The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1908-11-28
Look Out for Them.

ing to say regarding couple of swim
dlers arrested at the Washington
county capital:
Monday morning there appeared in
this city neatly dressed young lady
who pretended to be deaf and dumb.
She made a systematic canvas of the
business district and succeeded in
collecting considerable money from
the people who are always willing to
help the unfortunate.
Her method of working was to go
about with paper signed by some
physician who was supposed to live
in Salt Lake stating that she was
trying to get to Seattle and deserved
help. This system was winner.
Almost everyone who was approached
contributed from twenty cents to
dollar for sweet charity's sake.
Possibly the lady's looks which were
very fair, considering, had something
to do with the amount given by the
public.
The game worked well until early
Monday evening when a travelling
man who was wise to the pair of
swindlers stated to the police that
neither the man nor woman was deaf
or dumb and that they had been
working their graft all along the line
south of Weiser. In Nampa alone
they were supposed to have collected
seventy-five dollars. After this rev.
elation was made the police started
out to round them up and in this
work they were assisted by the per-
sonal differences of the pair who had
had quarrel and the woman was
looking for an officer to arrest the
man. She appeared at the Hotel Wei
ser and communicated with the night
clerk with a pencil and paper stating
that som cone was following her and
that she wanted protection.
1t was observed that the woman was
Intoxicated and then suspicious were
aroused. officer Nevins took her in
| charge and went with her to the Ra-
leigh rooming house where the sec
ond mute" was found. Neither of
the pair would say word but instead
wrote out everything and received an
| swers in the same manner.
They were both taken to the city
Jail and locked up for the night on a
charge of drunkenness. But before
reaching the city bastile the woman
suddenly regained her powers of
speech and commenced to revile the
officers In q manner that would not
bear circulation through the news
papers. On arriving at the prison
the man suddenly turned and struck
officer Nevins in the face who In turn
Knocked his man to the floor, an in
cident that had wonderful restorative
qualities on the powers of speech.
Give me pencil and paper and | will
write my name" said the fellow who
was thoroughly scared. After being
locked up the woman pretended to
have convulsions of some kind and a
physician was sent for who pro-
nounced her antics faxed clear
through. She was made to be quiet
and was locked in cell No. 8 for the
| night t
The police took all the papers that
they could find away from the soiIed
pair and found that their names were
Mrs. Grace True of Jacksonville, Ill.
and j. G. VanNess of Denver. When
arraigned before Judge Stewart H.
Travis Tuesday morning they gave
their names as Mr.. and Mrs. Eugene
Schmitz- They plead guilty and were
each sentenced to pay fine and costs
amounting to $500. Eugene was re-
manded to Jail in default of the
amount and Grace was permitted tC
leave town. She started to walk tC
Eaton station where she was to await
the arrival Of No. in the afternoon.
| There was some talk of rearrestine
the pair on the charge Of obtaining
money under false pretenses because
the man was doing little work as q
dumb mute on the streets. Nc
action was taken because 1t was de-
cided to get rid of the couple and
save the cost of prosecution.
C ] r Petersen one Of the old