The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-11-18
: MISS WALTHALL
C0NFESSiEs ALL
Admits sl,oplifting and Returns
Goods She Had
Taken.
HAS NICE FELLOW, SHE SAYS
----------- -.
But He Has Kept iii the Dark
During Her Trouble---1das
Been a Mrs
HAS NICE FELLOW, SHE SAYS

Mary walthall the young white woman
charged with wholesale shopliftlng on
Broad Street, was yesterday morning
given fifteen days in jail In two cases Of
petit larceny. She confessed to having
stolen two cloaks, one of the value or
SIG. from Peers-O Owens and Company, and
the other Of the value Of SIT, from Miller
and Rhoads.
The minimum punishment was imposed,
after the woman had agreed TO return
what goods were stolen. Other garments
found in her trunk We're turned over to
representatives from the various broad
street department stores where the wo-
man had practiccd shoplifting There
was over $500 worth of goods found in
hcr trunk. nnd very few Of the articles
could be accounted for.
With the thirty days given the Walthall
woman yesterday morning, she VIII, IN
all have to serve five months IN tho city
Jail, and then, II unable to furnish Sc
curity for twelve months, will be con-
fined for this period III jail. unless JUS
tice Crutcliiield rclents.
On the specific charge Of stealing a
cloak OF the value of S. from the firm
of Peers-Owens and Company, the woman
was sentenced to four months fiat, car
ler in the week. She will have TO serve
this term rnl~5 the Governor interferes.
In Police Court yesterday morning the
woman appeared for the time being with.
out counsel Captain George D. Wise
had represented her in the preliminary
hearing two days before, but was not
engaged for the trial of the two addi-5
tional specific charges of petit larce~S.
Without the slightest show Of embarrass-
mcnt Miss Walthall came from the pen
and faced the court She looked around
for her attorney. and said that II he
didn't come she would ask him to return
what money she had given him to repre-.
sent her in the former case.
Wanted Protection,
And then she asked Justice Crutchfield
If she could be permitted to talk, and
having been granted this privilege, said
that she wanted some protection against
the men who We're going to her home and
taking away all of her valunblcs So.
said that she had a watch in her dresser
and $40 note in the toe of a shoe In
her trunk. She could not find the watch.
and was certain that the shoes were
missing, along with the. ten dollars.
Some practical joker or professional liar
had told the woman that reporter ac-
.companed the police officers to the house
and secured a&pcture of herself. She
wanted to know about this, but was
busy In a minute afterwards with the
details of the case.
At first the matter was continued, hut
later Miss Walthall was taken into a
private room with Officer Wyatt and
representatives of the Broad Street firms,
who had lost by her taking proclivlties,
and here, standing beside herHtrunk, she
took from 1t article after article and
handed them over to the firms from which
they were taken. And then she went
back before Justice John J. Crutchfield
and received the sentence ofSfifteen DAYS
each for the cases
Behind the veil that hides Mary Wal
thall's past from the police Of the city,
there are several mysterious things that
would be interesting at least. were the
light thrown upon them. She claims to
have been bern IN Richmond. But in the
next breath she tells you that she has
lived In Philadelphia for years. Again
she says something about being a can
vasser and the next minute claims that
her profession is dressmakng Occnsion-
ally she has worked in a tobacco fac
tory.
Mrs. or Miss.
And then. with an + Innocent looking
smile playing about the corners Of her
firm mouth she will say: II have an
awfulIy nice fellow This mice" young
thing has not as yet materalized. If he
Is lawfully nice" he has kept an awfully
nice secrecy Nothing has been heard
from him since tho arrest Of the wo-
man
Are you Mrs. or Miss Walthall?" was
the question put TO the young woman
yesterday.
II am Miss Walthall,'' answered thu
young woman very promptly.
And then In n side tone she said: y
have been Mrs But further she
savcth not.
Miss or Mrs. Walthall docs not seen, t
be uneducated. She can scarcely Write
her own name. vet is possessed with Z
re mnrkable degree OF native keenness.
She is a shrewd woman and one whom
the merchants on Broad Street are nfra' {
OF The sooner she leaves R,chmona ttls
better the sproprIetors Of the Broad Stree
7er,rt mont stores will be pleased.