The herald., 1898-03-31
MAUD BALLARD'S GAME
A FORTUNE IN FITS AND AT
TEMPTED SUICIDE
Unfortunately DR.. Huff Recognized
Her at San Bernardino as an
Old Patient

SAN BERNARDINO, March 3O-A novel
means Of gaining a living has just been
exposed. after being worked for several
years along the coast. A woman giving
the name of Maud V. Ballard was brought
In from the northern part Of the city OH
Tuesday and lodged in the county jail.
She was apparently pitiable object. Her
principal falling seemed to be fits, and
when these came on 1t took several men at
times to hold her down. AS the hospital
appeared to be the proper place for her.
she was taken there and placed in the care
of DR.. s. G. Fluff, but the latter recog-
nized her as an old-timer, who had been
in the hospital a year or more ago, and
In consequence the doctor took her to the
depot, gave her some money and told her
to leave town at once, and she did SO.
TIL woman makes her living by having
fits and attempting suicide, and has been
doing so for a long time on the coast She
was formerly circus rider, and left That
for her present occupation. She works the
fits on all occasions, and has collections
taken up for her or is given accomm odt-
tons in hotel for time, and when she
finds that to fail she tries the suicide
dodge, throwing herself into the water
when in discouraged mood, apparently,
but always when there Is some one at hand
to save her life, as she takes no chances OF
fatal result.
The suicide usually brings good financial
returns. She has tried that at San Fran
cisco three times and at other points. Her
portrait has Illuminated the pages of the
dailes several times in connection wch
her suicide schemes. On her last visit to
y, fc cif cba Grct 1,1o in iai nd
the jalor and several men worked all night
over her fits to save her life and
the next morning took her to the hos
pital as a very bad case. DR.. Huff placed
her in a large ward, where there were
half a dozen women, and to her request 20
have orders issued for these to hold her
when the fits came on, the doctor gave
orders not to touch her, stating to her
that If she wished to have fits and the
present room was not large enough he
would place her out in the lot ins:eie of a
barb-wire fence, and she could have all
the fits she wanted. She was in the hos
pital several days and had no fits.
Monday the woman worked her scheme
in Redlands, and when the marshal tried
to gather her in she ran like deer AID
distanced her pursuer, but another officer
cut across lots, headed her off and landed
her at doctors office, and later gave
her good quarters at hotel. She said she
had just come from Iowa and was seek
ing work. She evidently worked the SYM
pathetic dodge very successfully, and early
the next morning was trying to work this
place, but failed.
AT RIVERSIDE, TOO
RIVERSIDE, March 30.-Sheriff John
son today came to the conclusion that the
woman who gives the name of Ballard and
who attempted to drown herself last even
ing, is fraud of the first water, and acting
on that conclusion he put her on board an
outgoing train today, at the same time
admonishing her to stay away from here.
and in case she did not promising her q
long term in the county jail on charge Of
vagrancy.