The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-10-07
WOMAN IS SAID
TO BE INSANE.
sContinued from page -.


Mildred E. Fritzinger is being held in
the detention ward at the Clark hos
pital.
The woman is absolutely harmless; /
she would not injure herself or others
but must be kept in the detention ward /
to prevent her escape from the hospit-
al. The mysterious" woman has a |
career and a past-as accommodating /
facts are rapidly disclosing.
ON Saturday afternoon she slipped |
out of the hospital and went to the
home of a woman living not far away, |
but she was easily apprehended and
was returned to the hospital by Ser |
geant Whiteman.
Mrs. Fritzinger first appeared in |
Elkhart about six weeks ago. Well |
dressed, attractive. cultured, she had
no difficulty in obtaining board and
lodging at a local hotel. She told
people with whom she came in contact
that she had claims of considerable
amounts coming to her from various
parties in neighboring towns.
1t has developed that at that time
she was attempting to make settle
ment with well known Ligonier man.
Frank Woods, alleging he held some
| said to have demanded returns for a
supposedly broken heart
Two or three Elkhart men who be-
came acquainted with the attractive
woman of mystery have also been
rather uneasy of late.
Church & Shaw, local firm of at
| torneys, were acting for Mr.. Woods in
the attempt at settlement. Consider
able evidence goes to show that the
woman had been acting as the tool of
a clever gang, but that when she had
become unbalanced mentally and too
reckless in making claims her associ-
ates abandoned her without means of
support.
Apparently fea ring that she would
be asked for her board at the end of
the week Mrs. Fritzinger left the hotel
at the end of six days, but said she
was going to Goshen on business and
would return in the evening. About
noon of that day she telephoned to
the hotel. asking If any kilograms or
letters had been received, evidently ex-
pecting word from out of town parties
The hotel management learned that
the woman had gone on to Lgonier.
Feared Holdup.
Fearing some sort of holdup game,
the landlord, accompanied by an attor-
ney. went to that place and found her
at hotel there. She spoke to them
of her hotel bill before it was mention
ed, saying that she would return to
Elkhart in few days and could then
pay the bill or would pay at once If
allowed to go to Kendallville and get
money from the bank. The local hotel
man accompanied her to Kendallville
At that place she went to the Kelly
House and asked the landlord to ident-
ify her at the bank so she could draw
. $25. While the two landlords were
comforting about the mater, the woman
left the hotel parlor by a side door
and went to the Ryder House. Seeing
that he was engaged in a wild goose
chase after money that was not to be
had. the hotel man returned to Elk
hart and let the matter rest, taking
j no steps other than to tell Mrs. Fritz
: niger he would have her arrested II
she returned to Elkhart.
! "A few days after this, about Sept
:, 3, she attempted to commit suicide al
e the Ryder hotel by taking some drug
a but as soon as she began to be i'll, she
called for help. and she was never in
| nluCn danger. As soon as she was aDle
to be up again the township trustet
paid her fare to Elkhart, and she re.
turned here. but stopped this time a.
: hotel near the depot, and registered
as Mrs. L. Martin. Chicago.
! Pronounce Her Insane.
: She was ill and confined to her BEE
:. much of the time. When he learned
that the woman had no money tn,
:, landlord called in Trustee Puter
< baugh. Seeing that the woman was il
: need of medical assistance Mr.. Puter
bach called in DR. Norris, who within
C few hours pronounced her insane
: and asked the appointment of a com
= mission. Dr. Fleming was appointe,
= to serve with him on the commission
"a and after studying her case CAREFUL,
10 for nearly a week, pronounced her in
sane. and papers asking her admittanc
= to Longclih were filed in Justice AL
" lens court.
! In the meantime Mrs. Fritzinger hal
come to an agreement with Messrs
Church and Shaw. They had alread.
guaranteed her hotel bills, and nov
II offered her $3.50, which she agreed t
Z accept When the money was offere'
to her, however, she raised her de
mands to $500, and when that wa
offered, she wanted $1,000. whicl
Id brought the negotiations to an abrup
end
he Mr.. Woods denies having had an
~ intimate acquaintance with the wo