The times., 1897-03-23
A FEMALE AGENTS WILES
Miss De Lord Was Successful in
SwindIing Many People.
Told Pathetic Story and Collected
Money for Books That We're
Never Delivered.

Miss De Lord, the clever young woman
swindler who has been duping prominent
| thirty-third degree Masons in this city
| for several weeks past, is believed TO haze
completed operations here aid quittown
| for new fields, The detectives have been
searching forethe woman since complaint
was first made against her, several days
ago, by Gen. Thomas Shyrock, OF Baltimore,
whom she represented to be her uncle. Two
or three boarding houses have been found
where she stopped, but she evidently played
very sirewd game and tarried in one
place but few days at n time.
Miss De Lords plan was first to secure
list of the names Of men prominent
in the Masonic order, and these were
made easy victims by the girls interest
ing and pathetic story. She carried with
her the prospectus Of a book entitled
1.-The Story OF Cuba" written by Murat
Halstead, and being n graphic description
of that writer's experience while on the
island, and a complete history of the
insurrection. There was to be but one
volume, but subscriber could have the
choice of several different kinds of bind
ings, the price varying according to quality
from 81. 80 upward. The young woman
is reported TO have been a very fluent
conversationalist, which, coupled with the
fact tnat her book treated OF very
popular topic, made it comparatively easy
for her TO secure subscribers. Usually
she carried general letter Of introduc-
tion from some brother Mason, addressed
to other members of the order and recon-
mending Miss De Lord to favorable Con-
sideration.
She was very pretty and winsome in
manners, and was very successful. She
represented that her fauner, who lived i'll
Texas on d plantation, was Mason of
the thirty third degree, but had unfor-
tunately become involved in debt and been
compelled To place a mortgage of $4,000
upon his property. In order To clear the
Indebtedness she had started out alone to
sell books and earn enough money to raise
the encumbrance.
When once she secured n name her plea
was that she had Just made a remittance
Of all the money she had TO her father in
Texas, and 1t would be great favor i she
could collect upon the work at once, as
her board bill was due, and { would be
three or four days before her consignment
of books would arrive. In nearly every
instance she was also successful in this
respect, and as an evidence of good faith
Miss Lord gave as reference the name of
Gen. Thomas ShyrOck, of Baltimore, whom
she said was her uncle.
Just how many people the young woman
managed to swindle in this manner is not
known, but after she had once secured
the money on q book, she was not heard
from again. One of her victims was Mr.
Allison Nailor, of No. 1915 Fifteenth street
Of whom she secured S2.75 on March 5.
upon agreeing to deliver the books in three
days.
The complete Toll Of all the thirty-third
degree Masons Of the United States is on
file at the Scottish Rite Temple, at Third
and f streets. and this fails to give the
name of any De Lord, which proves that
the girls story is false on the face Of it
The police have also learned that Miss
De Lord has also been operating in the
same manner in New York, Philadelphia.
Baltimore, and other large cities, and has
succeeded in duping large number of
people. Her present whereabouts are un-
known.