New-York tribune., 1907-10-11
MRS. CHADWICK'S LIFE
Daughter of Poor Canadian Farmer
Rich Men Her Victims.

The career of Mrs Cassie NJ Chadwick was one
of the extraordinary in the history of recent
criminology, resembling somewhat in it's later de-
velopments that of Nine. Humbert, the remarkable
French confidence operator. and surprising il in
the variety OF experiences that marked her earlier
life
The past OF such a woman would naturally be
shroUded by her in dense cloud of mystery
she could contrive to throw about It, and
few OF the facts Of 1t brought to light in her
trial in 1906 So far be discovered from the
statements OF those who knew her or were related
to her. Mrs. Chadwck's history follows:
Her originally Elizabeth Bigley. She
was the daughter OF poor Canadian farmer liv-
ing at Eastwood Ontario. where she born IN
1851. She first came into notice through peculiar
actions, when she was about twenty-One years old
Going TO barber shop in Brantford. Ont. she had
her hair cut short. asked for ae false mustache
and tried to borrow money on gold watch. Her
father was sent for and he took her home.
Soon after she began TO represent herself
person OF wealth her visiting cards bearing the
legend. Miss Blgley. heiress 70 $4,000" On the
strength of this statement she succeeded in making
several expensive purchases. principally by notes
which she failed 10 meet and OF which pur
porting 10 he signed by a we'll known citizen Of
Brantford proved to be a forgery. She was tried
at the Asszes in 1879. but was acquitted on the
ground OF insanity.
Immediately after her release she disappeared
from Eastwood and next heard OF I'm Cleveland
where she posed Mrs Lydia Bigley. and 'appar-
emily lived upon the money she able to borrow
In 1882 She married to DR.. Wallace :. Spring
seen. of that city. and tho following year It was
currently reported that she was dead and buried
She recognized however. within few
months by former acquantances In Nine. La Rose
who had lately started in business in Cleveland as
a clairvoyant. DR. Springsteen divorced her in 1883
and in 1851 she married 10 John r Scott.
farmer. OF Trumbull County. Ohio. Two years later
she was again in Cleveland az Mrs. Lydia d. Scott
Mime. Lydia De We're" however. appealed TO her as
more euphonious designation. and she adopted IT,
and such became notorious a clairvoyant
fortune teller. hypnotist and swlnder OF men who
pat themselves in her power. II was during this
period that her Emil born
In 1880 she appeared at Woodstock. Ontario.
which is about Ave miles from Eastwood. where
she had formerly been we'll known. She seemed
to be IN prosperous circumstances and spoke OF
building a house and settling there. Her pros
perity was real enough, for she was then in pos
session OF the proceeds Of a $4,000 forgery
mittcd in Toledo For this she was arrested, tried
convicted and in 1880 sent to the penltentiary for
ten years. The house in Woodstock was never
built.
Released parole after serving three years and
n half Elizabeth Bglcy Springsteen Scott De Vers
returned 10 Cleveland. and avoided unpleasant
recognition and unkind remarks by the simple cx-
pedent Of borrowing the name Of Mrs c. L.
Hoover. a with whom she had boarded in
1856. She took her little boy live with her and
ile was thereafter knOWn as Emil Hoover. THIS
in 1894.
AS Mrs. Hoover she was married 10 Dr. lie Roy
s. Chadwick. Of Cleveland. IN 1897. DR. Chad
wick had a comfortable practice, but his income
did not AFFORD HIS vile the means to crafty her
eXtravagant tastes and she soon began to resume
her former shady financial operations For one
thing. it had always been part Of her game 10
pose as woman II wealth and there IS no rea-
son % believe that her husband was not deceived
in that particular rs he in others.
She started what might be called an endless
chain Of borrowing. repaying one loan with the
proceeds OF another and larger one thus endeavor-
ing sustain her credit while obtaining an income
10 support her expensive style OF living She ex-
hibited great shrewdness and much daring in this
progressive game Of 'begGar my nelghbor" but
necessarily her demands in time became so great
as to make her playing OF IT exceedingly difcul,
and dangerous.
Mrs Chadwick needed "securities'' for her loans
and these she manufactured They consisted OF
promissory notes and deed OF trust, all signed
Andrew Carnegie" 70 a pretended value OF
sl4OOCOoO. Part OF these deposited unseen by
him with Iri Reynolds OF Cleveland and by him
placed I'm the vaults OF tho Wade Banking Com
pany Of that city. Reynolds gave Mrs. Chadwick
p receipt for them. which she succeeded in bor-
rowing as nearly can be learned about 81 5000
from banks and capitalists. AS additional security
she gave to the Citizens National Bank OF Oberlin
Ohio. in 1903, checks, also sigEed Andrew Carne-
gle" which were not 10 be deposited and obtained
in all $4,000 from that institution She told her
dupes. in strictest confidence that she was
daughter OF Mr.. Carnegie.
The break in her endless chain came when Her
bert y. Newton. of Brookline. Mass. brought suit
against her In 1904 for $3.50 900 he had advanced
her the strength of her Securities She gained
his confidence through letter OF introduction from
the pastor Of the Baptist church in Cleveland
which John u. Rockefeller attends.
Soon afterward the Oberlln Bank unable to
collect from her closed its doors and its president
&. r. Beckwth who died not long after, and the
cashier. A. y. Spear. indicted by the federal
grand jury. She indicted In Ohio and arrested
in this city and confined In the Tombs in default
of $4,000 bail.
Mrs Chadwick was taken to Cleveland tried and
convicted counts and sentenced on six
OF them 20 ten years imprisonment Allowed 10
send for her meals to fashionable restaurant
she injured her health. and unable at last to
accomplish her daily task OF sewing buttons on
clothing. Her privileges stopped but she
failed to improve.
A few weeks ago. when talking to her son from
Cleveland. she tainted from heart attack and
from that time she became rapidly worse and
had been I'm bed since. She made profession
OF religion October and was baptized by the
Roman Catholic priest