The evening times., 1899-03-24
VERDICT OF GUILTY
In WARNINGS Case
Must Pay $40 OF Go to Jail
for Six Months.
No Evidence Showing the Wife to
Be Implicated.
Line of Defence for SwindIing
Boarding-Houses Was That the
Fare Was Bad.

Among the prisoners brought up from
the Jail in the Maria this morning were
Frederick A. Warning, alias Walden, alias
Waldron, alias Warner, and his wife, Lydia
S. Warning, who were arrested Wednesday
by Detectives Helan and Boyd and locked
up as suspicious characters. The prisoners
were arraigned in the Police Court yes
terday, but the prosecution was not able
to produce all of its witnesses and asked
for continuance, which was granted. and
the case was allowed TO go over until this
morning
Warning and his wife were arrested on
the strength of information received that
they were swindling boarding houses and
were guilty of other fraudulent practices.
Attorney Darlington appeared for the
accused in the Police Court today, and in
opening for the defence stated that 1t was
his desire to enlighten the court as to some
OF the facts in the case. The attorney said
that the prisoners were from Buffalo. n.
Y, and desired that the present charges
against them should not gain publicity.
Mr.. Darlington said he hoped the court
would as far as possible refrain from in
terfering in the prisoners private affairs.
The first witness for the prosecution was
Vermont Avenue boarding house keeper.
who stated that the prisoners came to her
house on the afternoon Of March 10 end
engaged rooms and board. They had no
baggage, but stated that it would follow
in a few days from the home of a relative
in another city. When the lady of the
oclya far Of
put off from day to day, until Wednesday
afternoon, when the prisoners took their
departure. The next morning said the
witness, she received a note from Mrs.
Warning stating that they were dissatis-
fed with the house and had left the city.
The next witness was the proprietor of
an Street boarding house, who stated
that On Saturday afternoon the prisoners
came TO her house and engaged board until
June. They seemed well acquainted in
Washington and were accommodated.
They further stated, said the witness
that for years ii had been their custom to
spend the winters in the South and to then
| come to Washington and remain a few
months, preparatory to going North fol
| the summer. In explaining the absence
of any baggage the prisoners stated thai
it had been left at the home of friend in
whose family there had recently been q
death, and that it would be forwarded as
soon as the funeral took place. They re-
mained at this house until the evening o
March %, when they were arrested and
locked up.
Evidence was then introduced showing
4 that Warning had conducted the same
swindling operations In this city as fan
back as 1897. Three ladies testified that
the couple had boarded with them during
| the past three years, and in each case
had left without paying their board. The
evidence further showed that the prisoners
had given several different names while in
| Washington, but in each case the names
were so similar that this fact was not es-
tablished to the satisfaction OF the court
Under protest from the attorney for the
defence the railroad passes that were taker
from the prisoners when arrested were ther
admitted in evidence. Over forty of these