The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-08-18
HER HUSBAND IN PRISON CALMLY ADMITS THAT He is THIEF.

starved TO DEATH My husband tramped the
streets day and night searching for work.
but was unable to find anything to do.
was stricken with scarlet fever. and when
Il was taken to North Brother Island and
on my discharge from the hospital was
unable to aid in supporting the family. So
bad was our condition that was compelled
to take a desperate chance.
Il could not bring myself to steal. so
forged the checks which have resulted in
young James Reed. My husband passed the
checks. while Reed collected for me speci-
needed.
Il hope they'll be lenlent with Jim 1
really got him into trouble. and If he can
the blame and all the punishment do
hope that no one Will attach that 500 the
police took from me. because when Jim and
get clear of this We'll need it,"
The girl, who. not five years ago. had
pinned for the religious seclusion of nuns
title of the cleverest woman forger. is
strange anomaly in the midst of social
conditions.
1T may seem a long way from convent
to the police court, but guess other wom-
en- have taken bigger jumps from the path
OF convention. and then you must know
vent. Bedford Park, to marry my husband.
/ would go farther than that for him. too.
Any wife would"
Mabel Singerly, as Mrs. James Parker
signs herself, wnen she contributes her lit
erary illusions to magazines, and she says
she she is prolific writer. has the reddest of
lips and her well-formed mouth opens over
rows of the whitest teeth The delicate
coloring In her face never once heightened
could not help but wonder at the re-
markable reserve and calmness of girl
who viewed conviction on the charge Of
forgery with such eQuanimity.
How did you happen to waver from the
convent associations?" she was asked as
she looked at her husband, who regarded
81 love my husband better than anything
in the world. l guess that statement ought
to answer all questions.
IN her iife." she said, with the air of
philosopher. and l had mine when 1 was
CONFESSED TO DETECTIVE
I've Peabody for deceiving his wife The de-
sIngerly on Friday night and posed i. as !;
"Bill Hickey" crook. telling her he had
been in the same cell with her husband at
ter but that the police could produce no
evidence against him and he was dis
charged
He told Mrs singerly that her husband
was in bad shape and wanted more dope"
So cleverly did he win the confidence of the
woman that she told him Just how she Sc
cured the signatures which she forged.
The plan was to get old letters in office
buildings from waSte-paper baskets. She
would examine the signature and then copy
II. So expert was she in this that the
check went through the banks and the for
Series were not discovered until monthly
settlements were made.
Peabody has the samples of writing which
Mrs. Parker did for him. including imita-
tions of his signature of the name of will
liam Hickey" done in different styles yet
all indicating the same characteristics.
This faculty in writing is one of Mrs
Parker's strong points. She can catch the
individuality of a signature and make de-
ceptive counterpart, even if the formation
is not the same. This was indicated by her
writing of the names "a Bierstadt'' and
"Alice Kauser"