The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-24
UNDER FALSE PRETEKSES.
Elderly Mrs. Cameron Finds Her.
self in Serious Trouble.
ATTEMPTS A sWlNOLlNG GAME.
Buys Goods From q Local Firm and
Fails to Pay for Them-Says She
In . Relative Of the Well-knOwn
Malcolrn McDougall, Of Orillia-
lice Claim TO Have Her Record.

Mrs. L. Cameron. an elderly woman. was
arrested yesterday afternoon at the Ma
tional hotel by Detective Williams on a
warrant charging her with obtaining goods
under false pretenses from t;raham's mil
Anery. cloak and suit store. at rs See md
avenue. The goods, amounting to some
thing over Slo0. were found in Mrs. Cam
eron's possession and recovered.
IL is claimed that Mrs. Cameron, who
Is also known as Mrs. Campbell. wen, to
the store last Friday and. representing
herself as relative OF Malcolm McDoag-
all, of Orillia, obtained two hats. presum-
ably for members OF that household. She
appeared the next day with letter pur-
porting TO have been written by Miss Mary
McDougall, daughter OF Mr.. McDougaE,
pralsing the former selections and request
ing that some skirts be shown Mrs, Cam
eron. The letter went on to say that tn.
writer would be in the city a. few DAYS
later and call. Mr.. Graham. being ac-
quainted with Mr.. McDougall, and having
no reason TO suspect anything wrong abous
tic letter. readily assented 10 Mrs. Cam
eron's selecting the goods. Mrs. Cameron
took nothing but the best silk skirts, etc.
amounting to something over 500.
She gave the people at the store to I'M
derstand that she was staying at OrilIia,
and requested that the goods be sent TO
the depot, where she would receive them.
Her request was complied with, but as
Mrs. Cameron was not there the messenger
left the boxes for her. 1t developed suisse
Quently that she did not so 10 Orilua-
although Mrs. Cameron gor them.
Yesterday morning Mr.. Graham received
information that Mrs. Cameron had boast
ed of securing goods from him. His in
formant also said that Mrs. Cameron had
a bad record in Oakland. Cal. Without
further loss of time the matter was placed
before Assistant Prosecuting Attorney
Hart. A warrant charging Mrs. Cameron
with obtaining goods under false pre-
lenses was sworn out before Justice IN
gersoll and then placed I'm Detective Will
Jams hands. He found Mrs Cameron in
her room at the National motel. She was
intoxicated, so much so, in fact. that Chief
of Police Reed would not talk with her
She was Immediately taken to the county
jail and locked up.
She shed tears at the rate OF mile a
minute, and said she wanted to See Attor-
ney Andrew +. Burleigh. who is Md,c)in
McDougaFs legal adviser. Mr.. Burleigh
went 10 the jail and had talk with her.
she insisted that she was a cousin If Mr.
Nsnougall. and that if he knew about
what she had done il would be all eight
She said in the presence OF Mr.. Burieigh
and Mr.. Graham that she would never
do such a thing again IL she were let
out. and ended the effusion by shedding
few more tears. She desired Mr. Gra-
ham to let her return 10 her room in the
hotel and be watched by guard Mr.
Graham could not figure out any way by
which he could comply with such re-
quest.
kilograms and letters were sent to
Oriliia to learn whether the McDougail
family knew anything about the woman.
No answer was received. The writing in
the letter Mrs. Cameron presented al the
store was compared with that known 70
have been written by Miss McDougall.
They did not agree, according TO the
ideas of those who made the inspection.
The police hava received information
10 the effect that Mrs. Cameron left Oak
land. Cal, suddenly about four months
ago under the name of Mrs. kenney, and
went 10 Victoria, Il. G., where she stayed
for about a week at the Dallas hotel.
Then she left and went to- housekee ping.
IT is said that tradesmen OF Victoria know
her well. She came here last Friday
and registered al the National hotel
That was the day she first appeared at
the millinery store. She Is credited with
borrowing sl2 from Mrs. Turner. of 319
Columbia street. and telling her that the
goods she got from Graham's had been
paid for.
According 10 the story from Oakland,
she appeared there four years ago with
her daughter. She claimed. 1t is said, to
be the beneficiary Of an estate left by
her aunt. Mrs. Ward, in Canada. The
police informant says that. as a matter
OF fact Mrs. Ward is alive and dependent
OH her children for support. BY rep
resentlng that she had a fortune coming.
1, IL claimed that Mrs. Cameron obtained
credit at Taft & Pennoyer's store for
800; that man named Bruett, who
went fnt1 insolvency, made affidavit; in
court that Mrs. Cameron was the cause:
that she got Mrs. Bond. q dressmiker.
who supported blind mother. TO advance
about $500 on dresses. She did not get
the money ard was thrown out on the
street. Her mother, 1t is said. died.
IL is claimed that the reason why Mrs
Cameron left Oakland was that william
Richards, a street car man. was about
10 have her arrested for obtaining sS,01a
under false pretenses. II is also said that
the wife Of a prominent man Of Oakland
named Gilbert died. and that after Gilbert
became acquainted with Mrs. Cameron he
nortga9ed his house. and then his furni-