The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-12-08
SPENDS NIGHT UNDER GUARD.

raise money By means Of notes. signed
by Weil-knOWn business men and backed
up with peculiar yarns Of sisters
ilIegitimate children. big settlements
made upon her by their prominent but
backward fathers and fortunes that
were coming TO her almost any day
now"
This is the story Of Madam de We're.
convicted forger and swindler
In March, 1880, Lydia de we're was in
dicted in Lucas county. Toledo Ohio,
Tor forgery on Two counts. An alleged
and admitted, though unintentional, ae-
cOmpIice was Joseph Lamb. a we'll
daily handled thousands OF dollars fer
his company, and he was honest 10 the
penny.
Mrs Chadwick 3 admitted dupes were
equally prominent and respected in their
communities They were nlnty and
scrupulOus bankers.
AccOmplice Reveals Plot.
Mrs de Veres system was as follows.
quoting from the decision in the case
handed down by the circuit court:
Joseph Lamb Ohe accOmplice) testi-
fed that the defendant represented 10
him that her name was Florida e..
Blythe; that she lived in Cleveland. and
that she owned the Argyle block and
other property there, that she had GER
tain dealings with Richard Brown. OF
Youngstown, who also did business ia
Cleveland. and was a member OF the
! firm OF Cleveland, Brown a. Co.
Lamb testified that Madam de were
had represented 60 him that Brown uat
/ given her his signature on certain olitn1
promiss0ry notes which she PRODUCES
! before Lamb She said that brown hao
| authorized her 10 MI mp the Dody oI ne
notes so as 90 make them the pfeIiils-
, sorry notes from him, Brown
.r.sH. naH# W.
! at the request of Lydia de we're ana ~
/ her presence, filled cut the notes. poh
I its being thus made up Madah qe 81
took one of them. wrote on the pitcA uL
/ - the name Florida L. Blythe and gave
! il 10 LAMB to negotiate ms ne oulillt9
/ he did at her request, pa4ih6 nee 80
( proceeds IL is this particular hote 49, 49,
! was pleaded iu JAe lndleLlilelil "s-''ii-'
! Madam dc we're
She Impe1sOnated Another.
There was n genuine Florida c.
,7I,tba of Cleveland. and she did oWn
tb, Argyle block and other property ia
cleveland But Mrs Blythe tesuhsi
against Madam De We're, alias tloflo-'
- Plvrbe" and swore that she had not
Endorsed The paper that caused tl-e
! trcuhle In other wards, tHG ulu~-' sc
monJ was forged oy - oia "S ~ No
I Ffrhard Brown. whose l'tl4y el'S H
,,,,1 Tad used and flashed on the easy .
Eoinfs bat honest Lamp. was ai7u W.
77ees aa4inst tine defendant Her repit-
s-s--r.fi1-s reesrdInE Brown 8 Wealtit
lad business connections were t-1e, nlL-
ftr1Ugr rrpudiatrd the blank pFonl5sp-
-,,re bu-ire-s He had never iutFlsl-- 4
her with his name in aly way h,t.s
iey.r seen her until her arrest. ana
knew nothing of the TRANSACTIONS Save
lbat she had forged his name To many
thoIsapd dollars worth OF notes
'.'restiTlouV Was also ouered In i.-i
cls-.' continues the court. after the
state had shown evidence thal as tae
T,.suIt of this forgery and the utter
ing OF this and other notes The deIen-
aaut had received large sum ol
money. that at this time the defen-
daut was in tud-gcnI cIrcunsl dhces
tIat sSe was paying nigh rates Of inter-
est and was financially distressed
4 $4,000 Note.
/ feature gf .hc ease was u S2Gl