New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-05
SHE RAISED MANY NOTES.
Inspectors Call Her CIeUereSt Ma
mpulator an p. O. Department.
MANY HOTELS HER VICTIMS.

MAN HOTELS HEX NIC1l Mo.
For several months the postal authorities have
received complaints of a systematic raising of
postal by woman operating under the
names of Annie Sharp, Charlotte Cross. A Thomp-
and many other aliases. The notes. il was
found, were invariably issued by one of the smaller
postofffces between Philadelphia and New-York
usually for . cents. and. aided by acids raised
to sums ranging from S65 to S100 each
A number of futile efforts made to find and
apprehend the woman, and last the forgeres
became frequent that it decided TO place
the case in the hands of two Of the governments s
skilful Investigators. and Postoce Inspectors
Jacobs and Meyer were assigned to the case. For
several weeks they worked without accomplishing
much, and ON. Thursday last missed her byonly
ten minutes Bath Beach where she got $40 on
a raised order at the Belmont Hotel The order
purported to call for 800 and the clerk did
not have that amount in the cash drawer the
woman a guest of the hosiery accepted the SO.
saying she would get the remainder in the evening
The clerk took the order to the postoffice. and
found It had originally been issued for % cents
Inspectors Jacobs and Meyer informed and
started at once for Bath Beach. and arrived in
time to ascertain that the woman had walked out
only ten minutes before.
Yesterday. however, shortly after p. m,
short stout red-faced woman. apparently about
forty y-fve years old. stepped to the general de-
livery window of the postofice and asked to have
the mail OF Annie E. SharDley forwarded to No.
1877 North Twentieth-st., Philadelphia Standlng
q
waiting for something. and as the matronly look
ing little woman turned away. Inspector Jacobs
raised his hat politely and said:
Annie the chief inspector upstairs would like to
talk few minutes about those notes you have been
raising. if you spare the time
The little womans forid complexion faded to an
ashy white and Inspector Meyer had to support her
keep her from falling to the floor. She muir
INJURED something about guessing 1t was all up
now" and after a moment recovered her com
con tl,a
half a dozen postal notes. raised from % cents TO
$55 s75 and $l0O found in her hand satchel ev-
IDENTIFY ready for cashing. providing victim could
be found
The arrai gned before United states
Commissioner Shields, in the Postoffice Building.
where she finally admitted her was Annie 4.
Sharpley, and that she had been raising postal
notes since May last She waived examination and
agreed to return to Philadelphia where warrant
for her arrest has already been issued, without
requsition formaties The inspectors locked her
up in the Ludlow Street Jail for the night. and it
is probable that she will be taken to Philadelphia
to-day
WRITING CLEVERLY INITIATED.
According to Inspectors Jacobs and Meyer, the
woman is the cIeverest raiser of notes depart
ment has yet had to deal with and adroity does
she initiate the writing OF the clerks issuing the notes
that she has little difficulty, judging from results,
in getting them cashed. The two inspectors have
complaints already numbering nearly score where
erbocker Of this city cashed for $780, the Hotel
Palace. of Newark, another for the amount;
Charles T. Martenhoff, OF the Hotel Bronx. One
hundred -twenty y-eighth-st and ThIrd-ave also
gave her slO0 for raised note and several Brook
lyn hotels have likewise contributed similar to
Mrs Sharpey'S eXchequer.
Mrs. sharpeys home is Philadelphia where
she has resided for years, and where she for
merly conducted small express business, which
she sold III March last. So far as can be learned
up to that time Mrs. Sharpley lived a very respect
able life and well thought of in the neighbOr
hood where she and her husband. who died sew
eral years ago, resided. After selling her express
business Mrs. Shsrpey then. according the
Pinkertons. started out d career of crime. and
made her first appearance in Chester. Penn, where
she laid down" hoated, a number of forged
and raised checks the Chester National Bank
and the National Security Bank. of Philadelphia.
The checks. which. owing 10 her respectable ap-
ting the tradesmen Of that town cash, puTported
TO be signed by dep0sitors and for sums rang
ing from Sc IS 10 SlS5. She was next heard from in
one Of the smaller villages in Pennsylvania, where
she laid down a raised postal note for S25. From
that time until yesterday the department has been
getting raised postal notes all Of which show the
same clever handiwOrk and which yesterday she
admitted hers.
When asked why she had raised the notes and
what induced her - enter upon career Of crime crime
she declined TO answer. and seemed concerned only
in knowing how soon she could begin TO serve heF
sentence. that she might finish ii as possl-
BILE and what the inspectors thought she would get