River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-01-12

III
- 81 - u,a self the stronger,
and in criminal ways her powers or
invention have many times reached
the acme of perfection. The subtle
devices resorted to by women for pull
ing the wool over the eyes OF the OH
GERS of the law are frequently more
misleading and difficult to penetrate
than the most scientific roguery plan
ned by men.
The several novel expedients resort
ed to by the Widow Wood, better
known in police circles as "The
Naughty Little Milliner," for throw
ing dust into the eyes of the detec-
tives, is indeed a marvellous exempli-
fication of female ingenuity.
1t was along in the early seventies
when it became known that there was
circulating about New Orleans a dan
gerous counterfeit five dollar treasury
note, likewise a pretty good imitation
of silver half dollars. A number of
these bad five dollar bills were re-
ceived at the banks and might have
passed along undetected had not one
of the bankers, more discerning than
the others, made the discovery that
these notes were counterfeit, though
they were well calculated ID deceive
the average tradesman. The bogus
half dollars had been coined with steel
dies and were exact facsimiles of the
genuine in all except the metal they
contained. They passed readily among
the foreigners, especially about the
French market.
Operator James Fitzpatrick, who
was at that time in charge of govern
ment secret service affairs in New Or
leans, began an investigation for the
purpose of ferreting out the source Of
this bad money After weeks of anx-
ious watching it was learned that a
young girl who daily visited the
French market for the purpose of
buying family provisions had, as regu-
larly as she came, left a bogus half
dollar. She wore a tattered dress and
there was a sorrowful expression set
tied about her pallid yet interesting
features. 1t was the gentle and de-
jected expression of her countenance
that first attracted the attention of
officer Fitzpatrick. The Gascons and
italian dealers about the market had
never made complaint in regard to
the bad money, as they could readily
pass it off on one another or at the
coffee houses along the river front.
Following the girl one day the Of
f1cer traced her to a little variety
store on st. Joseph street, near the
corner of Tchoupitoulas street. After
a short time had elapsed the girl
came out of the shop. She was now
attired in somewhat above the COM
mon garb. Unobserved by her, the
officer watched her movements until
she finally went into a small grocery
store. When she came out she car
ried a package. 1t was plain that she
had made a purchase. When the girl
was we'll out of sight the detective
stepped into the little store and re-
quested the Creole boy in attendance
to let him see the money that he had
received from the girl that had just
left the place. 1t was a new five
dollar note that the boy handed out
Looking it over carefully it was found
to be one of the bogus kind.
The officer made plausible ex-
PLANTATION that he thought sufficient to
satisfy the curiosity of the boy, and
was now quite certain that he was on
the track of the source of the counter
feits and that the occupants of the lit
tie variety store were the distributors
of the bogus stuff.
Opposite the variety store across
the street was the sign Furnished
Rooms to Rent" and Fitzpatrick was
fortunate enough to be able to hire a
front room where he could sit at the
window and watch the suspected
place In the course of time he learned
that the occupants were mother and
daughter. The mother was a widow,
quite pretty, about thirty years of
age. Her daughter was not more than
twelve or fourteen. AS the wheels of
time rolled on it was learned further
that the husband had died but short
time before and that the family had
entombed in New Orleans. 1t was
|
store was a resort for persons who
would bear watching. The officer no
ticed that the woman who was the oc
cupant occasionally left this place of
business carrying a basket on her
arm and that she was always looking
over her shoulder and peering about
as If she suspected she was being
watt he'd. Tracking her one day, she
led the way to the ST. Louis cemetery
on Basin street. Approaching a
tomb, she knelt down before it and
bowed her head as if engaged in
prayer. Leaning against tomb near
by was welEdressed man apparently
waiting for some one. AS the detec-
tive carelessly sauntered along he
| drew near the stranger, and as he did