The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-25
WAS CINDERELLA EVERY WEEK
MAGGIE CONNOLLY, GIRL FORGER,
LED 4 DOCBLE LIFE.
Rusty Little shop Girl AT Stcp-tuntS
Princess CharIbng NJ Girl Friends
Lavish gifts Caused M suspicion
IN ASyIum Vow for Easy SteallnSc

forged checks for over 5000, using the name
Of her employers. Belle Therese, the Fifth
avenue nilliners, and cashed them at the
AAtor Bank is in the asylum Of the Sisters
Of St. Dominic whittier she was sent by
Justice Wyatt in the Chidrens Court yes
terday.
Margaret appeared in court for sentence
in the we'll worn short black skirt, brown
coat and three cornered brown hat with
draRgled plumes that she wore when she
was not arrayed in the finery she bought
With the stolen money and kept hidden
away, The girls cheeks were flushed with
excitement and her lips were pressed to-
eether in an effort at composure.
Nov. Maggie said the Justice, show
much money did you get by forging checklist
Il don't know replied the girl
How many checks for $40 were thcre?'
pursued the Justice
-Four or FIVE she replied. Then she said
that she had forged and cashed three or
four $50 checks three or four for s25, 80
many for $40 that she couldn t remember the
exact number and a lot of little IS ones.
The bank has figured out its exact loss
through the girl at seio
And you threw away the lunches you
brought from home and went to restaur-
ants?" asked the Justice.
She said she did
And YOU bought clothes and jewelry
and cologne and things and theatre tickets
for your friends but nobody knew you
were stealing the money!
Nobody knew
why did you do it? Did they beat you
where you lived?"
ives sir
well. I'm sorry-you have no mother
must
MY aunts not the Gilligans- my other
aunts will take care Of me, broke in the
girl and then the tears fell, but only for
minute She left the court room still press
ing her lips together.
The girls assertion that she had no ac-
connplices was verified by the Gerry society's
Investigations made public in court yester-
day The society has found a lot Of the
strir the child bought with her stolen money.
Nobody apparently realized she had not
come. by the property honestly. Her tales
Of big tips from the people to whom she
delivered hats were believed
Her mother died ten years ago and her
father three years ago after marrying
eEain Then the Gillgans, her step
her leave school and go to work. Last
July, when she was laid off by Belle Il
Therese because Of the dull season, the
Gillgans told her not TO go back there
unless she received more than the 81 a
week she had been earning. She did re-
turn in August and she says the Gilligans
scolded so that she made up story that
her salary had been raised TO 81 a week
and that she could gather upFeveral dollars
more by tips.
In order TO get the extra money to make
good on her ib. she began tearing out
blank checks from the back Of the firms
check book, filling them in and cashing
them. Every week she gave the Gilligans
s. and two or three dollars extra
1t was 80 easy to cash the checks that she
began to raise the amounts to buy herself
the fnery her girl heart craved and TO
make presents to her girl friends To all
there she told the same story Of big tips
She gave them trinkets and jewelry and
candy and took them to the theatre. Once
she bought box for s25 and had big
party.
The Gerry agents have unearthed a lot
OF the stuff she bought. In dressmaker's
place near the Gilligans' they found lot
of material she was having made up. She
bought blue serge suit fur hat, patent
leather shoes and lot of fine lace under
wear These things she left with one OF
hor girl friends over in Brooklyn, with
whom she got acquainted while she lived
there after her father married again. She
told the girls family that she didn't want
the Gilligans to know she wasn't turning
over all the money she got to them. The
Brooklyn people sympathized with her.
and so on Sundays She used to go over there
and change from the little rusty-black
skirted shop girl with heavy shoes and
limp ribbons on her pigtails to the fine
lady in furs and laces There was another
Brooklyn girl she met at night school, who
lived near the first one on North Eleventh
street These two envied Maggie aifuence
and paid her homage that was sweet 1t
was like being Cinderella every week
She kept them her loyal admirers by the
presents and ice cream -odas she bestowed
with lavish hand.
She even began TO make presents TO the
Gilligans. Ten dollars out Of the last $40
check she cashed went to them, but they
suspected nothing wrong, they say
Stealing was so easy tina, Maggie began to
take things besides money from the mill
liners. When customers sent Maggie back
with goods that were unsatisfactory she
simply kept them and said nothing about
it. One of her caches was candy store
on Fifth avenue near Belle Il Therese's.
She took packages in there and left them
until abe should call for them. They did
not suspect the little girl who bought
oandy-for somebody else. she said-with
so much money
And then the whole thing went TO smash
A policeman went into the store and ar
rested her While the officers hand was
on her shoulder she quickly slipped her
pooketbook containing sis26 left from
the last check over to Rosie Bauer, the
girl who worked with her in the store.
The way the girl has striven to keep
stiff upper lip since her bubble burst has
won the hearts even Of those who have
worked for her punishment
The Gerry society now finds itself with
lot Of goods on its hands some $500 worth
that it doesn't know what TO do with Some
OF II the Misses Mccain Of the millinery
firm will identify as their property to-
day. The society is going to turn the