The San Francisco call., 1896-01-11
Davidson at Albany, N. Y, writes the fol
lowing letter to Chief Crowley:

January l, 1896.
ChtJ Of Police San Francisco, CaL-DEAR
SIR: have been lmportuned by the police OF
this city for information in reference to one
Mary A. Davidson, and have turned over to
them tszphotograph OF her and such informa-
ton as was in my possession relative to her.
Some time in 1885. while was a member of
the Massachusetts district police q case was
put into my hands to investigate in which she
was involved. I found that She was a
swindler to the extent of some several thou
sands of dollars.
She suddenly disappeared. and it was some
months before | was able to locate her. l
finally found her a Albany, n. " ana brought
her back on requlsltlon. She was arrested
Novem ber II, 1886, committed to the Salem
Jail on capas, and tried at the January term
1887, She was convicted of selling mortgaged
property and sentenced to thirty months in
the House of Correction, which she served.
At the time she was arrested | knew her well.
had been in and out OF her store great many
times and done business for her. She denied
all knowledge OF me-denied that her name
was Mary A. Davidson, but said ii was Mary
Sturgis. She kept that up during the whole
time to the day OF her sentence, claiming that
her whole past was bank TO ner; she mad no
Al the time OF my investiga ations looked up
ner whole history. In my judgment she IS
q very dangerous woman, unWorthyso1 Dellet.
No credence should be placed upon anything
she says, when she is directly interested
l should be very glad to render you any as
sstance in the matter | can, and II II was nee
essary and 1 could get released from my duties,
would come TO identify her and give what
ever testimony l could in the matter, for eX-
penses Very truly yours,
Deputy State Fire Marshal.
The Boston Standard under date OF De-
cember 81 contains the following concern
ing Mrs. Davidson:
Mrs. Davidson, who is under arrest at San
ranciscO on the charge of extoruon preferred
by Rev. G. 0. Brown, pastor OF the FIRST Con-
gregational Church, is not known to the Boston
police
Assistant Inspector Dugan has in his collec-
uon OF criminals, however, n portrait ana ue-
SUription OF her. She is wanted in Lynn Tor
disposing OF mortgaged property.
She has a husband in Lynn, and father anu
sister in Bucksport, Me-, her native place.
She has turned out to be a confidence woman
of no small pretensions. Her escapade in San
Francisco has had the effect OF calling public
attention to her again, and the police OF the
State remem ber her as a bird" in her business.
A Standard reporter called on Chief Wade OF
the State police to get some facts about her.
The Chief had not charged his memory with
Mrs. DavdsOns record, but referred the news
paper man to State officer Shaw who is now in
the Fire MarshaPs office. Mr.. Shaw has her
record down about as fine as could be desired.
"Oh, yes said he, 81 know Mrs. Davidson
very we'll. She has cut quite a conspicuous
figure in her time. She came from BucksrOrt,
Me-, where she married Colonel Blood during
the early part of the war. She was q remarka-
bly, beautiful woman, and Colonel Blood was a
they were the handsomest couple that ever left
Maine. Her husband either died or was killed
during the war.
'Mrs. Blood went to Washington, where she
became hospital nurse, in which calling, it
is said, she was very successful. Her quick OBJ
servation and her gentle touch and kindly
manner made her invaluable as nurse. She
afterward married Davidson in Maine.
"After the war she moved TO Lynn, where she
went into the music business. She had store
in odd Fellows building, Market street. She
dealt largely with oliver Ditson q Co.. and
took pianos from them, the firm holding q
lease OF the instruments. She became involved
and a keeper was put in her store. All at once
she disappeared, leaving her creditors in the
| lurch to the amount OF several thousand dol
lars.
Her sudden disappearance caused the i'm
preston that she had committed suicide. The
case was put into my hands and l finally
located her in Albany, n. Y, where she was
engaged in soliciting insurance under the
name of Mary Sturgis. She is woman OF great
! resources, well educated, has a fine command
OF language and is calculated to ingratiate her
self into the good graces of the best circles of
society.
while in Albany she made the acquaintance
of a Mrs. West, secured a room her house
and became almost as one OF the family. 1