New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-16
SHE FOUND MANY VICTIMS.
MRS. HOWARD CHARGED WITH SWIM
DING, CONFESSES.


ING" CoMPANY-sToRY OF A STRANGE LIFE.
Mrs Ruth Howard twenty eight years old.
who lives in Brooklyn, but refuses to tell where.
and Herman Cohen. thirty years Old broker.
OF No 951 Railroad-ave., are locked up in Po-
lice Headquarters on the charge Of grand lar
ceny 1t is alleged by the police that these two
prisoners belong to n gang of swindlers which
operated last month under the name of w. B.
Deming & Co, on the thirteenth floor Of the
Hudson Building, at No 80 Broadway In their
short stay in that place 1t is said that they
swindled merchants in this city out of nearly
$4,000
Mrs Howard was arrested on Tuesday by De-
tectves McConve and Pepperted. and Cohen
was captured yesterday by the same detectives.
Both were arraigned in the Jefferson Market
Police Court yesterday. and were remanded
back TO the Central Office until this morning.
1t is alleged that they obtained credit the
supposition that they were in reality the firm OF
William b. Demng dealers In railroad supplies.
at No 80 Exchange Place.
Mrs Howard made a confession to Captain
McClusky. She said she was engaged by the
firm TO act as agent for them ia buying goods.
Cohen. she said. was at the head of the affair.
Cohen had cards printed giving her name as
May Chambers. and at the time gave TO
her n list Of dealers IN various binds of mer-
chandise from which che expected TO get
goods She went to Boaz & Lichstcnstein, at
Broome-st. and West Broadway. on January IL
last as the representative OF w. b. Demins,
and purchased from that firm twelve dozen silk
skirts valued at $500 The firm asked her for
her credentials, and she referred them 10 Brad
streets" They found that ". b. Demng had
a rating OF 100000, and delivered the goods
without question In the same office was
desk occupied by the Acme Knee Pants
Company. and she bought goods valued at S5oo
The following day. she said Cohen sent her to
buy sealskin garments. She went TO Boaz d
Lchstenstein, with whom she had traded before,
and they gladly gave her letter Of introduction
to A. Frie furrier, Of No. 713 Broadway, from
whom she got two coats and two sets Of furs
worth $500 She then went 10 John Russig, fur
rier of Mercer-st and got $500 worth Of furs
from him. She can scarcely remember she told
Captain McClusky, the number OF stores she
visited with the same purI ose. All OF the goods
she succeeded in getting were.sent TO the offices
of w. b. Demng & Co. and were Immediately
sold by them to other buyers. or were shipped
out Of town or placed in storage
She interrupted the story Of her connection
with this firm TO tell Captain McClusky some
thing Of her own career, at his request. She
was born in Juesberg. Col. twenty eight years
ago. She attended school in Lincoln. Beatrice
and St. Paul After having been graduated
from school in St Paul she became teacher
in the school Of Professor and Mrs. Leech. in
that city.
Her FIST knowledge Of business life was ac-
qured she said. when she married 10 a
man named Agee. who a salesman for a
Western hat firm. travelling most Of the time.
She Joined her husband in his travels. and thus
got an insight into business life. After his
death some years ago. she entered an estab-
nshment in Chicago a buyer for that house.
While in Chicago she met man whose real
name was Charles Scipio Grillo. alias c. j. Russ
and Charles Howard. He took her 10 Butte.
| Mont, where they remained for some time,
meanwhile having swnded a man there out
| Of $4,000 After that transaction they fed to
! Chicago In Chicago she met George s. Mar
! tin, a shoe dealer. The pair started a shoe
company under the name Of the Ruth-Frost
! Shoe Company. In 1895 she and Martin. she
SAYS, opened an Office in the Pulitzer Building
! and advertised for a partner. He SWlndled a
/ number Of people and was finally arrested and
| sent for two years to the Penitentary.
! Martin gave certificate Of deposit for s., 41V
| on the Denver National Bank 20 a lawyer named
| Richard Price while in the TOmbS Price was
! later arrested and is now out on bail. according
| 10 Captain McCUsky. charged with taking the
! proceeds Of the check
| II was this affair OF Martins with Price which
| led her TO meet Cohen
Mrs. Howard she is known. has been living
! for some weeks in the home Of a woman who
| has befriended her in Brooklyn. She says that
! she has reformed. and her benefactOr believes In
| the sincerity Of her repentance. She has lately
! been in attendance upon the Young Women
! Christian Association. and has joined the
| Daughters of Independence.