Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-11-01
WOMAN VICTIM OF
MANY ACCIDENTS
TO Be ARRA|GNEO
N. Y. Central R. R. Charges De-
fendant with Taking MisfOr-
tunes for Livelihood.

A case of unusual interest to corpora
tons and firms who are liable to DAM
age suits for personal injuries will be
heard in New York city within a few
days, when Mrs. Anna H. Strula, alias
Anna Sturla. alias Agnes Stewart, alias
Agnes Sterling alias Mary Hall, is
placed on trial on the charge of obtain
ing $500 from the New York Central and
Hudson River Railroad Company by an
alleged fake accident. The case was 10
have been brought up for trial today,
but wal delayed, owing to the fact that
the woman of many aliases is i'll in the
Tombs.
The woman lis accused of having hg-
ured In fifteen accidents against trans
p~ortation companies AMI one against a
| big New York department store. since
June 16, 1906, and secured settlements
in ten cases, obtaining 81, 7b0 in dam
| ages. Her last accident was October
10, 1909, on the Boston elevated rail-
road. No settlement was made in this
case, as by that time the railroad COM
panies had become suspicious of the
woman, a general notice having been
sent out by the Alliance Against Fraud.
an association composed Of ~transporta-
ton companies, and other public utility
concerns, as well as municipal govern
ments and private corporations in all
parts of the country.
First Accident June, 1906.
Mrs. ~Sturla-that Is said to be her real
name-is said to have started her fake
accidents June Is, 1906, when she
claimed to have been injured on u
Pennsylvania railroad ferry-boat at
Jersey City. h received $1,000 In
settlement of this case. In June, 1908,
she again attempted 30 it is changed,
to mulct the Pennsylvania, this time
claiming a fall on the steps of the
Broad street station at Philadelphia.
She was remembered by q Pennsylya-
MIA claim agent as h same women
who had recovered damages for he
Jercey City accident. but disappeared
while she was under investigation.
The accused woman is about so years
of q and weighs about 200 pounds.
Her favorite method of receiving her
injuries, 1t Is asserted by those prose-
cutting her, Is to carry a supply OF
banana peels with her and when a
favorable opportunity presents itself
drop a skin on the floor of a railroad
car or the deck of a ferryboat and
then fall in a heap. In her first thir-
teen attempts, it is said, she was. sue
cessful in collecting in nine instances.
1t was due tn the efforts of the
officials of the Public Service Railway
Company of Newark that she was
finally arrested. On May 2S, 1908, she
claimed to have sustained q fall on a
Broad street car which started up just
as she was boarding 1t at Broad and
Cedar streets.
Claim Is Settled.
The company settled the claim for
500. though tbs woman held out a long
time for $500. H. v. Brown, general
claim agent Of the company, was sus-
picious of the woman and started an
Investigation which soon connected the
woman with the dozen accidents pre-
ceding the one here.
Those investigating her career claim
to nave learned that for several years
Mrs. Sturla had operated summer
hotels at Atlantic Highlands and other
points. In 1908, it vas found, h had
been In charge of the Hotel Andrews
at Atlantic Highlands. n had, 1t Is
alleged, beat the owner of the BUILDING
a New York man, out of 300 In rent.
Her arrest followed soon afterward,
but not until the special agents OF the
Public Service Corporation had looked
for her at about twenty different ad-
dresses in New York City.
She was finally located at the little
town Of Hazlet, seven miles from Key
port. NJ. J., on April "a, 1910. 1t was
not until June 4. however, that evil
dence thought to be sufficient could Dc
found. On that date she was placed
under arrest by Constable Coles. OF
Hazlet, acting under the instructions
of Detective Russo, of Manhattan
Headquarters, and a special agent OF
the Public Service Corporation, the
charge being preferred by the New
York Central and Hudson River road.