Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-04
FEMALE SWINDLER
WORKS OLD GAME
TELLS OF BANANA GROVES AND
MAKES TOUCH
PennsyIvanian Meets Siren on Train
and Makes Arrangements for Mar
rlage-Woman Gets Money
and Flees
special to The Herald.

Special to The Herald
SAN BERNARDINO, Dec. at. s.
Warner of Pennsylvania Is in town. He
has confdentially told one or two in
dividuals that he is hunting q wealthy
woman who is said to have a palatiai
mansion, banana groves, and such
wealth that the people OF Barstow all
bow down before them as before
royalty.
A few weeks ago Warner met a
dreamy-eyed maiden in the East who
told him of her wealthy aunt, Mrs,
Amanda Williams, who owned the
whole of the Calico mining district, and
magnificent mansion with lackeyed
servants, etc, in Barstow. This aunt
had sent for her and promised her a
dowry of many millions when she
should marry the man of her choice
and he was her choice. In fact, the
aunt had married a daughter to a Rus
sian nobleman and thrown in $S,000,000
with the daughter, just for good meas
ure.
The dreamy-eyed maiden then sug-
gested that she go ahead and prepare
the way for his coming. The aunt had
failed to send her money for railroad
fare and would he advance It? Ger
tainly She departed for Barstow and
the home of the wealthy aunt.
Warner followed going through to
Los Angeles. never thinking for mo-
ment but what Barstow was wealthy
suburb of the Angel City. There he
learned that Barstow was quite n way
off. 1t was suggested he come to San
Bernardino, perhaps he could learn
more of Barstow there.
At San Bernardino he was still sur
prised that he was nearly days jour-
ney from Barstow and the wealthy
aunt" Also he was surprised that no
one had ever heard of that wealthy
aunt" or the mansion, or the banana
grove.
Warner is now wondering.
Descendant of Yale President Dies
Word has been received here of the
death of DR.. J. Fl. Pierson, for many
years a prominent resident of this val
ley, at his home in Reno, Nevada,
where he went about year ago. His
age was about rs years. He was a
direct descendant of the first president
of Yale, Ambrose Pierson. His medical
education was received in Europe, and
for many years he was employed as
physician by copper mining companies
in the Lake Superior and Arizona dis
tricts. He came to this valley in 1882
and was one of the pioneers in the
orange business, planting a large tract
~ the Mission district southeast of
this city, soon after coming here.
John Ross, who for twelve years was
an inmate of the Blackfoot insane
asylum in Idaho, and who escaped
three months ago, is in the county Jail
here, having been captured at Barstow
by Special Officer Thomas Smithson,
his attention being attracted to the
man by his strange appearance. Busi-
ness cares broke down the mans mind,
and he has most of the time since been
raving maniac. He escaped by work
ing a grating loose from a window.
Since his escape he has subsisted by
picking up bread crusts along the
railroad tracks thrown out of the win
dows by passengers and vegetables
from gardens as he passed them. He
has kept away from the eyes of the
officers as much as possible, to avoid
recapture. He will probably be at
once taken back to the Blackfoot
asylum.