Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-11-16
HAzLET WOMAN
PLAYED GAME
ON RAILROADS

New York, Nov. 16:-On a day in
1906 a boarding house keeper in
Hazlet, near Keyport, took thought
as to what use could be made of the
wrapping of bananas Skins were a
by-product, she reflected, that had
been strangely neglected. Oppor-
tunities for promoting this attract
i've proposition was lacking in the
little town of Hazlet, SO she came
to New York, where many transpor-
tation companies employ claim
agents to settle claims in order that
bothersome damage suits may he
avoided.
The name Of the woman with this
idea is Anna A. Struta, "G3anana An
ma" as she came to be known among
the claim agents. For upward of
three years she piled her trade
briskly, sometimes running a nick
els worth of bananas up to $1,000
and occasionally selling an apple
core to a claim agent for $500. But
a fraud society, the Alliance for the
Prevention of Accident Fraud, got
her finally and had her locked up
in the Tombs. She has been in pris-
on since June 5, last, and was about
to be sentenced on a plea of guilty
yesterday by Supreme Court Judge
Rosalsky, when she suddenly decid-
ed to withdraw the plea she had
made, arguing that a railroad COM
pany had forced the money on her.
She admitted having buncoed a
number of railroad companies by
fake accident claims, but she decid-
ed to stand trial On the indictment
charging her with defrauding the
New York Central of $500.
According to the record concern
ing the woman's ventures, prepared
by the Alliance for the Prevention
of Accident Fraud, and submitted to
District Attorney Whitman and JUS
tice Rosalsky by the alliance, she
began her business career on a
Pennsylvania ferryboat, June, 16,
1906. AS the boat bumped into it's
slip, Anna Banana gave a cry of
pain and sank to her knees. But in
her pain she remembered to take
the names of witnesses and when the
claim agent saw her next day he de-
eided that she had a case against
the company. Would she settle?
Yes, she would. for $1,000, and she
got it, the alliances Investigators
say.
In August, of the same year, she
Travelled on an Erie train which jolt
ed her severely, so she screamed,
and, of course, there were witness
es. The Erie gave UP $500. Octo-
Der 10, the same year, she boarded
a New York Central train, found q
| honano mail aaDra-4 A. - 60
and went down with loud cries. This
was the case on which a fraud in
dictment was found. After the al
lance had looked into her activities
and she was arrested on this case,
she pleaded guilty, November 10. OF
this year, but yesterday she made up
her mind to stand trial.
Mrs. Struta was before Justice Ro-
salsky for sentence when the change
of mind came owe her. The Justice
had read over a long list of accident
claims by which she had been paid
a total of $4,000.
"Were these all fake accidents?'
asked the justice.
Most of them were, yes," re
piled Anna Banana"
"1f you are guilty of these" con
tinued the justice, why not the spe
ciic accident mentioned in the in
dictment?"
"Oh, the company forced tn,
money On me in that case" she said
81 did not even have to begin suit
| never demanded the money O
made any false representations. So
of course, | am not guilty. / plead
ed guilty before under a wrong i'm
preston"
District Attorney Whitman sait
that if Mrs. Struta desired to asser
her innocence he would not object t.
a withdrawal of the plea made No
vember 10. She said that was jus
what she wanted to do. Justice Ro
salsky sent her back to the Tomb
to await trial on November %.
According to the record prepare,
by the Alliance for the Prevention
of Accident Frauds, Mrs. Struta car
ried a banana skin or an apple cor
In a handbag wherever she went
She managed to drop either the ski
or the core without attracting at
tention. 1t was her custom to fal
loudly, but she always retained en-
ough presence of mind to indicate t
witnesses her fall had been cause,
by stepping on a skin or a core
THE rest was not difficult. Sh
avoided being carried to any hospi
tai more than one
In time, the frequency Of he
claims aroused suspicion, which re
suited in her arrest and prosecu