Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-21
WOMEN HER VICTIMS
Frances A. Caspari Plays Get.
Rich-Quick Scheme.
NOT HER FIRST OFFENSE
Served Five-Year Sentence for Sim.
liar Crime in Baltimore.
BROTHER SAYS SHE IS INSANE
Believed to Have Acquired $500
by Persuading Victims to Invest
in Books-Gave Bad Check.
BROTHER SAYS SHE IS INSANE

That Miss Frances A. Caspari. ten
months a resident of this city. would
have reaped harvest as great as that
reaped by Cassie Chadwick had she not
been overtaken by justice yesterday
afternoon, when Detectives Bauer and
CorTwell took her into custody and had
her locked up. is the belief of police OFF,
cials.
The charge against the woman is the
alleged grand larceny of $500 from Miss
Elizabeth ". Gemmill of 400 Corcoran
street. where she had recently resided
The police say she has also obtained
sums of money from other women in this
city agsregating something over $500
Mrs Thomas A. Robbins of 1861 Massa-
cnusetts avenue southeast is alleged to
have turned over to the alleged get-rich-
quick woman about $500. Mrs. NJ. F.
James of 1873 18th street is alleged to
nave given her 500. The police also
have Information that she obtained n
sum of money from Mrs. Edith z. Clagett
Oh bfoWnsvllle. Washington county. Md.
Investments in Books
1t is the claim Of the police that Miss
Caspari succeeded In obtaining the money
from her several victims by first gaining
their confidence and then interesting them
IN the sale of valuable and costly publi-
cations. Her explanation of what she
was doing in the literary world, it is al
legged. seemed so plausible that her vic
Tins never doubted her ability to invest
their money and get good returns
Placing the money in her hands. the de-
tectives were told. looked like a good in
vestment. After the arrest was made.
ana the police learned from the prisoner
that she had served five years in prison
for ct,
number of years ago, they appreciated
now easy a matter it was for them to
be duped.
The detectives are satisfied that there
| are other people in this city who gave
money to the alleged swindler.
Durlng the time she operated I'm BaIti-
| more, where. she says her brother. DIR.
charles Caspari. jr., is dean of the Uni
versity OF MARYLAND. and her father, the
late Charles Caspari, was in the drug
| business. she is alleged to have obtained
more than $4,000 from alleged victims
according to the information obtained
by the detectives. 1t is believed that Miss
Saspar1 gained the confidence OF her al
iesed victims because OF the mysterious
manner In which she operated. 1t was
her claim that she represented a book
cluo and that only employees Of the club
were permitted to purchase stock
Her representations made 1t appear that
the STOCK IN the club was extremely VAL
liable. She seemed to have encountered
but little trouble in inducing her victims
to give up their money
Career in Baltimore.
Information received here from Balti-
more is to the effect that Miss Caspari
was arrested in that city in the latter part
OF 1900 on charge of obtaining $500 from
Bertha A. Greer of 626 Portland street by
means of false pretenses and that her
case proved to be one of the biggest sem
sations ever recorded in the police annals
OF Baltimore. For this crime, 1t is stated,
she was sentenced to a term of five years
IN the penitentiary. having pleaded guilty
to the charge.
The police claim that the swindlins
scheme as conceived by Miss Caspari net
ted her thousands of dollars. but that
they were never able to work out her
operations. as she refused to talk of her
past at the time of her arrest or even AT
her trial
IL Is stated she was we'll known socielly
With her influence In the community she
found little difficulty in carrying out her
operations. She at one time occupied a
position as teacher in the Western Fe-
male High School in that city.
In the operations for which she was
convicted. ii is stated. she represented
herself as a stock agent in two co-opera-
tions, which were publishing books and
other periodicals of vital interest to stu
dents and scholars To her victims she Is
said to have promised they would earn
| good profits on money invested. She
deemed il absolutely safe SO the story
went. for she had invested her own
earnings and had been successful.
The police say that large numbers of
school teachers drew their savings from
the banks. all of which went to swell the
purse of Miss Caspari. a number of schol
ars of the school and church people as
well are said to have been duped
When the time came for the payments
of the profits and the investors did not
receive their money they began to COM
plain. This resulted in the arrest of Miss
Caspari and her dismissal from the school.
She was released from the penitentiarv
April q. 1907. after serving four years
and two months.
Victimizes Washington.
Miss Caspari then went to Rochester.
n Y. and later came to this city. She
went to the Woman's Christian Home,
l71a 18th street and rented a room. tell
ing those in charge that she was connect
ed with New York publishing house.
She was always we'll supplied with books
and periodicals. While she dressed we'll
she made no pretense at being extrava-
CANT.
From the home she went to the house
of Mrs Northern. 1923 18th street. and
rented an apartment. Last mopth she
moved to the home of Mrs. 1emmill,
taking her meals at nelShnorlns mouse.
She met Mrs. James. one of her victims.
by patronizing the latter's book store. As
soon as she had gained the confidence OF
the keeper of the store she induced her to
invest 500. Later she borrowed 81 from
her. but returned 1t. and only few days
ago she endeavored to have Mrs. James
give up the money she had put aside for
her rent
Mrs. Robbins was induced TO give Miss
Caspari more than the others had given
her It appears that Mrs. Robbins hus-
band deposited large sum of money 10
her credit when they were married two
years ago. When he learned that she
was giving Miss Caspari sums of money
he warned her that she would probably
lose It, Mrs Robbins succeeded In get
ting about $500 returned to her by Miss
Casnari The money. it is believed, was
obtained from Miss Gemmill.
Yesterday Miss Gemmill reached the
conclusion that 1t was about time for her