Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-12
PLANNED BY A CROOK
"Mistaken Identity" Covers
Sundry Prosecutions.
WHAT HAPPENED ON TRAIN
Wife Of Prominent Merchant Subject
ed to Annoyance.
ALLEGATION OF INSANITY
Porter, Conductor and Passenger
BluRed"-Husband Appeared on
Scene Just in Time.
ALLEGATION OF INSANITY

1.-THE excuse Of mistaken identity to
cover various and sundry prosecutions by
prominent, reputable and thoroughly hon
est persons presents one defect in the
American law that subjects men and wom-
en- and particularly women. to considerable
danger and facilitates the plans Of schem-
ing crooks" a Washingtonian said to a
Star reporter last evening.
1.-THE circumstances attending the arrest
Of Mrs Trautman in New York on Christ
mas eve are painful from whatever point Of
view they are regarded. The case is one
Of many, and Is significant.
"a woman of refinement and social posi-
ton, the wife OF q physician Of high pro-
fessional standing, Is pointed out in the
street as guilty of form Of offense and an
act Of theft commonly associated with a
low type Of womanhood. She Is exposed to
the curious inspection of crowd, dragged
by a policeman to the station house and
subjected to the further iniignity Of con-
fnement for hours in a cell while waiting
for bail. And this notwithstanding album
dant circumstantial evidence of her good
repute and on the unsupported accusation
OF a man unknown to the police and liable,
In spite of his positive estimony, to a mis-
take of identification by no means infre-
Quent.
Remarkable Experience.
"But going up to New York day before
yesterday l had experience that was
quite remarkable, and illustrates my point
more fully. At Philadelphia lady Of re-
fnement decidedly we'll dressed who
afterward learned was the wife of a promi-
nent Philadelphia merchant boarded tho
train, walked into the Pullman car anw took
a seat just ahead Of me. Behind her came
a man, serious faced, also we'll dressed,
who took his seat in the same car. directly
opposite the lady. I thought nothing Of it
at the time. The conductor came through
and collected the fares the lady Offering
her ticket and the gentleman his.
Having finished reading the morning pa
pers, l was contenting myself with a gen.
eral survey Of the car and its occupants
and noticed that the man who entered the
car at Philadelphia was seated SO that he
could look directly across the aisle, and
was watching the lady in the opposite seat
In very persistent and annoying manner.
The lady became nervous, moved about,
picking up book and putting it down,
picking up newspaper and putting that
down, and in every way evfdencing her dis
comfort. This thing kept up for half an
until finally the man deliberately crossed
the aisle and sat in the same seat with the
lady. facing her. I had observed all Of this
with feeling Of resentment, and yet It was
one of those matters with which the out
slider has very little to do, at least until
complaint Is made or assistance requested.
But the last move on the part Of this Sc
rious-faced man was entirely too much for
the lady in front Of me. She called the
porter.
Appeal to Porter.
Porter she said, will you kindly re-
quest this gentlman to attend to his own
business and be seated somewhere else?
He has been annoying me ever since the
train left PHILADELPHIA
fhn
little beyond his prerogative and hustled
off down the aisle for the Pullman con-
ductor. Upon his arrival on the scene the
lady renewed her complaint. when I was
very much surprised to hear the following
instructions issue from the offending gem
tleman.
Conductor he said. I appreciate your
difficult position. This lady is my wife and
because of a slight mental arrangement I
taking her to a sanitarium in New
York. One of her Authorizations Is that she
Is the wife Of some prominent Philadel-
phia merchant. SO you will please disre-
gard anything she may say and 1 will see
that she is safely conveyed to New York
Exclamation of Horror
There was a little exclamation Of hor-
ror from the woman. She denounced the
statement Of the man as a deliberate and
malicious falsehood and. reaching nervously
In her card case. produced a card.
" This she said handing to the con-
ductor. is my name. don't know whether
you know my husband or know of him,
but what this man says is not so and l am
going to New York to meet my husband
there. where he has been for several days
on business The conductor held the card,
turned inquiringly to the man. who proved
thoroughly equal to the occasion.
" oh; l know, 1 know, he said, 1t Is
another of her peculiar actions. She
imagines one day that she is the wife of
John Wanamaker. Immediately goes down
town to stationer's and has cards en-
graved Mrs. John Wanamaker." Next
day next week she imagines that she Is
the wife Of some other prominent person
and has more cards printed, SO you see
that she is thoroughly irresponsible. Here
is my card concluded the gentleman, this
lady is my wife and you will please attend
to your own business
Too Deep for Conductor.
1.-THE conductor did 1t was a case a
little too deep for him and he went off
to the end seat in the car looked out Of
the window and thought it over The Dor
ter was very busily engaged In the per-
Torrance of some of his duties and the
man in question continued the perusal of
a morning paper and the woman sat there
looking blankly out of the car, plainly
nervous and disconnected. and yet thor
oughly at a loss to know what to do The
out his part of the program to a dot He
merely remained in the vicinity of his al
legged wife. 1 sat lust behind them pom
dering myself over the peculiar circum-
stances, when the lady rang the bell again
and asked for the Pullman conductor.
g VIII you please telegraph to the next
station for policeman and have this man
arrested she implored.
But the conductor was plainly not eqal
to the situation. He began to stammer
and stutter and fumbled with his words un-
til the lady. by this time in a highly
nervous condition. jumped up, stepped into
the aisle and turned to me-
Persistently Insulted.
rs it possible she said, that an Ameri-
can woman, the wife of prominent mer-
chant in one Of It's biggest cities, cannot
travel unaccompanied upon one of the
greatest railroads In the United States
without being persistently insuNed?
II must confess that I sympathized at
that moment with the Pullman conductor
I Immediately assured the lady in the kind
est manner that she was correct that there
was no reason why any lady, particularly
one travelling In Pullman car should not
be protected from any and all insults that
might be offered from any one.
Well she continued, will you be so
good as to telegraph to the next station
and have this man arrested?
to IL 49,