Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-12-28
WRONG WOMAN.
A Prominent Member OF
New York Society
Arrested on Charge Of Picking
4 Mans Pocket.
Mistaken For Another Woman ana
Locked In a Cell.

New York, Dec. 27.-Wltn 'ne '
raignment in Il police court 'ouas
Mrs. Alexander Trautman, the WIZ va
Il prominent physician on Il ci''ifs'
larceny, came the final act In one vi
the most deplorabIa cases of mistaken
identity in the city's police hlsl"ry'
Mrs Trautman was arrested in Flfth
avenue on Christmas eve on the COM
plant of Peter j. Hogan, IL Ha''i''a"'
who accused her Of having ropneu Il''''
of S13. Mrs. Trautman proteSteu ''''
innocence but the policeman upon
whom Hogan had called to arrest he'
took her to the station house.
Mrs. Trautman tearfully protesteo
that she was a victim of a terrlple il'i'-
take and gave the sergeant TIE iiaiico
| Of her husband and several lrleiiu'
who she said would SubStantiate heI
story. None Of these could be reached
Immediately by telephone, however
| and Mrs. Trautman was taken to Il
cell where she was forced to spend sew
eral hours in the company Oh Hail d
dozen women who had been arrested
| on various charges. At the END OF tilat
time friends of Mrs. Trautman pro-
tested against the arrest as an outrage
| but We're informed that II would DC
necessary for them to furnish pan pc
| fore she could be given her Iperty.
Bail to the amount Of $1,000 was 1ur-
lnished and Mrs. Trautman was taken
| to her home. When she appeared IN
police court on Christmas morning
Hogan the accuser was there to press
the charge and he said he was certain
he could not have been mistaken in the
identity of the woman. who robbed
! him. The magistrate was obliged to
Ihold the prisoner for further eXamlna-
ltion today.
| In the meantime the police
prosecuted a searching inquiry into the
case AS result they learned
THAT last Sunday evening Hogan APP
pcaled to the secretary of the Young
Mems Christian Association in West
I'D street to assist him in a search for
$13 which he aid he was sure was lost
in the library of the association build
ling. This was the night following the
Saturday when Hogan declared he was
robbed in the dark hallway A woman
Iwcll known in the TenderlOin and who
is said to bear Il striking resemblance
to Mrs. Trautman. was taken into GUS
tody today just before Mrs. Trautman
was to be arraigncd.
The case has attracted particularly
wide attention, not only on account of
the high social standing of the Traut-
mans iii this city and in the South
whence Mrs. Trautman came. but be-
cause Of IL realization of the danger to
which any innocent woman may be
subjected.
| Mrs. Trautman's double who was ar
frosted today is we'll known to the po-
lice. Her name is Kitty Watson. but
she has 4 number of aliases and has Il
Ipolicc record.
Kitty Watson is about 81 years old
She was arrested on Information Civ
en-, it is said, by several women pick
pockets who We're caught last night
in the Tcndorloin. Fairly in the day
she was taken to the jefferson Market
court to be present when The case
IagainSt Mrs. Trautman was called
Even at that hour. the police courI
room was filled and hundreds OF rcr-
IsonS Wcr" unable to gain admittance
| Hogan, the accuScr. came in early, ac-
companind by his counsel. ami 20 min
uteS later Mrs. Trautman. accompanied
hy her husband. entered the court
They went directly to the court room
to await the opening Of the hearing.
Mrs. Trautman was honorably dis.
charged, and Hogan. her accuscr, wa.
arrested. charged with assault pre-
fcrred by Mrs. Trautman.
| Mrs. Trautman was arraigned ir
| Magistrate Firms private chambers
Peter J. Hogan. the complainant, ties
tilted that he met Mrs. Trautman or
Fifth avenue between IL and L. O'Clock
Saturday night and that she accosted
him. He tried to leave her whereupon
he said. she said to him, There is nc
harm in talking in this doorway" They
stepped into the doorway and. Hogan
said. while they were there. the woln-
an become very aftcCtionatc and he
, felt her hand in his pocket twice. II,
then found that his purse was hail
way out of his trousers pocket. He
declared that the woman walked two
blocks with him before he could get
rid of her. Thinking that his money
was safe. he said, he did not look ir
his purse until Sunday night. He dis.
played his purse 10 the magistrate an
showed that in order To remove the
; money it would be necessary to UNFOLD
three folds and then unfaStnn a snal
fastener. Hogan said this must hav,
: been done while the purse was still il
his pocket.
Magistrate Finn declared that this wa
| the most absurd thing that he had eve
heard Of adding: ''If there is airy pick
pocket in court who can do this | ,woult
like to see it tried and | would let hin
go"
Mr. IIogan's counsel declared that Ho
, | gan was not being treated fairly ant
took exceptions to the magistrates ques
| tons.
. Continuing his testimony. Hogan sail
| that he told the secretary of the Yves
Side Y. NJ. c. a. of his loss. and that h
might have lost it in the library of tn
y. NJ. c. A. But he declared that he di
not believe that he did so, but cid no
| want to tell the full story to the score
: tary. He identified Mrs Trautman a
| the woman who had robbed him and de
t clared positively that he recognized he