The sun., 1897-07-20
WHO SWINDLED Or. LOTT?
PERHAPS MRS. MARY HANSEN AND
NOT ELLEN PECK.

MS. mansen Operated as MA S1Fu Peck, ana
the Psiico Records show n Long List ef
| Charges Against Her-why she II Suspected
Both she and Mrs Peck Are wanted.
The Brooklyn authorities woro not no sure yes
| terday as they wero on Sunday that Mrs. Mary
| Hanson, who swindled tho late DIR. Christopher
Lott out Of $4,000. was Mrs. Ellen Peck, tho
| notorious confidence woman. 1t seems now as II
| Mrs. Peck, who at last reports was living
| quiet honest life. has been maligned for some
| thing sho had no hand in. Years ago, when Mira
| Pcck's plausible tongue was bringing her In
| Thousands of dollars, there was another woman
| who was playing tho same gama moro quietly,
| but with almost ns remunerativo results Gu
| riously enough, tho name by which sho was
known to the police of tho country was Mary A.
Hansen. Sho is to-day, II she is alive, OF about
the same ago as Ellen Peck, and IL sho 10 tho
woman who 30 clovorly buncood DR.. Lott out OF
| his thousands and Nurse Shea out Of her hum
drods It Is not at all surprising that the police
| OF Brooklyn jumped to tho conclusion that sho
| was Ellen Peck.
| Mrs. Hanson never attained to tho notoriety
that fell to Mrs. Pecks lot, and she had been for
Cotton long ago by the police. Tho case of DR..
| Lott bore all the marks OF Ellen Pcck's handi-
| work. Tho authorities still think that Mrs.
| Pock may bo the woman who conducted this re-
cont swindle, but they arc willing to admit that
therc is still q very big doubt about 1t.
Mrs. Hansens record includes one or two cases
| which were worked in precisely the way charao-
teristic of Lofts case. Ono that was almost ex-
actly the Same was tho swindlng Of Frederick
Bohmot of 1872 Allen street, this city. out of
g.. 300 In July. 1886. Bohmet know o man
named Klink. He had known him slightly for
about twenty years. Klink posed o shoe.
maker, but he was in reality notorious scoun-
drcl named Hanson and tho husband Of the con-
| Ipb had nm, to
Bohmot in great excitement and told him
that he had Just married widow
| named Hansen, who lived on Jersey City
| Heights. His wife's uncle had died. and
tato Of S75O.o0o had been left to her. Tho
| money was on deposit in tho United States
Treasury, he said. 1t had been In litigation for
q time. but owing to q recent decision Of the
| Supreme Court would DO turned over soon to
| bis wife. While Bohmot was congratulnting
| his friend and they were talking things over,
! Mrs. Klink, or Hansen, rushed in. She waved q
telegram in her husbands face. and declared
that unless they got some money right away
| the fortune they had fought for and won would
slip away from them. Tho money was needed
to get tho Supreme Court seal on the papers in
the case. and Of course Bohmct was appealed to.
He lent Mrs. Hansen S2318 on her written
agreement to return 1t on July 10, 1885. when
she was to got her money from the Treasury.
She also agreed to mako Bohpet q present of q
fourstory tenement house. OF course, Bohmet
mover got anything out Of the couple. He
finally realized that he had been swindled, and
| complained to the police.
| At that time the police had other complaints
against Mrs. Hansen which they were investi-
eating. Mrs. Mary Mcsam Of First avenue
had been swindled out OF S2,50O by the woman.
Her sister had lost $1,000. and others had been
talked out Of sums ranging from 500 to .. 900
they arrested hcr in jersey City. She '1s was re-
rested as she left the courtroom on complaint OF
hiehasd 9: Perry Of & $40 BrSosdWey, Ssd who con,
sss Of
delphia was holding 81 i 900 OF her money.
hS se ssss Rs S
would DO opt to represent about third cf her
q essss S
politicians on Or u the ground that $500 q 600 Of her
and she was unable to get It She was arrested
at the time, but sho escaped punishment BY
settling with those who wanted to prosecute
In ass the St worh
Almost Invariably the woman was arrested
aasys h Ssss 81 ast got
Hansen as she was in 1915. sho was then ts
|
The woman who swindled DR.. Lott was be.
M Hns.D In ehs
Mrs. Hansen inyariably employed the tied.up
one who victimized Dr. Lott. As told in THE
Sun yesterday, the Mrs. Hansen who got DR..
Of he Danish nnWy
pretended to have S60.o 900 on deposit in tho
United Ss, StStes Treasury vaults At Washlngt1n
happened to be deceived by the woman when. at
any time during the six months over which her
the entire falsoness Of her statements about her
millions BY making single inquiry. Hisfriends
an easy.soinS. r. beneVolent man. @ Who had vast vast
amount Of confidence in those he liked. and
few days before he was stricken down with his
last Illness. ness The % POLICE S explanation includes
has fooled cleverer men than Dr.. Lott for years.
The Rev. Clifford Nelson, Mrs. Lofts pastor.
the Is +.
DESTROYED All chance OF capturing the swindler
the RuSSSetS SS he gsvG tbn the cas- case Dr. Nelson
HANSEN NOR or Mrs Peck to justIee than II f al the S
from, the publication OF the case; She got al
Simpson, her alleged son.in:law and daughter.
were arrested for aiding in tho swindling of DIR.
One thing which Dr. Nelson desired to set
right concerns his criticism of a certain AS
sistant District Attorney, whom he charged,
without mentioning his name, of neglocting the
case when it was given into his charge. It
was stated yesterday that Mr. Miles was tho
thought Mt. Miles was the man. and said SO,
District Attorney Caldwell. Mr.. Caldwell de.
MED nice yesterday y that he had neglected the case.
had advised the Grand Jury not to indict Mrs.
Hansen and Mr.. and Mrs Simpson: He had
bail in tho cases OF Mr.. and Mrs. Simpson when
they were arraigned. but the Judge had declined
prisoners, were accused only of misdemcanor.
Tho police arc now after both Mrs Hansen
and Ellen Peck. They will arrest either one or
both as soon as they can get them. II the Mrs.
Hanson who swindled DT; Lott is not Ellen Peck.
herself hcreabout and demand vindication.
high Brooklyn police official said last night:
There has been, nm confident, great mis-.
take in confounding the Mary Hansen who has
been indicted with Ellen Peck, the noted swim.
dler and adventures OF twenty years ago. am
quite positive that they are not Identical
Twelve years ago Mrs. Peck was an old and
| hrpl Inxnyn Ialt.n thatt