Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-12-27
HOLD WRONG WOMAN
Mrs. Trautman's Accuser In-
 sane or Mistaken.
WOMAN HAS DOUBLE, POLICE SAY.
New York Physician's Wife Arrested sn Street and Put In Cell on Charge of Theft Is Innocent, Says
 Y. M. 0. A Secretary.


 NEW YORK, Dec. 27.-The charges of sordid theft against Mrs. Jeanne Trautman, wife of Dr. Alexander Trautman, a well known surgeon of 369 Lexington avenue, were exploded when the story told by Peter ]. Hogan her accuser, was natly contradlcted out of his own mouth, according to a new witness in the case.
 This witness is M. w. Ludden, secre- tary of the west side branch of the Young Mems Christian association. He declared that Hogan had been to the Y. M. c. A., of which he is member, last Sunday night, the day after he said he had been robbed by Mrs. Traut- man, and stated he had lost his money in the association library that same evening.
 4 Ut was Sunday night at 1O:30 o'clock that this man Hogan came up to the desk of my office here,' said MT. Lud- den. He placed the tips of his fin gers on the edge of the desk, rocked a little on his toes and. leaning over to- ward me, said in whisper:
 "Tve lost some SIS or $14-in the library upstairs. I was up there writing tonight, and would like some one to go up there with me and look for the money.
 ''The man seemed bit queer, but I knew he was member of the associa- ton and so I told him that the library had been locked up, but if he was sure he lost it in the library I would send the night watchman up with him to look for it.
 "'Yes, I'm sure I lost 1t there,' said Hogan.
 "So I sent for the night watchman, Frederick Spring, and with the latter Hogan went up to the library and searched for some time. Then he came down. saying he had not found his money. I told him that would make note of his loss and put it up on the bulletin board.
 "'How much was ity asked him.
 ".'Fourteen or fifteen dollars he an- swered. I didn't notice the discrepancy of his first and second statement as to the amount until afterward.
 "Of course afterward had an idea that the Hogan mentioned in the news papers in connection with the Traut- man case might be our Hogan, but was not sure. I think now he is bit queer.
 . 'I realize fully the importance of this incident, and am fully prepared to tell this in court under oath If neces- sary. It looks as if thoroughly re- spectacle woman had been subjected to the grossest indlgnity, and would be only too glad to help her."
 Hogan is a regular member of the Young Mems Christian association in good standing.
 Mrs. Trautman will go the limit not only to prove that she is innocent of the charge of being woman of the streets and common thief, preferred against her by Hogan, but declares that she will make such an example of her accuser that innocent and respect able women can walk the streets in safety In future. She said:
 Respectable women walking along the streets of New York have abso- lutely no protection from arrest and subsequent humiliation in cases of this kind, provided the police accept the word of irresponsible persons, as they did in my case"
 Hogan's story as told in the police court was that he had been robbed in a hallway in Fifth avenue by Mrs. Trautman, whom he had met on the street.
 Another factor In the unique case of Mrs. Trautman is supplied by Police Captain Schlottman. who said:
 We think that Mrs. Trautman has a double among the women who infest this part of the city. In fact. feel so confident that in this may lie the ex- planation for the whole matter that I am now making a thorough search for such woman. ''I believe that she exists, but I fear that she has fed from town since Mrs. arrest"