The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-09-21


Possession of a Check and it is an Easy
Matter for Her to Get the Preacher to
Identify Her-Later the Check Comes
Back Protested-Workings of Her
Scheme.
Chicago, Sept. 20.-A clever confidence
woman, who reaped last winter q rich
harvest from the philanthropic people
Of Chicago, counting among her victims
Franklin NfacVeagh and scores of other
prominent citizens, is now operating in
Nebaska. The scheme now is different
from the one she used in Chicago and
requires the aid of a minister in carry
ing it out.
In detecting frauds the preachers are
quite as deficient as the average detec-
tive. AS they usually have large sup
ply of the milk of human kindness, I'M
adulterated by water and chalk, they
are often apt TO aid Swindlers unwit-
1ingly. Mrs. "Bellah," as she calls her
self now, takes advantage of these com
mendable weaknesses in the cloth and
is cutting a wide swath on the Nebraska
prairies.
This is her ruSe in Nebraska. She
pretends to be in search of a brother
IN that state and to have run out of cash
through delay. She is timed to meet her
husband at Dubuque, Iowa, and wants
just enough money TO take her there.
Her husband has signed check in case
she should run out of funds" The
check is on the Market Street National
bank, Philadelphia, Pa, and signed
Joseph Bellah.'
Del ~,
take her TO Dubuque. On alighting at
the hotel she sends for a clergyman,
congregational, il there is one, because
her Illus band is a member of Dr. Rich
ards church in Philadelphia. He is
then asked to identify and indorse her,
which he usually does. Scores of these
bogus checks have been protested by
the above bank and they are receiving
them every day. The woman is So
years of age, with dark hair, and blue
eyes, and finely dressed.
FAIR FAKER IN CHICAGO.
A woman of the same description and
DOUBTLESS the same person, flashed like
a meteor across the calm heaven Of
Chicago innocence last winter. She
gave her name variously as Mrs. Mary
Mccarthy, Mrs. Mckinley. Mrs. Mary
Brow, Mrs. John Wilson, Mrs. Souther-
land, etc. She secured a loan from
Franklin MacVeagh of $25 for few
days las she said. Her husband had
been killed in Canada and she showed
an eJectment notice, which was to drive
her and her family from their home.
With that the tears, would well down
her cheeks and her body would shake
with the violence Of her great emotion
On the same day she secured SIS from
Mrs. MacNeagh by the same story, and
lot
tul variation of the same theme
Then she attacked the well-known
PRECEDENT of an equally well-known
bank. She carried off her part with
such skill that he loaned her $27 in two
installments. She called on the Scully
Bros, on Fulton street, and got 50 from
one of the firm. Then she waited
around until he went out and got So
from the other brother of the combina-
tion- From Mr.. KartZ, treasurer of
Crane Bros, she secured IS. Then She
gained admittance into the family of
Mr.. Calvin, eX-president of the Athen-
cum. She borrowed $40 from the SER
want in Mr.. Galvin's household TO get
a watch out of pawn. y few minutes
later she came back with her blue
eyes suffused with tears and told the
poor girl she had lost the money and
got So more, the last penny of the SER
vont's savings. Then she never came
back
Mr.. P. NJ. King. superintendent of the
bureau of information of frauds, who
knew fMrs. Bellah's operations in
Chicago, in speaking of the way she
was using the ministers of Nebraska TO
help her in her swindling operations
gave further instances of what preach
erS will do innocently to further frauds.
PREACHERS AID FRAUDS.
The notorious A. J. Spellman, well
known at the Desplaines street sta
ton, went TO Rev. Mr.. Day, on Sedg-
pIol pug oS5g SQluou MaJ e 'l99LlS Y0IM
him he had attended his church at Cleve-
land. The good minister did not re-
member Spellman'S face, but he did not
want to seem unfriendly to a member
Of his former flock, and gave him a
letter OF introduction, by means of
which he levied large tribute from bus
mess men of the city. He became ac-
quainted with Mr.. Stirling, of the Hi
nois Steel works, who helped him. Then
he forged letter from MIR. Stirling and
collected considerable money from men
in the iron business in Lockport. Lee
mont. Joliet and surrounding towns.
Just now there is d Paul lander op-
Grating in the city. He claims TO have
been severely burned in the fire that
swept Pine City, Mimi, a year ago.
In fact, one side of him is drawn out
of the perpendicular and ne walks with
a stoop sidewise. He got s. from Ern-
est HlIr;Inel, president of the South Chi
tago Brewing company. \ preacher Of
some Lutheran church was with him,
who vouched, in his worldly innocence,
for J2nder's story. 1nvestiga ton
showed that no man by the name Of
lander had suffered in the fire at Pine
City. and at the celebration of Sedan
by the Germans recently he was a uhe
picnic, walking as straight Is a pine
tree of Norway's heights and drinking
beer with the nOnchalance of a man
whose only experience with fire was
under its form of firewater.
Mrs. f. E. Davis. OF San Miguel, Cal,
says: Il am trying in measure TO re-
pay the manufacturers of Chamber
lain's Cough Remedy for the great good
their remedy has done nee. For years
[ was a constant sufferer from weak
lungs and bronchial asthma. My rest
at night was disturbed by a hacking
cough. So that l felt miserable the great
~ part of the time. Many remedies
recommended by my friends We're tried
hone of which proved suitable 10 my
case. I did not experience any benefic-
tai results until I began taking Cham
berlain's Cough Remedy. After two
bottles of the large size have been used
am pleased TO state. my health is
better than il has been for years. The
soreness has left nay lungs and chest
lind | can breathe easily. Il has done
me so much good that l want all who
are suffering from lung troubles. as
/ was. 20 give il a trial For sale by
druggists or Chamberlain Medical Co.
direct.
To CHICAGO BY DAYLIGHT