The times., 1899-03-09
CARD PARTIES ENDED
IN A WOMAN'S ARREST
A Strange Career Interrupted
by the Police.
Mary yTempleton Kelly Charged With
Entangling Public Men.
Her Real Estate Business Suspected
Her Real Estate Business Suspected
of Being II Blind for Clever
SwindIinS.

As the result of an invitation to card
party. which went astray through the
hands of a prominent local business man
and was handed to the police, Mary Tenn
pleton Kelly. a woman whose career in
Washington IS alleged to have brought
trouble and financial loss to many who
would gladly forget her. was taken from
her office in the Metzerott Building yester-
day morning and locked up in No 1 police
station with vagrancy written opposite her
name on the register. The word va
grancy," like the real estate business the
woman made pretence of conducting, car
res with 1t an underlying Significance, and
the police claim to have come into posses
sion OF sufficient evidence TO write un-
welcome chapter in a rather unusual and
shadowy life's history. In the afternoon
$50 collateral was deposited 10 guarantees
the defendants appearance in the Police
Court this morning and she was released.
Mary Templeton Kelly claims to have
been in the real estate business, and in
support Of her assertions she produces fine
ly printed stationery, which reads M. T.
Kelly q Co.. real estate and commission.
headquarters for mining information and
business opportunities" In the improve
ments Of these opportunities the woman
claims to have been assisted by partner.
Lieut. T. c. Wilson. about whom little is
known except that he succeeded J. NJ. Her
man. whose name Still fingers on the Office
door sign.
The Methods Employed.
The methods employed by this real es-
tate firm in the conduct of its business
were original, and for that reason perhaps
not clearly understood. The apartments t
occupied consist of two very small roo MS.
| the first OF which is furnished with desk
and several chairs. and in the last, or ante
I room. IS found a chiffoniere and other
| furniture not usually considered necss-
] sary to the successful prosecution OF a
I prosperous realty business. But it dp
/ pears that the firm was well patronized,
/ and by very prominent people. some Of
/ wtOm might want to purchase Or sell
property of one kind and other. and othzr5
who might easily be suspected of wanting
| opportunities, and little else. The cards OF
I these patrons were found by the poice and
! a Times reporter. and they bore the en-
| graved names CT members Of Congress. Of
| fcers of the army and navy, and local
| business men, some OF whom had left their
( photographs as well as their investments
/ to the care of the firm; in fact, the woman
/ boasts of her business relations with
! prominent Government officials and o h
| ers. and seems not at all inclined to with
| hold their names.
! How Mary Templeton Kelly came to be
! arrested is a story altogether foreign TO
| the real estate business. She admits hav
! ing addressed a hundred or more letters
| TO prominent Washington men, woTded as
follows:
Dear Ar. -: Your name IS handed me by a
! mutual friend and ! would be glad 10 you.
! | understand you great adnirer OF the -,-en-
J tifc game they call whist. Can sre YOU tonight,
/ and where: Answer 10y messenger.
/ Nottr- truIy