Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-01-09
FORMER SOCIETY BELL ENDS A
CAREER OF FRAUD.
Had Realized Money on Worthless
Paper for Eighteen Years-Moth
er Spent Fortune to Keep Her
Daughter Out of Jail.

"A QduSuI6F Oh al OLD, W0dIUny anu
respectable family, the wife of man
who has held government positions OF
responsibility, the niece of the Episco-
pal bishop of North Carolina, Mrs.
| Mary e. Langdon, faced twelve good
men and true in the circuit court at
| st. Louis and confessed that she had
for eighteen years been a forger in
the eyes of the law. -.
In that period OF time this woman
has victimized persons in all parts of
the country. She has seemed ITO de-
light in choosing shreWu business men
gaining their acquaintance and vic
timizing them of large sums and leav-
ing the debts to be paid by her mother
Mrs. Langdon was born in Quincy
ILL.,, in 1861. Her parents were we'll
TODD and she received every advan-
tage of education which she could de-
sire. When she was % years old she
married Addison L. Langdon, who
was in the newspaper business in
Quincy. He was five years older
than his wifeis mother. He was a
WidoWer whose first wife had been an
intimate friend of Mrs. Langdon's
mother, Mrs. Hoffman.
Between the birth and marriage Of
Mary Hoffman Langdon her father
died and her mother had married Cap
tain Blakeslee.
This twice widowed woman was the
only relative or friend who appeared
for her daughter when she was
brought to trial
Mrs. Langdon was placed in the
city Jail at the four courts ON the
twentieth anniversary of her wedding.
When she was married Quincy society
people spoke off the difference i'm the
ages of the bride and groom and men
toned that while he was poor man.
her mother was wealthy.
Two years after the wedding
daughter Genevieve was born. Before
her birth her mother had forged
checks and uttered worthless checks
for a large amount. ALI were made
good by her mother.
In all the testimony adduced at the
trial of Mrs Langdon the loyalty of
the mother to the erring daughter
was the salient feature. Next to
this appeared to be the action of Ad-
Olson L. Langdon.
BY the statements of Mrs. Blake
slee, she has spent $4,000 in cover
ing the deficiencies of her daughter in
the last eighteen years. When Mrs.
Langdon first developed her craze for
forgery Mrs Blakeslee was consider
ed a wealthy woman. In keeping her
daughter from the courts her property
has dwindled away piece by piece.
After her ready money was ex-
hausted she began mortgaging real esL
tate until finally five years ago she
came to the home in which she lived.
She mortgaged it to prevent prosecu-
ton on forged. check and a year
later was forced to place a second
mortgage upon it. When it was
gone she came to ST. Louis to be with
her daughter, who was interested in
several worlds fair concessions, ac-
cording to her letters.
The wonderfully convincing ability
of Mrs Langdon when she attempted
to secure money that was not her own
is shown by her st. Louis transactions
She went to Cevedra D. Blake at the
Sligo iron store and in fifteen min
utes' conversation induced him to
lend her $50 to her on her unsecured
note. This note was ito fall due a
few days later and on this date she
called as she had agreed to do. In
stead of paying the note she secured
the loan of another $50 and gave as
security her note for 800, tearing UP
the first note.
She showed her remarkable ability
when the second note fell due. In
stead of paying it she got 5000 more.
To secure Blake for this she gave
a check for $500, signed with the
name Herbert G. Mccall, administers
tor Hattie Mccall Travis estate"
This check was pronounced a forgery
II appeared from the testimony that
Mrs. Langdon told Blake that the
check was not good, but said that it
would be the following Monday. That
was in June. Blake attempted to
cash the check, but found that it was
worthless. He gave it to a lawyer to
collect. Again Mrs. Langdons moth
err came to the rescue and did all in
her power to save her daughter from
prison.
Although the check had been paid
in full, the prosecution is brough on
this alleged forgery.
Regardless of the fact that Mrs
Blakeslee was practically ruined by
this time, July of this year, Mrs.
Langdon continued in the same
course.
From William Lambley she rented
a. house ON Won Versen avenue at a
rental of $40 per month. To this
house she took her mother, her hus-
band and her three daughters.
When two months rent was due