Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-05
DUBS MRS. FORD
HUMAN VULTURE
PREYING ON MEN
Woman in Warriner Trial
Scathingly Arraigned
by Prosecution
STATE CLOSES CASE
Attorney Offers No Vindi-
cation of Alleged Black
). mailer'S Acts
STATE CLOSES CASE
ASSOCIATED Pressl

INCINNATI, Feb. 4.-With the
probable close of the trial of Mrs.
Jeanette Stewart-Ford for black
mail tomorrow, the curtain will fall on
the second act in the drama of the
gigantic defalcation of Charles L.
Warriner, former local treasurer of
the Big Four railroad.
The state today concluded its case
with a terrible indictment of the wom-
an as a human Vulture, whose life had
been spent in preying upon men.
In the teeth of overwhelming evil
dence, the defense has been unable to
attempt q vindication of Mrs. Ford's
moral character, and contented itself
with a bitter attack upon Charles l.,
Warriner and Edgar S. Cooke, two
other principal figures in the eXtraor-
binary story of the $643, 900 shortage.
The defendants attorneys will con-
clude their plea tomorrow, and prob
ably the case will go to the jury late
in the day Only two witnesses were
examined today by the state and not
one by the defense
They had summoned four railroad
officials, but only two, General Coun-
sci l.. j. Hackney and former Auditor
p. A. Hewitt, were subpoenaed. None
of the four appeared, and the defense
tachment for them.
State Rests Case
After the court had refused the ad-
mission of certain letters of Mrs. Ford
the state rested, and the defense, when
the names of their four witnesses had
been called and remained unanswered,
also rested.
In his argument to the jury Prose-
cutor Cash reviewed details of the
womans career. He called the atten-
tion of the jury to the mass of letters
written by Mrs. Ford and by Cooke.
The letters, he declared, were of so
vile a character as to prohibit reading
them in public.
Asserting that ruined homes and
shattered lives had followed the wom-
an wherever she went. he demanded
that the jury convict her so that the
community might be spared the' evil
influence which she welded.
Attorney Thorndyke, in his argument
for the defense, did not attempt to de-
fend the morality of his clients life,
but contented himself with bitter
attack upon Warriner and Cooke. He
claimed that the only evidence against
his clienF was the unsupported word
of Warriner. and that the witness was
unworthy of credence.
>
been present every day since the be-
ginning of the trial of Mrs. Stewart
Ford on the charge of Matchmaking
was in the court room when the trial
was resumed today.
Negro Woman Testifies
With Warriner. the chief witness,
out of the way, the road was open for
a speedy termination of the trial, al
though several more witnesses were
summoned.
Among the witnesses subpoenaed
was Miss Ida Brockway, former ste
nographer in the office of the cashier
of the custom house here, and an es-
tranged friend of Mrs. Ford.
Frank Couden, cashier of the custom
house, also was summoned as q wit
ness. According to Warriner, Couden
learned of the shortage through Miss
Brockway and informed the high Of
ficials of the Big Four railroad.
Another witness to be heard is Frank
Comstock, who. Warriner testified,
was short $10,500 when he turned the
office of the Big Four over to him.
Miss Annie Jackson, the negro
dressmaker, was called as the second
witness for the state when the morn
ing session opened. On cross exam
ination she stated she had heard Mrs.
Ford speak of Pop" and Pops Wlfe'
She did not know who Pop" was.
Miss Brockway was then asked
about Mrs Ford's financial circum-
stances. "She seemed to be able to get
about anything she wished" was the
reply.
I'm fact, she was extravagant.'
Asked about the source of the funds,
Miss Brockway added:
"She had no means of support that
I know of. Mrs. Ford never took me
into her confidence"