The Washington times., 1908-09-12
$I,5OO.OOO SNINDLE
MADE EASY BYLOYE
Hagaman Widow Tells of
Relations With Notorious
DR.. Flower.
HELD AS PRISONER
IN HER APARTMENT
Believing in Man, She Gave Him
Her Last Jewels to Pawn
in Richmond.

in Richmond.
RICHMOND. Va. Sept. 12.-MTs. Fran
ces F. Hagaman- Delabarre in an inter
view today. said that she had been held
a prisoner in her rooms here for four
months by the principals in the alleged
trunk and jewel swindle.
During this time she had been feeced
OF the last remnant of her fortune. she
says. which was estimated at sl.500, ,000
The man who got the bulk of the
money, and whose influence over her
wss so great that she obeyed his slight
est command, is positively identified by
Mrs. Hagaman-DelabaTre as Dr. Rich
ard c. Flower. who is wanted in many
States for perpetrating swindles which
aggregate millions of dollars.
Thus has the love she admitted having
for the man dragged Mrs. Hagaman-
Delabarre from the exclusive society
circles 10 which she had access as the
wife of the millionaire broker. Theodore
Hagaman, into the sordid police court
class.
Cortland" Really Flower.
Having learned from Mrs Hagaman
that it is Flower, the swindler, who was
the real Cortland" in the gigantic con-
hdence swindle. the authorities vester-
day announced that the Appalachian
Mining and Smelling Company was one
of his most successful games.
The company sold STOCK 10 women
throughout the country and made tba
scheme one of many in which people
throughout America and even soma
from abroad were dragged into their
neeCing net.
Must 1 be dragged through the mlrs
AGAIN. exclaimed Mrs Hagaman-Dela-
Darrei when a reporter was permitted 10
enter her apartment
'Fo three years l have hoped that the
world had forgotten me. ana now / am
roo III even 70 say anything in ny own
defense"
Detectives Guard Escape.
At the Colonial boarding house, which
o has been nothing less than a prison for
F. Mrs. Hagaman-Delabarre almost from
the day that she arrived in Richmond,
! two detectives were found on guard at
the door.
THE officers said they had instructions
not TO permit the woman 10 leave, and
that she would be arrested and taken to
the city prison if any attempt was made
20 get away.
You see am being treated as though
we're a criminal" continued the wom-
an referring TO the police espionage
Il don't know what they want with me
or what they imagine / can tell them.
] am indeed e defenseless woman, and
there is no one TO whom 1 can turn
for aid
is it a fact that YOU were formerly
the wife of Theodore Hagaman, and
that the man who visited you here as
II. r. Cortland was DR.. r. <. Flower
was asked.
Needless to Deny Identities"
Yes" was the reply. L suppose 1t
is needless 10 deny Identities now. H
r. Cortland was merely name which
Or. Flower assumed when he came here,
] also used fictitious names with a view
10 avoiding publicity.
Many weeks ago / had a premonition
that something terrible was going 70
happen. My affairs were IN a desper-
ate condition, and when DT. Flower
came 10 me almost daily with demands
for money ] knew that he, too, was
in dire straits.
Flower had requested me to. We have
had much in common ever since the
death of Mr.. Hagaman.- ! VIII not say
now what prompted rs TO come to
Richmond. except that he said il was
necessary that we 20 some distance
from New York. for a while, at least
'Dr. Flower secured these apartments
for re, and said that it would not be
safe for NE 10 venture on the street
where l might be recOe eniZed. He came
almost nightly TO see me, however, and
talked so encoUagiEly about his min
ing schemes that / did not hesitate TO
give him the money he requested.
Gave Him Her Jewels.
when the money was gone. gave
him jewels to pawn, believing all the
his every command
Was this seeming loyalty to Dr.
Fowler prompted by fear of the man?"
tie intervie yer asked
II suppose you refer 10 the circum-
stances of Mr.. Hagaman's death, 10
which so much publicity was given in
the New York papers when my hus-
bands relatives demanded a consider
able share Of his estate2' suggested
Mrs. Hagaman- barre.
i will not go into that phase Of the
story now" she declared. Il can not
bear TO discuss il. All that I can say
Is that the fortune Mr.. Hagaman left
me is gone / have no money LETT and
nothing else of value except a few Jew
els and the clothing which / brought
with me.
FROM what / have told you. you can
see that I have been made a prisoner in
this house. For weeks at q time I have
not conveTsed with any one except my
nSid, who came here with me from
Dhiadelphia. where ] lived until May OF
This year
What I have become, I am OF my
own yolition. IL is an AFFAIR which con
Germs me only. and for the sake of an
other I can not go into details"
The highly nervous state Of Mrs.
4aeanan-Delsbarre made il very diff
acult 10 obtain a connected statement
-zom her. She would become startled
- every little street noise or commo-
tion that could be heard in the hallway
outside her rooms,
She confirmed, however, the fact that
her maiden name was Fannie Lindsey
and that she came originally from East
Haven. Her first husband, she said,
was William II Smith. who was en-
ploved in a menial aapacity by Theodore
Hagaman, when she first met tiss
broker.
rsNATTTEN r-TVD CETTC