The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1899-10-05
A SMOOTH WIDOW.
A One Time KenOsha Girl Works a
Confidence Game in Chicago and
Leads Merry Life.
RECORDS BETRAYED HER GAME


Had Been Appearing as widow While
Her husband was Represented as her
Nephew-The Discovery of tire Marriage
is Made in this Ctty-she is Landed in
Jail but her Husband Escaped and is
Working in New Fields.
The records of Kenosha county have
proved to be the instrument of causing
the arrest of one of the most noted
criminals that ever worked in the city
cf Chicago.
A few days ago an official from Chi
cago came to this city, and after sew
aera1 hours of careful search IN the rec
.ords of the county he returned to Chi
cago with bean1ing countenance, and
an hour later Mrs. Namah Coo1baugh
Wa1ling was arrested on charge OF
working a smooth confidence game on
a well known citizen of Chicago.
The arrest is considered one of the
most clever pieces of work ever done
by Chicago police, and the office of
register of deeds in this city comes in
for large amount of the glory in the
case.
Many years ago Miss Coo1baugh was
a Kenosha girl, and the records show
that on the 18th of June she was mar
ried to J. Peter Wa11ing, of Chicago.
The wedding was not hera1ded through
abe country, and the couple went to the
East where they resided for some time.
About five years ago Mr.. and Mrs.
Wa11ing returned to Chicago, and since
that time Mrs. Wa11ing, going under
the guise of a young and attractive
widow, has worked confidence schemes
galore, until now she numbers among
her twenty victims many of the best
known young men in Chicago. Her
games have long been under the scrut-
any of the police of the city, but they
were never able to secure any evidence
against her, until few days ago,
when the record of her marriage to
Wa11ing was discovered in the Keno
ska county office.
when Mr.. and Mrs. Wa11ing re-
turned from the East they engaged
expensive apartments at one of the
best hotels in Chicago, and for some
time they were well known as leading
contributors to all the charitable in
stitufions in the city.
LAS a young and attractive widow
Mrs. Wa11ing was under the protection
of her husband, who posed as her
nephew. Their rooms became the re-
sort of many well known men, and the
little Kenosha county girl soon held all
the men as suitors for her hand.
Many of the suitors were accepted,
and advanced large sums of money to
the woman on promises of marriage,
but all that ever came of them was
broken engagements. It was breach
trust, but the erstwhi1e suitors
Learned to their d gust that they had
no action against the woman. Mrs.
Wa11ing continued her triumphant
career of heart breaking for some time,
until she considered her position Sc
cure. She attended the Sabbath
schools of the city, and finally a man
of very estimab1e character fell in love
with her
The manawas wealthy and for some.
time the widow and her nephew lived
high. Their horses and carriages
were the talk of the swagger set in the
city and many an afternoon they created
comment on the boulevard. Finally
the man proposed marriage to the
widow and was accepted.
Mrs. Wa11ing took her fancee over
the city and showed him a large
amount of valuable property which
she alleged would come into her Dos
session on the 1st of January, 1900, and
,eau the strength of this property the
IMAM put up So, 800 in good coin of the
realm and bought the Circe 81, 300
worth of diamonds, in order that she
might shine in a proper manner. A
short time after this an important
business engagement called nephew
Mailing to Philadelphia and the
woman was making arrangements to
follow him. This was not to the liking
of the latest ''AngeI', and he at once
Began to investigate. The result was
that it was discovered that the two had
been married since 1882 and that they
had been living easy ever since.
Mrs. Wa11ing still 1anguishes in jail,
but denies that she was ever married to
Wa1ling. She refuses to give any
E1istory of her life before her arrest and
che case has caused a great sensation.
AS far as can be learned none of the
antecedents of the woman are now
living in this city.
Walling has not as yet been captured,
5saut the officers are still in hot pursuit.