The Washington times., 1905-06-02
YOUNG BARONESS
MUST FACE TRIAL
Beach Refused to Nolle
Pros the Case.
MISTAKE THEORY SCORED
Captain Boardman Points Out Alleged
Discrepancies in Fair Prisoners
Explanations.
MISTAKE THEORY SCORED

1.-THE Alice Niessen, or Baroness De-
witz-Salrno, case Will come to trial with
IN the next two weeks.
With this declaration Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Bingham Put. aside finally
the hope expressed by many people wi1o
have taken an interest in the affair, that
the young woman aoW fncarcerated IN
the District jail, charged with stealing
various articles of clothing from Mrs.
William a. Slater, OF 1731 / street north
west. will be released without trial.
II have been over the matter on two
different occasions with Mr. Beach.
continued Captain Bingham, land 1t is
his decision that the charge cannot now
be nolle pressed and the woman re-
leased. OF course, she can be released
on bond, pending trial, If bond is fur
nished. but no one yet has expressed a
willingness TO become surety for the
Baroness Dewitz's appearance at the
proper time
| TO be completed during the present
term of court the case must be started
before the end of June, ana as planned
by the District Attorney s office this viii
be done.
I'VE win take it up as soon as we can
get q court, sdiG Captain Bingham,
sand that will be soon after the termina-
ton of the Postotfice conspiracy cases
now on trial.
! Not Optimistic About Innocence.
Among the officials at Police Head
| quarters such rosy optimism as to the
| innocence of the baroness is felt as that
| expressed to The Times by the accused
woman on several occasions.
| 1--WE were as anxious to see her freed
as were the woman herself and her
| friends" said Captain Boardman, but
| since she has adopted the attitude that
the theft of the articles from Mrs.
| Slater was a mistake, we are compelled
! to look at the matter from the cold hght
| OF the evidence in hand.
| "In the first place continued Captain
| Boardman. she has talked entirely toe
| much. If she is really a baroness, as
she claims, and as innocent as shC
| wants to appear, she would shun rather
than court notoriety. / believe she Is
A woman Of public life-Say asclrcuS per-
| former or an actress. In none of heI
| published interviews have noticed tha'
She mentioned the 'carryaH, IN Whicf
the stolen articles @ere ..o3a carried d%af Esoi
time she apparently mas sought to make
It appear that the few articles were
thrown IN Il hurry into dress-suit case
which she. borrowed IroIn MISS but. ~
the housekeeper and later returned
The suit case was returned all right
but we happen to know absolutely ina
| the stolen articles were all packed int
| q stolen GdEISSii anu ts1sASAA ~ oHSSAAS
down the back stairs. The carryali
which holds as much as four suit cases
was found In the room in New YORK
where Mrs. Slater's POSSESSIONS wer'
| recovered"
Her Reasoning Preposterous.
To further emphasize his point, Cap
tain Boardman sent for the propert.
return list on which the articles takei
from the baroness were entered. and
pointing to the whole. said;
rs it likely that the woman coult
have taken sixteen pairs of stockings b,
mistake, or carried away new suits o
underwear, never worn, without know
: ing it. or all this pile OF laces withou
realizing that they did not belong L
her? / think such reasoning Is .prepos
, ferrous. and / further believe that tn
Baroness DEWITT -SaImo. or Alice Mes
sen. has so injured what chances o
regaining her freedom she had that sh
viii suffer severely when the case come
to trial"
Captain Boardman declared that tn
woman did not set the mistake de
Tense until after she was taken 10 jail.