The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-10-18
lure OF A GIRL
AT the Drop Of Fer Fan aen Became
Her Wiling Teel and Drpe
help her BEAT BANKS

How a Young Woman Gro ssed the
Continent on Her Wits, Collecting
Thousands Of Dollars From the
Different Banks Along the Route
Of Her Travels.
A dainty little fan. dropped seem
ingly by chance in fashionable hotel
dining rooms in towns from the Pa
ciic to the Atlantic, was the starting
point in series of little dramas
which had their last curtain last
week in Bridgeport, Conn, when
nineteen-year-old Alice Black Of Col
orado Springs and Francis A. Moh-
ler, who says he is the brother of a
Pittsburg millionaire, were arrested.
The young woman is charged with
having passed forged checks and the
man with having forged them. The
girl says she believed the checks were
good. Just how the fan was dropped
was told in the local agency Of the
Pinkertons at No. 90 Liberty street.
Early in September, in the Italian
gardens of the Hotel st. Charles in
New Orleans, young and exquisite
ly gowned woman was dining. At a
table were three gilded youths Of
the Creole city. They were comment
ing upon her beauty when her fan
fell to the floor. Instantly one of the
youths started to leave his seat. The
others siezed him and insisted in
whispers that they must draw lots to
see who would restore the fan.
The one to whom the lot fell rails
ed the fan and, with his best bow,
gave it to the girl. She smiled and,
modestly casting down her eyes, ask
ed if he wouldn't sit down for mo-
ment. He did.
"You know" said the girl, " I feel
that / am very unconvenient, but I'm
such a globe trotter, you know, that
1 feel perfectly safe n doing this.
I've been all over the world alone.
IN Alice Pullman, of Pittsburg."
The youth brought over his two
companions to meet Miss Alice Pull
man, a neice Of the Pullman car fam
ily''
That was on Saturday night.
The following Monday Alice Pull
man" asked one of her new found
friends if he knew of some good,
safe bank" He knew Of several.
20 he trotted her in the Whitney
Orientl Bank and introduced her to
Edward H. Keep, assistant cashier.
Miss Pullman" opened an account,
depositing $50 cash and what pur-
ported to be a $3.50 certified check
on the Union Savings Bank of Pitts
burgh, signed by Harry Pullman. The
next day she drew out her entire ac-
count.
On the following day she return
ed with another Harry Pullman
check for SIS which she wanted
cashed. The cashier told her he
would wait until he had heard from
the previous check.
"You won't have to wait long, he
said, because I'll telegraph.
Eyes, do" she answered, "and send
the answer to the St. Charles.
The answer came. 1t was, "Forg-
cry" But she had left the st.
Charles by that time. It was found
she had left New Orleans for New
York with man who said he was F.
A. Christy, brother Of Howard
Chandler Christy, illustrator.
After the flight from New Orleans
news came of banks and hotels in
Colorado Springs, COL; Ogden and
Salt Lake City, Utah; Sacramento,
Los Angeles, and San Diega, CAL;
and Ell Paso, Texas, that had cashed
checks after the prelude Of falling
fan or like device. The checks rang
ed from $50 to $50 apiece. The
total was several thousand dollars.
The Pinkertons took up the trail
and traced the pair Eastward to
Bridgeport, Conn. In the other cities
where the fan had been dropped the
girl had seemed sometimes to blaze
with diamonds. Especially notlcea-
bic was large hatpin in the shape OF
tigers head, compose Of imitation
diamonds. Detective Fon OF the
Bridgeport police and two of the
;railers saw a woman in Bridgeport
wearing just such q pin. They fol-
lowed her to boarding house and
there found her man companion.
In one Of their four suitcases, the
police say, were blank checks of the
Pittsburg bazk and the stamp with
which checks had been Certified. =.
"Christy" or Mohler would not talk
nuch about himself. He wrote a tel
egram to Harry Mohler of Pittsburg,
but the police did not send it.
The young woman at first was 81
lent. But the police showed her a
postal card, sent to Mohler by a
Young woman, which showed Mohler
had paid attention to the sender.
Then the girl broke down and said
she would tell all she knew.
She said she was graduate OF the
cntler School, in Colorado Springs,
and that she had planned to enter
Colorado College this fall. She met
''Christy" in July, and he told mel
that he was West Point student on
furlough. He had struck : 2-oml-
nent man in New York and was IL
Colorado hiding from detectives.
81 believed his romantic tales,
sold the girl, and became foollsnly
infatuated with him. Before l real
lied the foolishness Of what was