Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-21
Mae Howard Says He Suggested
Blackmail Scheme.
KNOTS IN VAUDEVILLE THERE
Expert Shot Wounded Assistant in
Thumb, Says Virginia Detective.
Family to Aid Girl Prisoner.

say.
Mae Howard, a we'll dressed young
woman, came here and identified Arm
strong as the man who robbed her i'm
Richmond about the middle of last Sep
tember. She recognized a photograph
before she left Richmond. At the jail
here today she made doubly certain her
identification.
Miss Howard was accompanied to the
District jail by Detective Frank Baur
and Sergt. /. F. Wise Of Richmond. When
the young woman saw Armstrong she
was sure.
Hes the man." she said.
Detective Sergt. Wise accompanied the
young woman to this city. He was
anxious to have the prisoner surrendered
to him to be returned to Richmond.
Knots on Vaudeville Stage.
Serzt. Wise declares that J. Bailey
Knots and Flossie Bennett, not married
then, were in Richmond about the time
Armstrong is alleged to have robbed the
Howard woman. They were on the vaude-
Vile stage, he says, and Knots became
stranded.
knotts. he said, is an expert shot One
of his exhibitions was shooting cards OF
the head of his female companion -
One night he appeared on the stage WIN
man named Anderson, VINO cohuue a
shooting gallery. Knots stunt peihg "
shoot q lighted match out of Anderson
hand. He missed the match, however,
and sent the bullet through Anderson
thumb.
KNOTS face was familiar In Richmond
last summer said Sergt. wise. oo
not recall having seen Flossie.
Mae Towards Story.
Mae Howard related to Inspector
Roardman the story of her experience
with the 'hold-up' man In ner !o'iil
Armstrong. she said, paid three visits 10
the house in which she poaros' co"ii.e
there "a a. stranger and endeavoring 10
induce her to take part in game 10
blackmail wealthy merchants.
He asked me how much money l was
earning" she said, land told me II
would 20. in the game with him l couIo
get a Thousand dollars in as snort ume
as it takes to snap your myers
Mae Howard says she told hlm she WAS
not in that kind OF business, .na.
or do ANYTHING that was dishonest. ohe
wore a red costume the night he hrst saw
her. she told Inspector boaronan. nen
he called afterward he relerreo 10 iei Do
''the little girl in red
cd her to assist in, as Identical with what
was done with Rosenthal IN TINS CITY, eA,
nlaining how the room would pe hShteo
and telling her how he would take photo-
graphs Of victims.
Girl Bound and Gagged.
The third time he visited her, says Miss
Howard. as soon as he entered the room
frav
His conduct seemed strange to her. He
did not ask her to have drink ana she
was certain it was not whisky in the
bottle.
An instant later, the young woman de-
c,ared. she was grabbed by the throat
and thrown down. She thought she
creamed loud enough to arouse the en-
tire neighborhood, but nobody came 10
her assistance. 8.
she did not keep quiet. Then he started
eaerine her by stuffing handkerchief IN
her mouth. Thinking it would be well
to keep quiet if she wanted to save her
life. she said: I'm dying: I'm dead.
part of a towel completed the gagg1ng
process. Another towel and piece of rope
were used to tie her.
.'He tied my arms and legs with the
to the bed. When he had me securely
fa stened he cut my stocking and took S.
The woman related how she afterward
managed to get the gag from her mouth
and Worm herself partly from the rope
The landlady found her lying on the floor,
nart of the rope still holding her. Her
mouth was terribly bruised and swollen
ana she was unable to leave the house
for several days
g Bigamy Charge, Maybe.
. The Washington police have been told
that Flossie Bennett Knots probably
never obtained divorce from Nelson
NfiiIs her first husband, in Michigan. The
Michigan authorities may be asked to
maLa an investigation with a view to
charging her with bigamy in event of her
not being held on the charge pending
a aeainst her i'm this city.
Should it develop that she was never
d;yorced II is asserted. there can be no
nlea made by counsel that she was acting
,pnSer the coercion of her husband at the
time she was being photographed with
Charles Rosehthoi III 'no Noio apart
sIhert Armstrong and F'Iossie Knots
failed to provide bond yesterday after
noon II was necessary for them to re-
turn together in the prison van to jail
Family Will Aid Mrs. Knots.
w. C. Wolfe. who came here from Or
hell Darlington about giving bond for
the Knots brothers. returned to South
carolina yesterday afternoon. Before de-
oarture he saw agents of the Associated
-harities and interested them in Mrs.
knotts, being anxious to have somebody
AXE a friendly interest in the woman
bending her release on bond.
..The Knots feel kindly disposed to-
ward her." the attorney said. 1T is not
heir intention to forsake her. The Knots
are not wealthy. but are willing to do
What they can for her.
.-She and Bailey Knots are married. |
They will make the best Of it,
Anticipating trial Of the Knots in the |
Police Court today, a number Of infuen- |
ial residents of South Carolina sent tel !
.grams to Attorney Wolfe yesterday ex-
PRESSING the hope that they would be Of |
ome assistance to them. Among those |
rom whom messages were received were |
Abrial Lathrop. United States attorney |
or South Carolina; Probate Judge Robert |
e. Copper, c. T. Salley, clerk of the court, |
md A. NJ. Salley, sheriff.
The senders Of the messages gave the |
wo defendants good regulations at home. |
Judge Copper gave the information that |
hey belonged to one OF the first families |
Il the county, adding that they are high |
y esteemed and are of excellent reputa- |
lon