New-York tribune., 1908-01-05
WAS LOUISE VERMEULE
RiUerside DriUe Suicide Had Taried
Career of adventure.

What is thought to be one of the most remark
able humbugs New York has discovered in many
years was brought to light yesterday, when the
woman called Mrs John Van Ness Roberts. who
died in an apartment No. 22 Riverside on Fri
day night from an overdos. of strychnine, was
identified Mrs. Richard Roelofs. who under
the name of Louise Nermeule was twice tried here
for forgery in 1897 and had previously faced a
similar charge in Philadelphia The Identification
made by Colonel Robert ]. Hare, who de-
Tended Louise Vermeule in 1897.
Colonel Haire telegraphed to Richard Roelofs,
who. he said, the dead womans husband. yes
terday, and last night received reply telling him
take charge of the burial. Colonel Haire says
he has known Mrs Roeofs since early in 1887 that
she had changed her name countless times since
then, had posed a woman of wealth and sociaI
standing, breaking into the most exclusive social
circles, and all the while victmizing tradesmen
right and left, and making enough ready money 70
keep up her pose by writing for daily papers, deal
ing in worthless mining stocks and obtaining
money from promoters by her supposed acquant-
ance with persons of wealth and select society.
'She crazy, thoroughly crazy, believe, de-
clared Colonel Haire yesterday. but almost hyp-
motto in her plausiblity and ready wit. Her
mother whose name was Helen w. FINLEY, died In
an insane asylum in Jacksonville Fla. after
this woman was married to Roeofs. in 1894. My
first question whenever L used to see her was.
What's the name now?'"
Despite Colonel Haire's statements Francis H.
Patton. jr. who had been Mrs. Roberts's attorney
= for six years and various friends of the dead
woman say they believe that her real
Mrs. Roberts; that her maiden name, according to
her own statements. Katherine Stuyvesant;
that her husband died in Germany several years
ago. and that she related to several families
prominent in society That she attended many
musicals and meetings of charity organizations at
the Waldorf-Astoria. was a member of the Rainy
Day Club, and that all her acquaintances were
among the most prominent and respecta BILE people
in the city. according to her friends. prove this
According to Colonel Haire, these were simply in
stances of her power of perfect posing
In going through her papers yesterday morning
Coroner Acritelli found memorandum of will
made several months ago. bequeathing pieces of
her jewelry to Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish, who. she had
told her friends her aunt. and the wife of Cen
eral Grant. The Coroner found only pawntckets for
of the jewelry spoken of in this will. while
that which in her apartments was mostly
paste. Visiting cards of General Grant. General
Cerbin, Franklin Pierce. No. 81 Nassau street. and
! Parker Sloane No BAT West s7th street; a note
from Richard Henry Savage and invitation
from Mrs Arthur Brooks. of No 100 West 18th
street to a ghost dance January IL next,
also found.
Mrs Grant said last night that General Grant
had never met Mrs. Roberts. but had corresponded
with her in regard a newspaper story about the
Grant family and she must have obtained the card
at that time This is just in line with what Colonel
Hsre says about the womans power of appro-
priating everything she could get her hands to
advance her interests
A man at Mrs Roberts's apartment last night
who refused 10 give his name. declared he had met
Mrs Roberts three years ago at the Old Guard ball.
and had later heard that Prince Louis of Batten-
berg while in New York, had spoken of having
met her in Germany. Francis H Patton. her at
torney SAYS that from what he knew of her in his
business connections with her she was acquainted
with many prominent people and had been sup
porting herself for several years as an outside
broker for number OF mining He said
she had recently had large sum of money, $4,000
above her debts, left her by an aunt, which. how
ever there was some doubt about her getting.