Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-14

crimes was committed at the expense of a
wealthy New Yorker, Frederick BONNET,
in 1885. With the help of her husband,
who was also a criminal, she persuaded
him that a mythical uncle had left her
$4,000. The money was on deposit in the
United States treasury, and would soon be
paid over to her, as the Supreme Court had
decided a probate contest in her favor. But
she needed money for lawyers fees, and to
pay for visit to Washington to draw Ter
legacy.
What security?" Mr.. BONNET asked.
oh we shall be able to pay in a few
days, and we will give you a house and
lot, besides, to recompense you for your
kindness" said Mary. Look at these doc
uments about the case!' And she showed
him several, which she had concocted
Mr. BONNET handed over $2,316. Suisse
quently he became frightened and told the
police. While he was talking to the SER
geant at the desk a woman entered the
station and complained that she had been
swtndled out of $500 by the same person
in exactly the same manner.
Mary was arrested and brought to trial,
but she was discharged on the ground that
the money was loaned, and the prosecution
had not shown that her story was false
But she was Immediately rearrested on
charges Of committing other swindles. Peo-
had obtained large sums from them by
that the sheriff Of Philadel-
phia'' held $1,000 for her, and that she
wanted to go to Philadelphia and get the
money She had defrauded others by stat
Ing that she owned a number OF houses in
iladelphia and the deeds were in the
safe Of a well-known lawyer there. In yet
another case she got money by pretending
that her husband had legacy OF siSo,2oo
left to him at Harrisburg, Pa, and that
she had just received a telegram-which Sle
exh!b!ted-to come and get the money.
Victims by the Score.
1t developed that Mary had defrauded
over thirty people by her false representa-
lions within a few weeks. and had received
over $4,000. The amount was small In
with Mrs. Chadwick's alleged
operations, but all financial operations,
honest or dishonest, were smaller then than
they are now.
The remarkable feature of the case was
that Mary managed to escape penal servi.
tude She was committed to deptors
jail on a Judgment in civil case brought
by one of her victims, put she soo ous ~ ~,
a month or two. Then she was arrested on
an old charge. but the grand jury refused
to indict her because her husband and ac-
complete had already served nVe years III
prison for it. ,, ia
committed some big frauds of the same
character In 1876 she swindled a NUMBER
of supposedly hard-headed pollucIans, IN
Jersey City by representing that Cardilai
McC,loskey held half million dollars In
trust for her When she was tired LOT
that offense the cardinal deposed that ne
knew nothing about her
The woman went to jail, but three years
later she was arrested for swindling no
fewer than twenty big firms in the wool
business out of sums aggregating more thah
So. COO. Like Mrs. Chadwick she chose 1or
her prey business people who might be sup
posed to have their wits about them, and
She always told story about large sums OF
money being held in trust for her.
Mary Hansen died a few years ago. after
being at large for a long time. she may
have perpetrated other swindles, but 1t IS
generally believed that she lived quietly
and comfortably on the fortune she had
sailed away.
Lena Kleinschmidt.
Mrs. Chadwick's life as a society leader
in Cleveland recalls the brief glory of Lena
Kleinschmidt, alias BLACK Lena a no
torious shoplifter, pickpocket and swindler
who was sent to Jail in the late seventies
under most dramatic circumstances.
Having made a lot of money at her
crooked trade, she decided to shake off her
old associates and pose as a society Wo
man. She disappeared from New YORK, and
for a long time the police heard nothing OF
her.
But she had only moved over to Hacken-
sack. N j. where she built a splendid
house and furnished it in the most luxur-
ious STYLE Costly pictures, statuary and
marble fountains were to be seen on every
hand by her astonished callers. Her coach
was the most magnificent vehicle the
guileless Jerseymen had ever seen; even
the horses harness was mounted In gold.
Naturally, BLACK Lena began to cut
quite an extensive swath in local society
Some people said she was a wealthy cuban
widow; others that her late husband had
been "forty-niner," who struck 1t rich;
and yet others that she had won Dig
prize in lottery.
But BLACK Lena" had a more artistic
story than any of these. She got hold of
the biggest gossip in the place and whis-
pered:
.Don't tell anybody, my dear, but 1 am
the grandchild of a. German East Indian
merchant who amassed a colossal fortune
in the spice trade. Poor grandpa! He died
of yellow fever, and left me all his i'm
mense wealth. don't know what to do
with it,
When this news spread Mrs. Klein
schmidt became more popular than ever,
and her balls and parties were largely at
tended. The leading men of the town We're
her intimates, but the best of the women
fought rather shy of her.
The manner of BLACK Lena's" exposure
sounds like chapter from dime novel,
but its truth is vouched for by Philip Far
her.
She had fascinated a certain young mar
ried man by her dashing style and good
looks, and presently his wife got TO know
about it, Stung by jealousy. she dressed
herself in male attire and watched Mrs.
Kleinschmidt's house at dusk.
To her amazement she saw that her hus-
band was watching it also. Night after
night they watched. he being ignorant that
she was hidden near by him.
They both found out that at dusk it was
Mrs. Kleinschmidt's habit secretly to leave
the house, unless she was giving. or going
to give, party; and that she went to New
York
The husband followed her one night and
found that she went to house In New
York belonging to woman who was APP
parently a friend of hers. His wife fol-
lowed behind him and noted the same fact
Next day the wife told the husband that
she was going to New York. Accompanied
by an old school mate, she Swallowed the
house to which Mrs. Kleinschmidt had
gone, and presently saw her emerge in dis
Suise. They followed her to Broadway
and saw her pick a womans pocket and
steal some valuable laces from q store.
i Story Of Her Downfall.
The extravagances of the Queen of Hack
ensaclS had reduced her fortune. She had
been obliged to return to her old ways of
making money.
s The amateur detectives went to police