The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-27
ABSENT MINDED, NOT A THIEF.
Explanation Of woman Arrested for Having
Some Cheap stockings.

Mrs. Anna II. Ferris was arrested on
Friday evening as she was leaving a Broad
way department store with two pairs OF
unpaid for stockings in her handbag. On
being arrested she Was much agitated, but
denied that she had the stockings. She
pleaded to be allowed to go home.
At the Thirtieth> street police station
her bag vas opened and the stockings
lay right on top. DR.. ]. Milton Mabbott,
a friend, bailed her out. II then appeared
that Mrs. Ferris was a self -supporting
woman, over 40 years old, who has for
three years managed a family apartment
house at IT Fifth avenue and who is con
fded in by all the tenants az a Trustworthy
person. She is accustomed to handle
money, to make frequent pur chases for
the house, to take in rent and to transact
business generally. Friends were puzzled
to imagine how she could have suffered
such a mental lapse as would lead her TO
the offence with which she was charged.
The stockings were two shopworn cotton
pairs that lay en- a bargain counter, marked
at so cents.
Mrs. Ferris when seen yesterday appeared
to be an extremely nervous woman. She
went on Friday afternoon, she says. to the
stote to make a number Of purchases.
First she stopped at the bargain counter
and bought three pairs Of cotton stockings.
While she was obliged to wait for her change
she picked up two cheaper pairs and was
wondering whether she could afford these
besides. At that ome the bell in the
church outside struck 5, Goodness, "
to be put to the tirel' She fastened to
the upper floor to buy groceries. On the
way a woman friend meeting her stopped
and pointed to the stockings that we're
still in her hand.
Mrs. Ferris was scared when she saw
that she was going to return them when
she went back for her change.
You'd better take care some Of those
detectives don't see you" the friend eau
toned her. This new idea made her go
nervous that she clutched the stockings
that there really was a woman following
her at a distance. After making the pur-
chases upstairs she walked down to the
ground floor. But there again vas the
same woman, who had evidently used the
Mrs, Ferris hurried of toward the stock
ing counter She would hand back the
property that she had not bought and get
her change. she thought. They gave her
her change, but. when she wanted to pass
back the stockings she found she was
afraid. For right near by was the same
woman. watching her, who had followed her
about the store. The woman only sus-
peetAd her, but II she showed the stockings
she would be arrested perhaps, and there
would be trouble and a crowd. As she
tucked her change into her satchel she
turned q little and with a frightened jerk
slipped the. terrible stockings in. She wa
sure no one saw her do it.
Then she wanted TO get to the door. Once
outside she would be safe. The woman
would stop following her. She pushed
through the crowd fast, afraid that she was
still Swallowed. At last she reached the
door, with an immense feeling of relief.
Some one tapped her on the shoulder.
She heard some n say, "You are under
When the store people found that Mrs.
Ferris was an old customer to whom they
had been delivering purchases for a long
time past they began to be inclined to &C.
cept her view. Magistrate Breen paroled
her until Thursday, and it is likely that no
viii then appear against her.