The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-08
swINDLED OUT OF S27 900.
coincidence Queen" Victimized .
Tennessee Man.
From the New York Herald.

known as the Queen of Confidence Wom-
en-" and the Woman in Black bun
coed William B. Crinkley of Hartman,
Tenn, out of a plantation worth $1,000
and $1,000 in cash was unfolded by Capt.
McClusky last night He placed under
arrest yesterday her lawyer Joseph c.
| Metcalf, IS years old. of No. 800 Tompkins
avenue, Brooklyn, as a suspicious psr-
SON"
| Queen" Peck is already in the Tombs
She was arrested last week under a con-
| viction for grand larceny, affirmed by the
| Court of Appeals Mrs. Peck is wealthy
and OWNS a fine residence at Sparkhill, n.
| Y She has sWindled many in her time.
Among her victims have been b. T. Bah
| bit, soap manufactures, whom she swind-
| led OUT of 100000. and DR.. Chris lopher
| Lott of Reid avenue, Brooklyn. from
| whom she got $4,000. She was 10 use the
money, she told him, in getting a big for
| tune that belonged to her in Washington,
! D. C.
CrinLIey Calls on McCIusly.
Capt McClusky received a visit from
Crinkley yesterday afternoon. He was ac-
| companied by Lawyer Bell, Of No. Il
! Broadway. who gave him the first indma-
ton that Mrs. Peck had swindle1 him.
| The Captain. after hearing his story sen
out Detective Price. He brought back
Metcalf, who acted as Mrs. Peck's coun-
sci in the negotiations of the transfer of
property.
Metcalf claims to be innocent of having
| been Mrs Peck's accompice He will have
to explain, though, how he came 70 make
a certain affidavit of the correctness OF an
abstract for certain fictitious property that
Mrs Peck pretended to own in Washing
ton. d. c.
Mr. Crinkley advertised that he wished
TO sell a plantation of 1850 acres and
homestead in Warren county, North Car
olina. with a magnesfa well en- II, To- $zo,-
GOO In April, 1889. he received letter
from Mrs. Peck Of SparIhill who wrote
under the names of Mrs. f. f. Knight"
She made him an offer by mail TO eN-
| change some Washington property for his
| plantation He agreed TO accept mort
| gage for $4,000 on her holdings, and had
a deed drawn up for the transfer oil MS
property
Two Deaths in the Family.
Just about the time that Mrs. Peck was
| TO 90 TO Washington to conclude the deal
she wrote Crinkley that her daughter had
died and postponed her trip. He wrote
her letter of sympathy. Subsequently
he wrote her another letter. asking her to
meet him in Washington on Oct 70 lasl.
She answered in a black-bordered letter
| telling him her daughter-in-aw had just
died and again requested postponemenJ.
Mr. CrinlIey had occasion to visit Can
ada the following December, and he wired
| her from Niagara Falls that he would
| meet her any place she would mention
| She telegraphed that she had to go TO
| Worcester Mass, to appear in court at a
litigation over her mothers will lie went
there but got no trace of her.
| Finally Mrs. Peck met him in Washing
ton on Dec. 16. They took carriage,
and she pointed out to him property worth
AT least S. 100000 which she said she ownei
mt to
he would like to have a local lawyer,
MI Warner, conduct the final negotiations
for his plantation. She held up her hands
in horror and declared that she knew
Warner, and that he was not to be
| trusted.
Transfers His Plantation.
While they were talking in walked Met
calf Metcalf said he was familiar with
the negotiations about the transfer of the
properties and she produced an abstract
Of her Washington real estate holdings
Crinkley however, was not satisfied that
they were correct and wanted the abb
stract certified by the register of deeds.
LAWYER Metcalf promised to get such
certification and meet them at the home
stead on the plantation. This Crinkley
agreed TO. and he and Mrs. Peck went
South TO look over the property. Met
calf failed to appear for several days
Mrs Peck. after enjoying Mr.. Crlnk-
| lev 8 southern nODll dllty 1ol d NItN' 49,
for home for the holidays. He loaded her
down with presents of old wines that mad
| been in his cellar for years. She returned
20 the plantation on Dec. %.
on the next day Lawyer Metcalf arrived
with the necessary but unattested alb
stract He said he did not have time to
get it properly attested but that he had
searched the titles of her property and
found them clear.
He made affidavit to the abstract for
1 Ten city lots, four of which were mort
4 gagged for $4,000 Crinkley expressed
himself as satisfied with this, and gave
her the deeds for his plantation, taking q
mortgage on her property to secure her
note for $4,000.
Mrs Peck had told Mr.. Crinkley of
opening a zinc mine at joplin, Mo. After
getting the plantation she informed him
that an English syndicate had offered her
st0c 900 for the mine. They also offered
her $780, 600 more, she said, for some adjoin-
ing land. on which she held an option for
$4,000
Mrs. Peck explained to Crnk1ey that
the option would run out in short time
and that if she could raise $4,000 she would
buy this land. She said that if Crinkley
would lend her $500 in cash she would
give him $4,000 OF her profits
Mr.. Crinkley handed over the money
She said that she would send Mr. Met
calf 40 dispose of the property to the syn
dictate. He left for the North and was
not seen again by Mr.. CrinSley. She lin
gered behind and sampled his wines. In
few days she left for Sparkhill.
Soon afterward Mrs. Peck sent him
letter stating that she was having great
difficulty in raising the other 5000 neces-
sarv to take up her option. She asked
him for further loan of $500. He oblig-
ed her with $1,000, all the money he had
in, the world. She acknowledged the re-
ceipt Of this sum in a dainty perfumed
letter.
CrinLIey's Eyes Opened.
MIR. Bel wrote to Mr.. Crinkley few
DAYS ago asking If he had any real es-
| tate transactions with Mrs. Peck. He had
been to 4he lawyers office when he met
Mrs. Peck here. Crinkey wrote and in
formed Mr.. 8ell of the disposal of his case
and property The lawyer. answered, tell
ing him that he thought he had been
swudled.