The San Francisco call., 1899-12-24
FIENDISH DEED
OF A GANG OF
GOTHAM CROOKS
Drug and Rob a Help
less Woman.
MRS. KAERSToN THE VICTIM
THEY THEN SEND HER ACROSS
TIE CONTINENT.

Penrness. friendless and broken down
= health and spirits Mrs. Thomas Kaer-
ff-r. n sad victim Of Gotham thugs, ar
rived in this city yesterday on the morn
snF overland Hers Is the strangest
ftory that has been brought 20 light in
many a Say. Mrs. Kaerston's destination
srnet prepared 20 leave New York ABOUT
week Cgo was Fort BeavenNorth.
Bans. but the willy intrigue and brutal
greed of New York thieves sent the un-
fortunate woman on a terrible journey
across the continent and she landed here
ar unwilling charge on this chaIitably
Inclined public
Mrs. Kaerston's story reads Ike a TO
nance. she arrived 90 New York about
the lst 0f December from Sweden. where
she had been visiting relatives. Mrs.
Kaerstou's husband WAS at that time IN
this city. hut on being informed by mail
Of his Wife's arrival in New York he i'm
rnedlately took steps 10 locate her. Kaer-
.stnn telegraphed the Rev. Mr. Peterson.
q minister in Paterson. y. J.. and Ie-
'Cuested him 20 advertise for her IN the
Eastern Tapers in The hope OF locating
her. In his message 10 the minister kaer-
Fton explained tlat he had changed his
.Tesldence and IL was quite possible that
Dis wife Was rather short OF funds. He
wherefore notified the minister hat he had
,aelegra phed 500 10 DE turned over 10 her
sn case the minister was successful in 10
rating her
The day after the minister received the
message De inserted an inquiry IN al the
Srnlpal New York papers, stating there
sn that IL Mrs. kaerston would call she
would receive the money her husband had
aelegraphed
The next day Ms. Kaerston called on
The minister and after being thoroughly
3dcnuned she got the money and inst.uc-
tons % purchase a nrst-class ticket 70
Fort LcaNenNorth, where she would be
Coined by her husband. A gang Of clever
Gotham sharks evidently saw The inquiry
81 the paper and laid in wait for the un-
fortunate woman to present herself at
fhc home Ot the minister 20 receive her
'snoncy. After leaving New Jersey Mrs.
kaerston went across the ferry 10 New
York, closely followed 10y one Of the
fhiovcs. When She arrived IN the great
city she Immediately went 10 the railroad
office and purchased a ticket for J. oTt
Learenworth and then checked her trunk.
She then started down Broadway and on
arriving al "A point near the Sixth avenue
elevated road she was grasped from be-
hird, chloroformeo and hustled into a
waiting hack
The anesthetic was not sufficiently pow
erful 10 deprive the woman entirely OF
her senses and she remembers TO have
been driven 10 dingy hoVel down on the
BowerN, where she was given another
dose or chloroform, which rendered her
unconscious. Then the thieves tore open
s7o5 sS5 waist ana stole heF money nearly
Fearing possible detection or arrest the
bold thieves applied the chloroform freely
10 The already unconscious woman. and
while she lahored under its influence they
took her ticket 10 Fort Leayenworth and
her baggage check. went TO the ticket Of
nce and changed il FOR second-class
ticket TO san Francisco and checked her
baggage accordingly. In a semi i-couatose
condition Mrs kaerston was placed
aboard The train which left New York
last Monday night and the men. who nut
her 81 charge of the conductor. said she
had been drinking and would no doubt
be herself in the morning. The unfortu-
nate woman never left her berth until
she arrived at Ogden. where she devel-
oped violent symptoms Of insanity a. a
result 0f her terrible experience The
train conductor was about 10 put her OF
The train and place her in charge OF the
ofhcials there, when DR. Thomas. who
happened 10 be travelling westward on
the same tram, noticed chloroform burns
and other symptoms OF the drug on the
Woman's lips. He suggested that the
woman be placed In his charge and on IN
Forming lhc conductor that he suspected
that Mrs. kaerston had been foully dealt
with the conductor allowed the unfor-
tunate woman 20 remain on the train
Dr. Thomas took Mrs. Kaerston into
his care. administered opiates and By the
next morning she was able 10 relate her
strange story She had a vague idea that
thieves lad stolen her money. but she
little thought that they had sent her on
q long journey across the continent.
Mrs. kaerstOn'S experience was so
thrilling hat for "a time the train officials
doubted her. but when they searched her
clothing and found her waist ripped aud
other evidences Of her having been rough
~ dealt yith they finally believed her
shortly before the train pulled into the
Oakland mole n woman who had taken a
kindly interest iu Mrs. kaerston dlscov-
cred several fake kilograms purporling
70 be from her husband which the thieves
had used 20 aid them in their nefarious
work
On arriving in this city Dr. Thomas
sent Mrs. kaerston 20 a private hospital
where she viii be cared for until her
husband arrives from Fort Leayenworth h.
i is quite possible that Mrs. Kaerston
viii never fully recover her health or
reason. In the meantime Gotham's
crooks are spending her money and gloat-
1ng over their nCudish deed.