The herald., 1898-02-22
HE WAS AN OLD SUCKER
PRINTER ovEREND OF FRISCO
AN EASY GRAFT
Gave Up Nearly $40, 900 to an Adven.
turess, Who Is Caught With
Her Friend and Sent Back

Last Saturday Chlef OF Follce Glass re-
ceived dispatch from Chief Of Police
Lees of San Francisco, requesting him to
arrest and hold young woman who went
by the name of Minnie Campbell and man
named Bill Lewis, who was supposed to be
her companion. The case was given to De-
tectives Hawley and Flammer and within
few hours they had the pair safe in Jail
Minnie Campbell, a woman of many
aliases, and Lewis, dope fiend and racing
tout were found at the house of her father,
a man named Burke, at 735 Howard street
in this city. The specific charge upon
which they were arrested was that Of OBJ
tanning 5000 by means of false pretenses
from a middle-aged, wealthy San Fran
cisco printer, who Is nearly blind, but not
so blind that he could resist the charms of
the woman. who got away with nearly
$1O0 Of his money since they became ac-
quainted little over year ago.
1t is alleged that Minnie was ably as
sisted in the game Of beating the old man,
whose name is Overend, out of his money,
by her sister, May Abbott, wife of the no.
torious Billy Abbott, well known here, but
who now keeps sporting saloon on Grand
avenue, San Francisco.
Minnie Campbell, who is passably good
looking, petite brunette, was an inmate of
a Quincy street house of ill-fame in Feb
ruary of last year, when she was visited
there one day by old Overend, who lived
at that time on Telegraph Hill, whence he
later removed to his own property on
Franklin street, near Market. He fell a
victim at once to the wiles of the young
woman, who, having found out that the
nearly blind printer was worth more than
Sc, 900, lost no time in depicting his ex-
chequer to the best of her ability, being
aided therein by willingness on the part
of the infatuated fellow that made it look
to her as If she had struck the crispest
kind Of a pie she had ever bit into.
As soon as she saw her way clear she
gave him 'song and dance" about having
to pay doctors bill of $4,000. Overend paid
1t and she got it nearly all back from the
doc" of course. He then gave her $500
more for current expenses and on two oc-
casions shortly afterward $500 each time
besides numerous presents Of wearing ap
parel and Shoes
But she was Unsuitable. Her next big
graft was $1,000. and this led to her ar
rest She told her old admirer that her
father had been taken into custody at Los
Angeles for stabbing a man in the neck
during quarrel, but as the crime was only
manslaughter she could get him out on
bonds. Four thousand dollars was re-
quired for that, but If Overend would let
paw" out of jail pending his trial.
The old admirer fell into the trap again.
He drew the money and gave it to her and
shipped her Off on the train. 1t was then
that he saw Bill Lewis for the first time,
whom Minnie introduced to him as her
brother. In reality he was her mac" but
Overend did not know this unpleasant
circumstance.
While she was here the old fool sent her
$685. and little later SITS. Then she went
back and bled him for $500 more. There
was no racket stale or chestnutty enough
not to be worked Off on the willing Over
end. Everything went. The last time she
came down to see her respected parent,
who seems to have been still in peril of
his liberty. according to her letters, she
needed $500, as she claimed to be in a deli
cate condition, which she, of course, blamed
to the old man. in order to take an elec-
trical treatment for such untoward incl
dents.
This was too much for the ancient print
er. He could believe anything but that.
and he sought the advice of Chief Lees. It
did not take long at this interview to be-
come convinced that he had been played
for an "old sucker" and he willingly swore
to a complaint In which Minnie and Lewis
were charged with having obtained 5000
from him under the pretense that the mon
ey was needed to get her father out of a
scrape. The evidence against her COM
panion seems to be slim, but Detective W.
F. Brophy. who came here from San Fran
cisco to take the precious pair back, thinks
that there is good case against Minnie
Campbell.
When they were arrested by Detectives
Flammer and Hawley nearly $1,000 worth of
diamonds and jewelry were taken from the
prisoners, as we'll as two bicycles and s84
In money. This was handed to Brophy last
night when he took them back north by
the 1920 train