The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-10-03
A FAIR FORGER.

Hamilton said Superintendent
Beaver, calling me into his room. as
you don't start for New York on that
extradition business till tomorrow, L
wish you'd just see what you can do in
this matter. Let's see. Here's the
cashiers sketch of the woman: Dress
ed in dark clothes, short and stout,
snow white hair, red nose, diamond and
sapphire cluster finger ring He guess
ed her age at sixty-five and she led him
to understand that the check, Endorsed
Mary Wooler, was in payment or some
property she had engaged Mr.. Hewitt
to sell"
I tracked a woman answering to the
description to Liverpool, where l lost
her. The next day / sailed for New
York on the extradition case, and a
careful scrutiny of every passenger on
board the liner convinced me that sne
was not among them. AS did not in
tend TO let the disappointment interfere
with my enjoyment of the voyage 1
lost no time in making friends among
my fellow passengers.
The next cabin to mine was that OF
Mrs Beslalxe and her daughter. Anne
The mother was a tall, fragile looking
lady, while the daughter, slim and
graceful, possessed as pretty a face as
1t has ever been my lot to look upon
To while away the tedium of the long
and often cold evenings, when we could
not remain on deck with comfort, i'm
promptu concerts would be started in
Miss Beslake sometimes sang. She pos
SeSsed a rich cOntralto voice, which
held one entranced, the notes sweet,
sympathetic and mellow as black
birds Naturally when the great con-
cert was organized in the saloon, two
days before we passed Sandy Hook,
Miss BeSlake was asked to take part IN
it. She readily consented.
AS / made my way along the main
deck toward the saloon / saw Mrs.
Beslake and her daughter just ahead
of me- Mrs. Beslake was reading
sheet of paper she held in her hand.
Presently she tore it UP and tossed the
shreds overheard.
A scrap of the paper borne upward
by the wind fell on the deck at my feet.
On it was Mr.. Hewitt's name. cleverly
forged in the same hand as the check
1 could scarcely control the cry that
rose to my lips STOPPING, picked up
the fragment and placed it securely in
my pocket.
Immediately I thought of the captain
and confided my suspicious to him.
TITS little more than conjecture yet"
I concluded, land I must ask you to
help me in confirming. it,
Willingly" said tha captain. s'How
can assist your
you have the keys, I presume, for
the various cabins?" I replied. Mrs.
Beslake and her daughter are now in
the saloon. The concert will last an
hour. In the meantime you and 1 will
see what we can find
In the cabin OF the two ladies my ap-
prehensions received abundant confir-
ma ton. With some little difficulty 1
succeeded in forcing back the catch of
a large portmanteau that stood in the
corner of the compartment The first
object that met my eyes was a wig of
white hair Beneath it lay a box of
grease paints similar to those used by
actors in making up.
At the bottom of the portmanteau we
found a pocketbook containing several
of
agreed with the list given me on the
spurious check.
We had reached this stage of our
search when the cabin door suddenly
swung open and Miss Beslake appeared
in the entrance.
What is the meaning of this-this
ungentlemanly proceedings" she cried,
not without tremor of fear in her
voice.
1t is needless to describe the scene
that ensued. Even now cannot recall
it with ut a pang of sorrow. Suffice it
to say that on my return to England
had three prisoners under my care
Mrs. and Miss Besfake, as well as the
back to London had been the prime OBJ
ject of my mission. OF him it is not
necessary to speak here.
Miss Beslake was identified by Mr..
Hewitt as a former governess of his
children, she having left his employ
ment a m onth prior to the presentation
of the check on the bank. In her conf
Dental capacity she had had no difficulty
in obtaining access to the library and
accomplishing her nefarious purpose She
had stepped into the carriage at Euston
a bright and agile girl. At Liverpool her
mother had met her, Mrs. Beslake having
reasons of her own for not wishing to be
seen in London
There can be no doubt that in reality
Mrs. Beslake was the prime mover in the
whole disreputab1e affair, for at the trial
before sentence was passed upon them it
was conclusively shown that she had
more than once served terms of imprison-
ment for similar offenses.