The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-21
TOYEO With LOVE
How Mrs. Ella Cook Managed
Lovesick Youths.
Posed as an Heiress Looking
for a Mate.
is ALREADY MARRIED,
Has a Husband and Four Chill.
dren in Topeka.
Clever Ruse by Which She Was
Apprehended.


a. Cook of 80 East Fourth street has
suspended operations pending an inves-
! tigatiOn by the postal authorities who
charge her with using the mails in a |
! fraudulent enterprise. She was taken |
in custody Thursday afternoon told |
in the State Journal at the complaint of
]. w. Marrs of Belvidere. Kansas, who
claims to have been victimized by her |
upon promise of marriage. There is no |
doubt that a fraudulent enterprise has
been conducted in Topeka and not much
question but that the officers have ar
rested the proper persons Chief of Po-
| lice Carl Golf and Detectives Lucas
and Gardiner worked up the case which
has resulted in her apprehension.
Although, apparently not an educated
woman, Mrs. Cook is undoubtedly a
clever one. She has more than one di-
rection of activity, being leader or
preacher in the Holiness church, a re-
ligious sect of rather uncertain tenets,
and is said to have left Kansas City
hurriedly on account of some untoward
ENHANCEMENT in her religious affairs.
In the gatherings of this sect the prin-
cipal endeavor seems to be to excite
great religious fervor through which the
elect pass into frances and see visions.
Mrs. Cook is a woman of rather impress
sive exterior, strong featured and self
possessed. She is perhaps thirty years
of age, has four children and nus
band, who is stone mason and works
in North Topeka
At this time material for only the one
case has been secured, but the police
and federal authorities believe that,
could they but lay hands upon it, there
is evidence for several more. Evidence
showing that she carried on correspon-
dence under at least two assumed
names was secured just prior to her
arrest. She received letters addressed TO
Mrs. Jane Summit and Mrs. Sarah A
Jones. The fact that she sent a child
to the postoffice with an order for her
. mail indicates her aStuteneSS. AT the IN
struction of Postal Inspector Slusser the
little girl was given letter addressed
to Mrs. Jane Summit and was sent
back with word that Mrs Jones would
: have to call in person for hers
Marrs, the man who furnished the IN
: formation leading to Mrs. Cooks arrest,
: has not appeared in Topeka. His first
communication was to Chief of Police
Goff, three weeks ago. He had read an
| advertisement of Mrs Cook s matrlmOn-
ial agency in the Kansas City paper,
had answered and commenced a CORES
pondence with her. Mrs. Cook had SIS
900 in Kansas City, to secure which she
must be at some little expense. If Marrs
would loan her $40 she would get her
fortune and then go to Belvidere and
marry him.
Mr. Marrs was guIlible and furnished
! / the twenty Owing to some unforeseen
: delay Mrs. Jones' said she needed an
/ other ten dollars although five would
: do 1t was then that Marrs wrote to
: Chief Goff Golf advised him to write to
Mrs Jones' sending a small sum which
> would arrive and be ready for delivery
: Wednesday. Then. Interesting Inspector
Slusser so that assistance might be Sc
cured in apprehending the woman, De-
/ tectives Gardiner and Lucas were ue-
tailed to the case
EarIy Wednesday afternoon Gardiner
received notice from the postofhce that
a little girl had called with a written
order for mail for Mrs. Summit and
Mrs Jones' She had been given let
ter. for the first name, and had been
sent back with word that Mrs Jones
should call in person for her mail IN
q few minutes the two officers were at
J the postofice, but in the meantime a
woman had called and taken a letter
addressed to Mrs. Sarah A. Jones.
Securing a description the officers fol-
lowed her and overlook her near Mrs
I Cooks rooming quarters on East Fourth
. street. The woman proved to be Esther
r Brooke a friend of Mrs. Cooks She
{ returned with the officers to the Cook
] place.
Upon the questioning of the police
, Mrs. Cook stated that she had sent Miss
! Brooke after the letter at the request
of Mrs Jones. who had, moment be-
: fore, called and taken it away with her.
, AS but a few minutes could have
elapsed before the delivery of the let
9 ter by the Brooke woman to Mrs. Cook
y the officers doubted her statement and,
. upon a search of the place found a let
. ter on the ground below. torn into frag-
ments. Pieced together this letter
proved to be the one from Marrs. sent
by the understanding with the police
It's postmark showed its recent delivery.
Taking the letter the officers spent
Q Wednesday in clearing up other fea
tu~es of their evidence. She was ar
a rested Thursday by Deputy L. S. Mar
: shal B. F. Flenniken.
. Mrs. Cook protested her innocence but
9 accompanied the officer to the office OF
U S. Commissioner A F. Williams
!, her for using the mails for fraudulent
: purposes. She at once gave bond ir
+ the sum of 5000 and was not locked up
= Mrs Cooks four small children ac-
v cornpanied her with the officers Dur
a ing the investigation of the premises by
s the police Mrs Cooks husband came
n home for dinner. He listened casually
= to the discussion between the officers
it seriously. and went away with no ap
/ parent concern about her impending
q arrest
. To reporter for the State Journal Mrs
% Cook talked very freely about her diff
Guilty with air of one who anticipate
se no trouble about it's favorable outcome
8, Mrs Cook cant be said to look like III
= manager of a matrimonial bureau. 81
70 sav,e an account of the events leading III
3 to her arrest in which she expIainei
with considerable detail aow the suspicion
: rested upon her. The Mrs Sarah Jones
,, | to whom the betraying letter was address
III ed and is regarded by the police to be al
IS entirely fictitious character. SIZE saws j
le a wash woman who lived on Third street
le She was unable to give any address an
as remarked that she thought Mrs; Jone
had moved to North Topeka The Mrs
G, Jane Shumitt was another friend who ha
q, ., moved from town and had left he
;. charged with the duty of securing am
81 Only once did Mrs. Cook fa.ter in he