Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-04-29
THROUGH The MAILS
Serious Charge Against Two
Women at Portland.
Prominent Hotel Man and Wife Re'
cipient Of Letters.
Federal Authorities Finally Take Mat
ter in Hand.

Portland, Me, April zo.-lne EApreSs
says, tonight:
The sensational arrests by govern
ment authorities which it has been re-
uorted since the arrest of David +.
Nrrdo.k. would soon be made, were,
in fact made, this morning, when Mrs.
Nellie SWEET, wife of John w. SWEET,
and Miss Jennie Hollis were taken into
custody. 1t was presumed that the ar
rests referred to were in connection
with the stamp transactions and in
yolved prominent people, but the de-
yelopmcnts OF the morning showed that
there was no foundation for the rumor.
The arrest, early this morning, of
Mrs. Nellie SWEET, wife of John SWEET,
and of Jennie Hollis, i boarder at
SWEETS Hotel, on Il charge of conspira-
~. was one of the sensations of the
dav. Tie arrests We're made on IN
dirtments returned by the grand jury
of the United States circuit court ana
the conspiracy alleged is that Mrs.
SWEET and Miss Hollis sent scurilous
letters or caused to be sent ScurrllouS
letters through the mails to Charles >.
SWEET. proprietor Of SWEETS hotel ana
10 his wife.
This noon. after the hearing in the
uur,lock case had been finished for the
morning, Nellie SWEET and Jennie Hoi-
lis were brought into court and ar
raigned. Both pleaded not guilty and
were placed under bonds of $1,000 each
tor their appearance from day to day.
Moses II. Dole and Howard r. Mans
field went on the bonds.
The arrests were made at 6 o'clock.
this morning. by Deputy United states
Marshal H. .. Norton. Mrs. SWEET
was arrested at her room at the Temple
hotel and Miss Jennie Hollis in her
rom, ut SWpttS hotel. The evidence
which was presented before the grand
iurv was worked up by Post Office In
stector Charles f. Jennings, who was
assisted by Inspector Birdseye of the
postal service.
Shortly after Charles S. SWEET was
married ne began to receive through
the mails letters containing pictures
and matter of an annoying nature. AT
the same. time Mrs. Charles 5. SWEET
r"criv cd letters also. These letters
we're mailed from all parts of the
United states. many of them coming
from the Western part of the country
Tor long time no clue could be OBJ
taincl. to the writer's f. A. Neiss was
detailed to look up the case. After a
careful examinaticn he was unable TO
find anything uron which the govern
ment could make a case. The letters
though annoying did not violate any
If the federal statutes. Later the
writer's became bolder, opened them
selves to prosecution and inspectors
Jennings and Birdseye gathered suf1i
Gent eeffence TO present to the grand
jury which resulted in an indictmet.
More than u bushel of letters have
been received by Mr.. and Mrs. SWEET
many of their OF such a character thai
they cannot be printed. 1t is alleged
in tie indictment that these letters
wera sent by Mrs. John SWEET ans
Mis-, Jennie Hollis or that they cause
the letters to be sent. There is another
wom;.n in the case who is now under
arrest in another state but whose name
the authorities have not given out. Sh'
is understood to have been a formel
cmployee of the hotel.--s gsSssy+t s..
Will. the author tiles ere saying very
little about the case. it Is sunderStoo,
that if the case comes to trial, it vii
be alleged that jealousy was at tn
lotion of the attacks on Mr. and Mrs
SWEET. 1t will be a1leged shat JOIN
SWEET lost considerable Of his influenc,
at the hotel after the marriage of hi
brother and that this loss of influence
was attributed to Mrs. Charles s
SWEET. Miss Hollis is believed to hav'
been anEcrpd that she was not invite,
To the wedding reception.
Charles :. SWEET said to reporter
this noon. that he and his wife ha'
been receiving letters for more tn Al
iw" gears and that these letters wer
I'll Il very annoying and scurrilous M
turc He attributed the sending Of tn
letters to jealousy. and said that h
WAS determined to prosecute the mat
i"r i finish.
Mrs. john w. SWEET was Miss Nelii
Pnrkcr, ana before she Was marie,
was employed as a Saleswoman in
large dry goods store on Congress
street.