The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-10-06
Choking and Gasping, Frank MahIer is Cut Down From Cell Bars by Police
 and Quickly Revives
Young MaheT Fears Alice Black Will Testify Against Him.. Plans Desperate Coup to Win Sympathy Adjusts Noose Around Neck and Starts to Hang When Hears
 Police Approaching
Leaves Fake Pathetic Note Telling of Love For Young Woman Whom He Was on the Point of Deserting-Two Ac- cused Forgers Held in Heavy Bonds For
 New Orleans Authorities

filled to the brim with dope and as full of brass as $1 wedding ring;
 but this morning when the effects o1 the drug had worn off, his backbone was wabbly and he failed to put uI
 the wonderful front which he car ried yesterday, Also it was part oi his plan to cry and look miserable in order to gain Miss Blacks sympathy
 His pathetic suicide note to his
 brother said to be wealthy Pitts burger, does not bear out with the
 facts in the case as known by the de-
 tectfves and verified by Miss Blacks
 own story.
 His appeal to his brother to Help
 this little girl,'' and his statement that
 II loved her with all my heart'i are
 hard to explain in view of the letters and post cards which the detectives turned over to Miss Black, and which
 showed that Mahler had been spending
 his time with others here, and was on
 the point of deserting her.
 It also fails to agree with Miss
 Blacks story that her companion had attempted to make a white slave
 of her in New, York.
 Mahler's great presence of mind and
 his realization of g the fact that his
 companion's testimony was vital to him was shown by his exceedingly
 cool action when the two were arrest
 ed and taken to detective headquar- 'fers yesterday, morning.
 s'Send for a justice of the peace and
 let us be married at once" he whisp-
 cred in Miss Blacks ear, knowing that
 if they were married, Miss Black could
 claim a wife's privilege and refuse to
 testify against her husband. This clever scheme was baked by the fact that Detective Switzer knew that Mahler was already married, and
 has wife living in New York. xOth- erwise he might have carried out this s'bluff'' and saved himself from Miss Blacks testimony by committing big amy.
 Detective Switzer, who is one of the trusted Pinkerton men, declares that Maihler is clever enough to warrant genuine admiration.
 'rWhen we took him yesterday, he put up the greatest bluff you ever saw said the detective. He fairly
 gasped with indignation when we told
 him he was under arrest. He storm ed and ragged around and demanded to
 know the meaning of this outrage, and carried out his part so perfectly
 that he actually scared us for a min
 ute or two into thinking we had the wrong man.
 such a gigantic bluff that he really ovcrreached himself One of the best
 means of tracing him was his pom pous and arrogant behavior. He would find fault and quarrel with everybody. hotel clerks, porters, cabmen, railroad
 men, and in fact, acted like a perfect little lord
 His baggage was fairly plastered with labels of swell hotels, and this was also a means of tracing him. But in New York he had the cleverness to rinse off all of the labels before coming to Bridgeport, and this ruse threw me off the trail for nearly a week.
 In the city court this morning Nah Ter and Miss Black were arraigned on the charge of being fugitives from jus tice. Their cases were continued un- til October IA. to give time for the New Orleans warrants to arrive. Miss Blacks bonds were fixed at $1,000 and Mahler's at s2,000
 Miss Black pleaded guilty and ex-
 pressed her willingness to go. without extradition.
 Mahler was Obdurate. '1 have no counsel and refuse to
 make any statement" he declared to the court when asked to enter a plea. ! Mahler gave his age as IS but the detectives claim that his right age is g and that he gave himself out as IS in order to claim the privileges of a minor
 Miss Black hung her head in court. Her companion tried continually to | ca tch her eye. Finally succeeding, he
 made signals of silence to her. She shook her head "No,'' and then drop ped her eyes and refused to look at
 him again.
 Her evident intention of telling the truth-which probably will be costly to Mahler-nerved up her companion
 to make the gigantic and daring sui-
 eide bluff which he carried out in | order to arouse the girls sympathy
 and get her to stand by him. Detective Swftzer states that it was
 Mahler's plan if caught to throw all the blame on his companion. So clev- erly was the game worked in New Orleans by Mahler, that the original
 alarm sent out from there was for Miss Black alone, and the warrant is sued was for her. Detective SwitZer ascertained the true state of affairs, and now the charges have been chang ed and warrants are out for both. with
 the graver charge against Mahler.
 T feel extremely sorry for that poor girl,'' said Detective Switzer. 'tand I am sure that if she will keen to her determination to tell the truth and not be led aside by any false sympathy for her companion, it will not go hard with her.
 | Detective Switzer declares that Fran .cis J. Mahler is the correct name of the young man, who went under at least six different aliases in the course of his travels. Mahler has a brother living in Pittsburg who is rated as a millionaire. The young man sent a telegram of appeal to his brother, but has received no response from it. Care will be taken by the authori- ties while Mahler and Miss Black are in custody. not to let them have com municatiou with each other