Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-28
TRAMPS FOUR DAYS
TO FIND HER HAT
THEN SEES II ON ANOTHER
W0MAN'S HEAD
Waitress Had Saved for Weeks to Get
So to Buy Finery She Loved, and
She Is Mad When She
Receivers Ii
Special to The Herald.

special to The Herald.
ST. LOUIS, Dec. 27.-Miss Ella Woot-
ten of 1414 Washington avenue tramped
the streets of st. Louis four days in
search of a hat which she had saved
her scant earnings for weeks to buy.
She saw the hat on the head of an
other woman. She claimed 1t and had
the other woman arrested.
II would have known my hat in a
Million" says she. There may be
others like it, but once 1 have had
anything on l can recognize it wher-
ever it is.''
Miss Wooten is a waitress. Her pay
is small and she lives in a little second
floor front hall room.
THAT hat was a beautiful thing"
said she to a Post-Dispatch reporter
Friday. Then she added with empha-
sis, sit cost $S
81 saved for three weeks to buy that
hat" said Miss Wooten. II used to go
to the store twice day and look at
it in the window. 1 was afraid all the
time that somebody richer than 1 was
would buy it before 1 had enough
saved up.
Wore 1t Only Three Times I
81 got it at last and 1 had only worn
1t three times when it was stolen.
pie who have lots of clothes and pretty
things, but with me, once I've had a
thing on it seems to be a part of me.
] would have walked and walked all
over town to find that hat.
You ought to see it. It's beauty.
Il is black felt, French sailor shape.
On the front there is a big changeable
pink silk ribbon. Under the brim there
is a dandy big pink rose and on the
left side, on top, there are two black
plumes, real ostrich plumes. Maybe
you don't know about those things,
but you can imagine what a hat cost
Sc would be like.
Il just had to skimp and skimp to
get it. After 1 had paid my room
rent and bought the hat l didn't have
anything left, and 1 couldn't even go
out with it because 1 didn't have any
money for carfare.
After 1 got my next pay wore it..
Last Friday night 1 went to Havlin's.
1 thought sure I would have chance
to wear it to the show, but it was a
bad night and I had to wear my old
one.
when I came home, about 1O3O, my
room was all torn to pieces. Most of
my clothes had been taken and my
pretty hat was gone. 1 just gave up
my job and started out to look for the
hat.
II found it all right Tuesday night.
1 was passing the Manhattan restau-
rant at 1918 Olive street and L saw a
woman in there at one of the tables.
She had on my hat.
IT walked right in and said to her:
Come out here, want to talk to- you.
Two men and another woman were
with her. She came to the door and
/ said, You've got my hat
"She said she had bought the hat
downtown, but 1 told her that was too
thin. 1 knew my hat when L saw it.
She and her friends left the restaurant
and tried to give me the slip, but
followed them and asked man that I
met to get a policeman.
"They went around the block and
kept close to them, watching my hat all
the time.
when they got to Sixteenth and
Pine streets a policeman came UP and
arrested them"
In connection with the robbing of
Miss Wooten's room the police are
holding Charles McDermott and Harry
Green, both of whom live at 1926 Olive
street. In their room were found other
articles Of wearing apparel, which We're
identified by Miss Wooten as her prop
erty. Sylvia Johnson of 1912 Walnut
street, the woman who wore the hat, is
also detained.