Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-09-22
CIRCUIT COURT.

ID. Brown under false pretenses.
great many witnesses have been intro
duced and the closing arguments hav,
been rather lengthy. The prosecution
has been conducted by Dist. Atty Free
Genrich and Hon. Neal Brown, while
the defense has been represented by F
b. Lamoreaux and Hon A. l.. Kreutzer
At the conclusion of the taking of testi
mony the defense argued that judg
ment be rendered for the defense OF
the grounds that the case was started
in Clark county and the jurisdiction o.
trial was with that county. A portion
of Monday was taken up in arguing the
point but the court overruled the mo
ton, and the arguments to the jury be
gan.
Fred Genrich opened for the prosecu
ton followed by Mr.. Lamoreaux, who
consumed the time of a session held
last nightt This morning A. l.. Kreutz-
er addressed the jury and this after
noon Neal Brown is closing and the
case will be given the jury before sup
per time. The jury is composed OF
Messrs. g. j Winton, Albert Enpey,
Henry Denfeld, Angus Mcdonald
Robt Juedes, A. w. Kruger, A. II.
Arnold, G. M. Fleming, Nelson Empey,
VIM. Brabant, l. w. Job and Henry
Volhard. A history of the woman's
alleged doings, as they have been pre-
sented, are about as follows:
The defendant was arrested in Feb
ruary on complaint of Ransom H.
Brown, of Colby, former county sur
veyor. The stories told of this >woman
are somewhat romantic, so much so in
fact that it is hard to believe them,
when one considers the business sagac-
ity of some of her alleged victims, and
the appearance of the woman. At the
time of her arrest it was said she had
several methods of swindling, one of
which was to solicit funds from mem
bers of certain fraternal societies, to
which she also belonged, telling them
hard luck stories to gain their SYM
pathy. Brown claimed that she came
to his house some time in the latter part
of December, and to him stated that
she had borrowed some money from a
lodge treasurer, and us the latter had
to make settlement before the end of
the year, she desired to return it. She
was out of funds but if Mr.. Brown
would loan her S175 she would give him
a mortgage on 100 head of cattle that
were on her farm near Stanley, Brown
accommoded her and next day she
started for home, Mrs. Brown accom-
her to get the mortgage, stop
ping off at Eau Claire. 1t was near the
Christmas season, and to show that she
was grateful for the favor that had been
her, she went to several stores
with Mrs. Brown and ostensibly pur-
chased number of very fine presents
for the latter and her husband, and
that Mrs. Brown might not be troubled
in carrying them home, Mary oblig-
ingly ordered them shipped to Unity.
She showed Mrs. Brown her farm and
live stock, but by some method sent
the latter back home without the
In the meantime Brown re-
ceived number of packages, marked
e. o. d., and when they were opened
were found to contain the presents"
Some time afterward, Mrs. Mohr APP
peared in Marshfield, and, it is said,
visited a number of persons whom she
knew to have money, and solicited
loans on mortgages. What success she
had we cannot state for her victims, if
there were any, kept quiet for they, too,
could have been punished because by
clause in the mortgage they were made
usurers. In these alleged deals Mary
also displayed her cunning. 1t is said
she would offer an alluring rate of in
the rate limited by law
and an acceptance made the mortgage
a guilty party. One of the Marshfield
papers at that time stated that but for
an investigation by Judge Pors, before
whom they appeared to have papers
drawn up, she would have secured a
loan of 81 500 from a certain party.
Mr. Brown heard of her operations at
about this time and caused her arrest
She had her examination at Colby,
March 4th, and was bound over to APP
pear in circuit court.
Shortly after her operations at Marsh
field, it is further stated, she went to
Stevens Point and there negotiated
loan of $3.50 from Mrs. Susan Bower
sock, givins. her what purported to be
a first mortgage on property near
Stanley. She is also alleged to have
Stevens Point Tannery Co., by the
same method After this, numerous
stories of the womans craftiness be-
came current, and an investigation
brought to light many interesting
things regarding her. She had an 80
acre farm not far from the village of
III OlaiPPCHt 0OuhbJ OA NAliNh
were about hundred head of cattle,
hundreds of fowl and great rlany
sheep and swine. The books Of the
register of deeds of that county showed
that she had given chattel mortgages
to the amount of Sc, 925 80 on her live
stock and had "plastered' her farm and
buildings to the extent of Sl4, 957 .12.
1t is also said she did not confine her
work to this section alone, for an in
dictment was returned against her in
Buffalo county, and she had inter-
changeable mileage in her possession
showing that she Travelled great deal.
1t appears she has been at this work
for some time, and perhaps accumu-
lated large amount of money, but
what she has done with it is a mystery
She had business dealings with many
men of experience in real estate mat
tiers but they, two, are sometimes sue
ceptible of being "gulled." Where her
persuasive power lies would be hard to