Evening star., 1897-05-15
CONDUCTORS THE VICTIMS
A Strange Woman Pays Her Fare With
Spurious Coin.
Police OmccPs and Trainmen Go I'm
Pursuit of the Swindler, hut
She Makes Her Escape.

The woman who succeeded inn passing q
number Of counterfeit twenty-five cent sill
yer pieces on the Metropolitan and Capital
Traction railroads. left here on the 40
train yesterday afternoon for Baltimore.
Efforts were made to have her taken into
custody. both at the Baltimore and Ohio
and Baltimore and Potomac depots hut the
police on duty at these places refused to
arrest her without warrant. Just how
much money she succeeded in getting rid
OF is not known but the police think she
passed at least two hundred pieces.
The woman came here about a week
ago. and has been stopping at i house on
Pennsylvania avenue between Sd and Az
streets.
Thursday and yesterday she operated on
the two car lines. The scheme was to get
on car and ride a short distance, in
variably giving shining piece Of what
appeared to be genuine silver money in
payment of her fare, always asking for
change. She would get off a car after
working" 1t. and board another going in
the opposite direction.
Yesterday afternoon one Of the conduc-
tors who identified her compelled her to
remain en- his car and go to the AZ street
power house. but Superintendent Baden
drfer declined to have her arrested. When
she left the Office she went north on one
Of the company's cars. and Conductor
Etcber. who was one Of her victims fol-
lowed her to the depot and asked the Off
GERS on duty to arrest her. which they re-
fused to do on the plea that there was no
warrant. She soon afterward left for Bal
timore.
Detectives Boyd and Helan made an In
vestigation of the case. and gave the secret
service emcers the benefit Of what they
learned. The treasury officials now have
the Wonhans name. and they also know
where she lives. and it Is thought she will
be apprehende6.
Sn fnr {e
ascertained where the money was made or
with whom the woman was associated here.
But they are reasonably certain that she
had confederate who supplied her with
the queer each time she boarded q car
In order that in the event of her arrest
she would not have any Of the spurious
coins her.
The woman is described as being about
black. A peculiar formation of two fingers
on one of her hands. the conductors say.
will make her Identification an easy matter.
the refusal on the part Of the policemen
at the depots to arrest the woman has
caused some comment in police circles, and
Is oeing condemned by the railroad men
who were her victims.
Inspector Hollinberger said this morning
that Policeman Harlow, at the Baltimore
and OHIO depot had no excuse for not de-
tanning the woman until he could have
teiephoned to headquarters for instruc-
tions. but the policeman at the Baltimore
anu fOtOmdC. WHCH he uHucISlOOu was
Policeman Lamb. was not so much at
fault.
Inspector Holllnberger thinks that the
conductor who took the woman to the
power house and had Superintendent BIB
endrier question her deserves credit. The
woman wanted to get off the car long be-
fore the power house was reached. but the
conductor refused to stop. telling the fair
passenger that she was on a through train.
Had the superintendent called in the police
wher he had the woman in his office. the
officers say the subsequent game of hide
and seek, in which the woman proved to
have superior skill. would have been avoid
cd.
When questioned In the office the woman
gave what Is thought to be an assumed
name. and said her room was at 324 Penn
sylvania avenue
When the police visited the number given
by the woman they found that she had not
stopped there. $50
- Subsequently 1t was ascertained that she
had a room at No. 3l5 Pennsylvania ave-
nue.. This room was searched. but no coun-
terfeit money was discovered. Officer Bark
e.: of the secret service Is, working on the
cs-se here today, and the case Is also being
Investigated in Baltimore. 9-.