The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-25
LURE TO VAST WEALTH
UNIaUE GAME MRS. BROWN is AL
LEGGED TO HAVE WORKED.
subscriptions to Obtain PardOns for
Conyicts Who Knew Where "a Huge
Fortune Was Hidden.

At $50 o'clock yesterday afternoon detec-
tives placed under arrest Mrs. Josephine
Brown and Mrs. Uemmie McCloren. The
arrest was made at the home Of the
women, 15S East st. Joseph street The
charge is obtaining money under false pre-
lenses in each case
The police have been seeking to arrest
Mrs. Brown for several days, but were
without evidence and could not get any
body to make the affidavit necessary. Com
plant was first made by Mrs. Jacob p.
Fisher, living at SAP Broadway, whose hus-
band is a machinist at the Atlas engine
works. But when it came to getting an
affidavit from her she refused The affi-
davit was finally made by the womans
i husband, and the arrest followed.
If the police have not made a mistake,
they have made an important arrest in
Mrs. Brown. Mrs. McCloren seems to be
less involved and is probably dupe of the
other woman The police say that Mrs.
Brown has received thousands of dollars.
1t is claimed SHE represented to people that
She was the agent of Z. d. Mills & Co, of
New York, and that this company was the
legal representative of four men now con-
fined in the penitentiary at Sing Sing. n.
Y. 1t was further represented that these
men had been engaged in dealings which
profited them fabulous wealth, which was
all in money and hidden away somewhere
known only to them.
These convicts steadfastly refused to re-
veal the hiding place of their Wealth, so the
story went, and agreed with E. d. Mills &
Co. to share it with every person who
would contribute to fund to secure their
pardon. According to the story of the
case Mrs. Brown claimed lhat she was the
representative OF a stock company Whlcn
was to raise the necessary fund to secure
the pardons. She is accused Of leading the
victims to believe that there was some sort
of a lottery transaction connected with
the scheme and 1T was technical violation
of the law. They were therefore enjoined
to secrecy When a person took stock
a receipt was given for as many acres Of
land as shares subscribed The shares were
sold at 81 each and the subscriber was
promised $4,000 in return for each dollar in
vested. Some were promised less returns
and some greater
1t is said that Mrs. Brown represented to
her victims that a number Of the leading
business men and capitalists OF this city
We're engaged in the scheme. She men
toned the names of several of them to
one, but admitted that they would deny
that they We're in the scheme If asked about
it. She thus used the names of prominent
citizens for reference without fear that
they would ever be called on to vouch for
her.
CLAIMED $1,000 WAS REALIZED.
The police claim that people have been
induced on this scheme to give up as high
as 500 to Mrs. Brown. They have the name
of South Side physician who, they say
was caught for that amount and another
well-known physician who gave up nearly
as much. The most of the victims however
are said to be women. Mrs. Fisher said
she was ashamed to admit the amount, but
her husband said she had bought" $500
gave from 50 to several hundred. The po-
lice think Mrs. Brown has realized at least
S., 900 on the scheme in the last year.
AS the story goes, Mrs. Brown frequently
had trouble to keep her victims from in
forming on her. She would put them off by
saving that the desired amount was nearly
raised. To one woman, it is claimed she
said that she needed $4,000 and all but $50
had been raised. The woman gave the addl-
tional SIS. To another woman who grew I'M
patient she said that the matter was now
in the hands of Senator Fairbanks This
was about the time of the inauguration OF
Mckinley and Mrs Brown said that it was
understood that MCk lnley would. grant the
pardons She after ward was obliged to quiet
this victim hy returning her money. some,
times victim would get impatient and
Mrs. Brown would induce some other per-
son to buy the stock -
in Jail, though they say they will be able
to give bond. A call at their house found
no one at home but girl about fifteen
years old, daughter of Mrs; McCloren
She said that Mrs. Brown had lived with
her mother about a year. Mrs Brown
husband. she said, is a collector employed
bV a ssachusetts-a installment
house. He has been employed there hYe or
six years. The Browns formerly hVeo on
Alabama street, near Walnut.
one Of the women who gave money to
Mrs. Brown told the police that she be-
lieved Mrs. b. 1wn was witch or else pos
sessed of hypnotic power. She said that
when Mrs. Brown first unfolded the scheme
to her she knew she was lying ana YET
could not refuse her the money. Other tunes
Mrs. Brown would return for more money
and would get it, though the woman said
She knew she was being swindled.
1T is claimed that Mrs. Brown was in
league with several fortune tellers" and
would sometimes send her victims to them
tune tellers would advise them to go into
the scheme and they would return ana puy
property from Mrs. Brown. The, police
say it is surprising the class Of people who
have been duped by this scheme.
Mrs Brown and Mrs. McCloren refused to
say a word about their arrest. All IN
statement sis that I am innocent. l have
not received any large sums of money ana
Mrs Brown is forty-seven years old and
Mrs. McCloren about forty.
HOW INVESTIGATION STARTED.
Captain Quigley said last night that the
investigation of the business Of Mrs. Brown
began over a week ago. About midnight
Rice Horton and doctor called at the po-
lice station and told the captain that Mrs
Brown was conducting some scheme SINH
lar to that OF the E. S. Dean Company
They went on to explain that persons were
being asked to subscribe to fund for the
pardon of some convcts in the East, with
the promise that they would be paid fab
ulous sums for the amount advanced. HOr-
ton said that he had given the woman some
money and that he also understood that she
was taking from the subscribers a colec-
ton of edible delicacies to be sent to the
convicts. He became suspicious and
o1,Sl hons of BROWN
a colored man leave there with push cart
containing, as he supposed, the delicacies
which the woman represented were to be
sent to the convicts. Horton said he was
curious to know what the cart contained
He watched the negro take the things to
house at the corner of Court and Liberty
streets. He asked the police to search sea 1 the
Tones and Griffin went to the house, and
the colored people there allowed them to
examine the place They found lot of
cakes, jellies and fancy articles of food in
the cellar. What became of them the po-
lice do not know, but this started the inves-
tigation which finally led to the arrest of