The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-11-10
A WOMAN SWINDLER
OBTAINS SECURITIES BY MEANS
OF WORTHLESS CHECK.

OEOhCES "uO OoAN 'A "Ao
Do Not Care to Prosecute and
Woman Goes Away.
With $4,000 in bonds which she
is said to have obtained from the
firm of Babcock, Rushton & Louder
back, bond dealers in the Rookery
building, Chicago, a woman known
as Alice Cheney Brown was arrested
a few nights ago at the union depot
in that city and made to return the
securities. She had a ticket for
Denver and was aboard the tram
waiting for it's departure when De
tective Frank Repetto found her
preparing, to retire for the night.
Repetto's instructions from the
brokers were not to detain the wo-
man 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 a
worthless check, it is charged, for
s63 on the management Of the Con-
gress Hotel Company. Detective
hepetto, who is employed by the
hotel company, had this little score
to settle with the woman. She made
good the amount of the check and
was allowed to go her way.
The method by which the woman
obtained the bonds was by passing
a worthless check on the brokers for
s19,720. Soon after the transaction
Orville E. Babcock, one Of the firm
became suspicious of the genuinaness
of the check and telegraphed to the
Farmers Loan and Trust Company
Of New York, en- which bank it was
drawn. An answer was received that
the woman, purporting to be Alice
Cheney Brown had no account with
the Farmers Loan and Trust. 1t was
known to the brokers' firm that Mrs
Brown was staying at the Annex, and
messenger was sent there to fino
her. At the hotel it was learned
that the woman had paid her bill
and left. She had paid with a check
on the Farmers Loan and Trust Com
pany and had ordered a carriage tc
take her to the LaSalle station.
Major Southgate of the Annex
examined the check passed on the
hotel, and inasmuch as the check or
the brokerage firm was wothless, he
declared that the smaller one was
worthless also. Detective Repett1
was called in, and with Mr. Babcock
went to the municipal court where
warrant was sworn out charging
the woman with operating a con
fidence game.
The cabman who drove the woman
from the Annex was found, and he
said she discharged him at the La.
Sale street station. 1t was learned
that woman answering the descrlr'
ton of Mrs. Brown had engage
another cabman and that he drove
her to the Northwestern depot. AT,
ter discharging the second cabman
she entered third vehicle and was
driven to the union depot.
In the baggage room it was dis
covered that the woman had checked
suit case to Denver, presenting
her railroad ticket at the time. The
Burlington train for Denver did not
leave Chicago until 1880 o'clock
and Repetto remained in the depoi
until a short time Of its departure
How the woman got past him and
aboard the train without being seen
is a mystery to the detective. When
questioned on that point by Repetto
she looked out of the car window
and laughed.
At first Mrs. Brown pleaded fol
the leniency, asking that she be per-
mitted to pay the hotel bill and con-
tinue on her. trip. to. 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 to!i
amid sobs that she had planned to
obtain the bonds so she could get
funds to aid a brother who is undet
arrest in the East for some offense.
The securities were turned over
later to Mr.. Babcock, who was wait
ing for Repetto at the Annex. Mr..
Babcock said the firm would make
no effort to prosecute Mrs. Brown.
The bonds were twenty in number, of
$1,000 each. They are first mort
gage 5 per cent bonds of the Madi-
son River Power Company.
Mrs. Brown" went to the Annex
last Thursday. She registered as
Mrs. Frank E. Brown, New York. /"
The day following her arrest she
called on Babcock, Rushton & Loud
erback with letter, presumably
forged, purporting to be from a New
York broker. Negotiations were be-
gun for the purchase Of the bonds,
but the deal was not closed until
Wednesday.
It was learned after the Denver
train had departed that Mrs. Brown
got through the station without be-
ing seen by Repetto by clever ruse.
Outside the station she saw tired
woman holding a baby and engaged
her in conversation. Without arous-
ing the woman's suspicion she induc-
ed her to let Mrs. Brown hold her