The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-23
SWORE CHILD WAS DEAD
MRS. ANNA FITZGERALD UNDER AR
REST FOR PERJURY.
Discovery Made in "a Trade for Prop
erty on Which Loan Had
Been Obtained.

| A case full of complications, which has
extended through seven years and in which
| Mrs. Anna Fitzgerald, it is charged, swore
falsely that her child was dead, came to q
head yesterday and the woman was arrested
for perjury. At the same time Dennis Beach
was arrested on an affidavit alleging false
pretenses. Both the man and the woman
are thirty-seven years old and both gave
their addresses as 926 Meek street. Beach
said he had a wife at Aurora, Ind, but he
| had been living at Mrs. Fftzgerald's house
for five years. Yesterday morning the two
were placed under arrest by Captain of De-
tectives Colbert and Detectives Weible and
Stout.
Almost all of the story can be read in the
abstract of title of the piece OF property
named No. 926 Meek street. In 1891 Michael
Fitzgerald, an engineer on the Panhandle
Railroad, died, leaving a wife, Anna, and
three children, Mary, Kate and Edward.
The wife received ST, 600 insurance shortly
after her husbands DEATH and bought with
it the Meek-street property from W1lIam
J. Smith and wife. The property was decided
to Anna Fitzgerald and Mary Fitzgerald, her
Oldest child, as equal owners. In June, 1870,
Mrs. Fitzgerald called on G. M. Lodge, sec
rotary of the Statehouse Savings and Loan
Association and said she desired TO procure
loan of $3.50 on her property. The secre-
tary examined the abstract of title and
found that Mary Fitzgerald was a haiL
obstacle to making the loan She
said her child was dead. She con-
sented to make an affidavit that her child
in the hands of Captain Colbert and reads
that Mary Fitzgerald died Aug. %, 1888, of
through her illness by DR.. Hadley On this
affidavit the loan was made June 70, 1898.
Some time afterward the loan was trans
ferred to the Hartford Loan Company.
TO Dennis Beach. Mrs. Fitzgerald told
Captain Colbert the only consideration was
house and Beach should pay her living eX-
penses long as she lived, unless he dled
before she did; Immediately after the trans Is.
fer was made Beach went to Secretary
Walsh, of the Celtic Building and Loan AS
ISOLATION, and began to negotiate a loan OF
$500 to pay off the mortgage on the prop
erty held by the Hartford Loan Company.
Mr.. Walsh found the stumbling block, the
half ownership of Mary Fitzgerald IN the
gerald made affidavit that the child was
dead and there was no other lncumDrance
on the property than the moTf ba 2I wi.
cannot be found. 1t was placed in the alb
stract of title, and, Captain Colbert says, IT
is apparent that it has been torn out. Inc Inc
Celtic company made the loan and the
Hartford Loan Coinpanys mortgage was
paid off.
of a saloon at Massachusetts and college
avenues, traded his saloon to Beach, giving
him $50 to boot. Bedcn maze dIludNlt, IL Is
claimed. that there was no other incum-
brance on the property than the Celtic
company's mortgage BY some means It was was
discovered that Mary Fitzgerald was living
and was with her mother The girl is now
twelve years old. The case was put in the
hands of the detectives and the arrests re-
suited. Beach did not attempt to eude the
detectives but went to their office Wednes-
day night and again yesterday morning,
when he was arrested. He and Mrs. FftZ-
gerald will appear in Police Court this
morning.