF
tt,,char of No $50 S'xth-ave. She had also been
20 Wolf and obtained Sc worth OF meat In the name
~ Mrs Huntington. . go 49,
oi conrt Yesterday Mrs Smith recognized as
woman who was arrested last summer on the
ayoroken fefryboat she was about TO sail Tor
Do"e on the charge OF swindling boarding house
Lseners She then escaped punishment by onerlrs
hMeop NJ pav the bills against her. The police describe
70 70 pas as slick and accomplished swlndler.