The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-03
FURIOUS WOMAN JAILED.
MRS. BEST ACCUSED OF ANNOYING
MILLIONAIRE STUMP.

sbe wanted Him TO Marry Her or Give Hor
HtoneS-CarrIed Screaming Out or the Mills
BulIuInr-Mr. stump Thinks shc Hs Insane
nj. story OF Annoyances Be Has sunored.
Mrs. Bertha Best. a middle.aged woman, who
has been ANNOYING Irwin G. Stump. n California
millionaire, by repeated demands that he either
marry her or settle upon her enough money tn
make her independent for life, was arrested in
the corridor outside Of Mr.. Stump's Office in the
Nills building yesterday afternoon. II required
three men TO remove her from the building. and
there was n scene which attracted the attention !
Of hundreds OF people. The woman was finally
landed in tho Ola slip police station, but only
after a fierce struggle, in the course OF which
sho repeatedly punched and kicked the detec-
tive and two policemen who had her In charge.
and tore their clothing.
Mrs. Bcstn 10 a rather good-looking woman, |
dresses we'll, and talks like a sane person. Mr..
Stump alleges. however. that sho is insane and
that he Is not the first man who has suffered
from her pcrsecutions on account OF imaginary
grievances. The woman's home Is ut Maumeo,
q. Her maiden name was Bertha Nollis. Nino-
teen years ago she was married to Reuben |
Best, n carriage maker OF her native town.
Ten years ago the couple were divorced,
and since thcn the woman has been
wandering around the country, living some.
times with relatives and sometimes by herself.
She has travelled in this aimless fashion from
the Pacific coast to the Atlantic and back again.
returning here for the second time about three
months ago. when she began to poster Mr..
Stump. She has intercepted him a number OF
times at his homo at SO West Seventeen street,
demanding that ho marry her or give her
money; has followed him through the streets,
making scenes when he refused to speak to her,
and has haunted his office until he had to hire q
man to keep a watch and warn him OF her APP
proaCh.
month ago Mr.. Stump tired OF the woman's
annoyancos and called on Inspector Brooks ut
Police Headquarters for advice. Inspector
to arrest the woman the next time she made any
trouble. That very day Mrs; Best came around
s sse Ma.a s { lnfs "S MSN !SaG th's sr iss sS1lf her
and took her before Magistrate Hedges in
Hedges told the woman that she must
let Mr.. Stump alone. He warned her not TO so
she was brought before him again for the same
offence he would punish her severely. The wo-
great wrong. but nnally agreed to let him alone,
and was allowed to co..
Instead o. keeping her promise she renewed
her demands. She was allowed to go on with
put intsrteren &C. until last Tnesaay; when she
a 2@sae sSs h aatO come M1; S for fl S,,if sn sHa a to DH hsP dc!
mand that no marry her. Losing all patience,
NJ W. STUMP sni 81 tick S}s o thS woman Mr.. R b the S sTp s sqa Pit
awarrantf for Mr.; stamp's arrest on a charge of
summons and on Wednesday NJ. stump APP
pear,d in court. He cleared himself OF the
charge in short order and was discharged.
Before the woman left court she was once more
advised to let Mr.. Stump alone.
Office Of Elliot D~anforth and tried to get him to
represent her in a suit against Mr.. stump. MIR.
it is said. the woman became excited and dc.
clered that If she couldn't get any one to bring
whole matter and get her revenge by blowinS
his br ins out. A revolver was taken away from
waved it in the air when she made her threat
against Mr. stump, and that Mr., banforth took
Mr.: Danforth's office;
but it dicn't worry him very much, because
Mrs. Best had made similar threats before. On
NOR letters demanding that he either. marry
her or give her money. and having received an
answer TO none OF them. tho woman sent the
following letter 10 Mir. stump:
co. y%wI Ia ,I II EYER ny you ar dnP'; ,s sit1 Si,I pc ns% faT or rl By
Toir ike. farthormorI / hereby he give you Until mt
Ta'sIay sysn.nS, aug. 81. 10 riEh, the wrong you did
Minis, r and right that wrong; If YOU refuse gov do
e. At your peril, 80 heip me- God. BERTHA BiSr
l. was about ! $50 o'clock yesterday that Mrs.
Rcst entered the Mills building. She was very
i lnH me sI mated co %hs SrI s ss;m sm5sr etl,c ,sG IN e IL SnTry
,whcn he conductor let her out at the fifth floor.
thu, could be heard III most OF the offices on the
Where is that man stumpl"
Mr.. stump was in an insiGe office. The man
he employs TO look out for Mrs. Best's visits,
9ne MiI TO Q %Stn sg yP slh tine w0 Tba l Whtle + po s,e 5s
tine IN picking Mp his hat and getting out by a
Mrs. Best was pushed out into the hall again
and the door OF the Office was locked.
The woman walked up and down the corridor
for an hour, declaring that she would be re-
Stump VIZ see ME" she said. "or he'll get
The superintendent of the building and several
Other men having failed to get Mrs. Best away.
q telephone massage was sent to Police Head
hard was sent down. He tried to reason with
the woman, but she refused to listen TO, him.
When he took her by the arm she at acked him
a~nGrily., Realizing that he could not get her
downinto the street and called Policeman Maher
Of the Old Slip station to his assistance.
warned both Leonhard and Mahcr not to touch
her when they spproHShed; The officers replied
basF 81 She must Ms Ms Best TsLoIIed thst she
the officers took hold OF ,ner. one on each side.
She was dragged, fghting and scream;
foor 70 was reached was taken u" into, o0I The
street and literally, carried, to the Old Slip
Steiy. She punched Leonhard in the face re.
peatedly with her clenched hst, ripped all the
and neckiie. At Hanover square Policeman
Cahill went to the rescue and the woman was
men and boys followed. Mrs. Best kept appeal.
ing to The crowd for help.
IF there il a man among you, come to the
help II a defenceless woman,' she cried re.
peatedly.
At the station house she became hysterical.
1t was nearly an hour before she was able to say
anything rational. Then she gave her name as
Mrs, Best and her address as 1857 West Twenty
third street, Mr., stump. accompanied by sew,
oral friends. appeared later to make II complaint
Of disorderiE conduct against her. She was
Centre Street Police Court, where Mr.. StumI
will probably charge her with attempting tc
take his life.
When Mr.. Stump first appeared in the station
house Mrs. Best pointed one finger at him anG
Cric":
"Oh, Stump. who was that grill Who was tina
girl (
Maloney, who has been acting as a buffer fo
Mr., Stump, explained the woman's actions a
follows:
Mrs. Best 10 either a b~lackmailer or she reall!
thinks she has claims on Mr.. Stump. She hai
two brothers. Henry and Lewis Nellis, who liv'
In Toledo. and one sister, Mrs: Carrie Italian
Who Is now an inmate of the Ohio State lnsan'
Asylum. She has done many eccentric thing
nIrlng thn N Tan QUA hntn ~