The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-30
YOUNG AND PRETTY FoRGER.
MARY KELLY ATTEMPTED TO PASS
A FORGED CHECK.

Bank of savannah and Purp0rted
to BE signed by Mrs. Joseph RO-
senheim-The Girl Acknowledge
Her GuiIt-AnOther of Her Attempts
to Defraud.
Mary Kelly, young woman Of good APP
pearanee and progressing manners. well
dressed and pretty,and with naught about
her to indicate that she had been aceus-
toned to the haunts or the practice of
crime or vice, was arrested by Policeman
Tullis, at Bull and Broughton streets.
yesterday Afternoon. and Is locked up at
the station house on a charge of forgery.
The crime which she is charged with
having committed. and which she con-
fesses is the attempt to pass a forged
check for 800, drawn on the National
Bank of Savannah aud purporting to be
signed by Mrs. Joseph Rosenhein1. The
attempt to pass the forged check was
made during banking hours Wednesday,
| but was not successful Indeed, the
scheme to take possession of the money
Of other persons and apply il to her own
use was so stupid and clumsy that It
could not have been carried out, and is
| one of The facts that lead some of those
conversant with the circumstances of the
case to belief that the woman has lost
her mind.
She brought the check 10 the teller's
window and calmly asked for payment.
Mr.. Abrahams, the teller. looked up in
surprise, for though Mr.. Rosenheim is a
large depositor in the bank and one of
the directors of the institution, Mrs. Ro-
count there. Then, too, the check was
signed ''Airs. Joseph Rosenheim," and the
teller was familiar with the general pFac-
lice Of married women in signing checks
and knew that they did not usually sign
their husbands name or use prefix. He,
therefore, was satisfied that the check
was forgery and refused to cash it. The
woman insisted that it had ben signed by
Mrs. Rosenheim, in her presence, and that
she had seen it done
Mr.. Abrahams questioned her closely
but nothing could shake the confidence
with which she told her first story and
she stuck to II through thick and thin.
Though he was almost certain that IL
was fabrication, he could not rid him
self of the remnant of suspicion that it
might be true, at least, in part, end he
compromised by retaining the check and
permitting the woman to go free She
accepted this chance with dignity and no
thanks and had nothing of the appear
afSe OF a woman who had just made q
brave though futile attempt to commit one
Of the worst of criminal offenses.
The check was sent over to Mr.. Roseu-
helm, with the teiler's statement OF, the
use that had been sought TO be made of
il and the further information that the
woman was at liberty. Mr.. d. j. Rosen-
helm, representing his father in the mat
ter, told MIR. Abrahams that he wanted
the woman spotted and if she was recog-
nized that he would have her arrested
Though she had not succeeded in the at
tempt to defraud any one OF his famiIy
he was strongly of the opinion that the
woman should not be permitted to go az
large with the opportunity of making a
second and more successful attempt with
some one else as the victim That she
had every intention to do this and that
the crime which had been forestaled lust
In the nick of time was not her first. was
later demonstrated, though Mr.. Rosen-
helm win not know of it until he sees
TINS article, with almost absolute GER
tainty.
Yesterday Afternoon son of Mr.. Abra-
hams saw the woman passing the store OF
Rosenheim & Son, and entering the CT
flee told Mr.. d. y. Rosenheim that the
woman he had been seeking was In sight.
Mr. Rosenheim followed without the for |
mality of making many changes in mis- |
office dress, and in hot haste. He over |
took the woman at the corner Of Bull and |
Broushton streets, and eourteously saluted |
her. M
Madam" he said. II am informed that |
yesterday you attempted 20 pass a check |
that purDorted 70 be signed by MY mother |
at the National Bank of Savannah. May |
ask that YOU will go with rne TO the bank |
and discuss the matter?'
why. really" she answered II have |
not the time Just now. Ii later In the af- |
ternoon will suit your convenience. / viii |
make it a point to call al. the bank and |
viii gladly tell you all that know in /
reference to the check aud how il got into !
my possession" This with absolute ef-
frontery and no show of embarrassment |
Mr., Rosenheim Insisted thai I
the present would, as matter of fact |
suit his convenience better than any /
other time. and the woman, with equal /
but with equal firnsness ZOO /
that at that particular moment she was 4
with business engagements 1
Of much Importance and that she could I
not possibly go to the bank In this di- /
lemma Policeman Tullis was called upon 4
30 arbitrate the question, and agreed with 1
Mr.. Rosenheim that there was no time I
like the present
The party weuded it's way across the
square TO the bank. where Mr. Abrahams
identified the woman as the one who had |
made the attempt 20 pass the forged /
check. She did not deny it, but stuck ia
the tale about the woman whom she had /
seen sign il and whom she said she had
thought was Mrs. Rosenheim. She was
taken from the bank to the station house
where under the skilled cross questioning |
OF Detectives Shea and Clarity she at last |
admitted that she had forged the check
herself. Al this crisis she shed a few, a
very few, tears. but during the most OF
the Tins she was perfectly composed and
not greatly worried about the matter OF |
her arrest and Imprisonment on a dis
graceful charge. She could not be in
dueed 10 so into particulars about the |
crime. nor 10 implicate anyone else in its
commission. Upon these points she main
tanned a sullen silence.
The detectives were az loss TO account
for the motive that had led to the crime |
The parents of the girl are dead, and she
had been living on McDonough street
with some Of her relatives She has some
little money OF her own. and has borne
so far as is known, a perfectly
good character. Al any rate, she has not
been known TO be implicated in any act
hat would render her amenable TO the
aw, and about her worst trait was q
Vanton laziness. that seemed almost TO