The San Francisco call., 1908-11-04
NAB WOMAN FORGFR
WITH $2O,OOOlOOT
Chicago Police Capture Clever
Female Swindler on Eve
OF Escape
Trapped on Train to Denver
and Restores the Stolen
Bonds

CHICAGO Nov 3.-With $4,000 of
bonds which she had obtained from the
firm OF Babcock, Rushton G. Louder
back, bond dealers in the Rookery
building, a woman known as Alice
Cheney Brown was arrested last night
at the union depot and made to return
the securities. She had ticket for
Denver and was aboard the train wait
ing for its departure when Detective
Frank Repelto found her preparing to
retire for the night
Repelto's instructions from the brok-
ers were not TO detain the woman If
she restored the $4,000 worth of bonds.
This she readily assented to and she
took them from a handbag on the seat
beside her.
The woman had also passed worth
less check for s63 on the management
of the Congress hotel company. De-
tective Repelto. who is employed by the
settle with the woman. She made good
the amount of thei check and was al
lowed 10 go her way.
The method by which the woman OBJ
tanned the bonds was by passing worth
| less checks on the brokers for s19,720-
| Soon after the transaction Orville E.
Babcock, one of the firm, became sus-
picious of the genuineness of the check
and telegraphed to the Farmers loan
and trust company of New York, on
which bank IL was drawn. An answer
was received that the woman purport-
| ing TO be Alice Cheney Brown had no
account with the Farmers loan and
| trust company.
| It was known to the brokerage firm
that Mrs. Brown was staying at the
| Annex and a messenger was sent there
| to find her At the hotel 1t was learned
| that the woman had paid her bill and
! left She had paid the bill with check
| on the Farmers loan and trust COM
pany and had ordered a carriage to
! take her TO the Lasalle station.
| Manager Southgate of the Annex ex-
amined the check passed on the hotel
and inasmuch as the check on the
| brokerage firm was worthless he de-
cided that the smaller one was worth
! less also.
Detective Repelto was called in and
with Babcock went TO the municipal
court where warrant was sworn out
charging the woman with operating a
| confidence game
The cabman who drove the woman
from the Annex was found and he said
! she discharged him at the Lasalle street
station. 1t was learned that woman
| answering the description of Mrs.
Brown had engaged another cabman
and that he drove her to the North
western depot After discharging the
hicle and was driven to the union depot
In the baggage room ii was discov-
/ cred that the woman had checked a
suit case to Denver, presenting her
railroad ticket at the time. The Bur-
lngton train for Denver did not leave
| Chicago until 80 o'clock and Repelto
| waited in the depot until shortly before
the time of its departure How the
woman got past him and aboard the
| train without being seen Is mystery
| TO the detective When questioned on
that point by Repelto she looked out
OF the car window and laughed.
At first she pleaded for leniency, ask
ing that she be permitted TO pay tn
hotel bill and continue on her trip Z
Denver The detective agreed to accept
| the s63 for the hotel bill and she paid
him in cash. Then she turned over
! the bonds When she did so she told
him amid sobs that she had planned to
obtain the bonds which she had hoped
to sell in Denver so she could set funds
| with which 70 aid a brother who Is
under arrest in the east for some Of
| fense.
The securities were turned over later
TO Babcock, who was waiting for Re-
peIto at the Auditorium Annex. Bah
cock said the firm would make no ef-
fort to prosecute Mrs. Brown. This
| bonds were 20 in number, of 81 1,00(
each. They are first mortgage pei
cent bonds of the Madison River power
company.
Mrs Brown went to the Annex las
/ Thursday. She registered as Mrs. +
Frank Brown, New York" The da,
following her arrival she called OIL
Babcock. Rushton & Louderbaek witt
letters, presumably forged. purportint
to be from q New York broker. Nego
tiations were begun for the purchase o
the bonds, but the deal was not closes
until yesterday.
1t was learned after the Denver trail
had departed that Mrs. Brown go
through the station without being seer
by Repeito by clever ruse. Outsid
the station she saw a tired woman
holding baby and engaged her in con
versation. Without arousing tn
womans suspicious she induced he
to let Mrs. Brown hold the bah,
and then accompany the child AM
its new friend to the train. il
passing through the depot Mrs. Brow
was seemingly intent on the child AM
as she was not supposed to have
, baby passed unnoticed.