The Washington times., 1912-03-12
OF HER
DAUGHTER HALTS
MRS. CAGES PLEA
Woman Accused of Threats
Still in Asylum Pending
T.. Court Action.
CONTINUED from First Page1

have a talk with her daughter, Miss
Margaret Calvin Gage. He said he
could not discuss the case until after
he had learned more of the details /
regarding the commitment of his sis
ter.
Later in the day Mr. Mott said he
expected to visit his sister at the asy-
lum and then talk with Major Syl-
vester, superintendent of police, as to
what steps would be taken. No state
ment could be obtained as to whether
steps would be taken to have Mrs.
Gage released by habcas corpus pro-
ceedings.
Under the law 1t will be necessary to
give Mrs. Gage a trial in open court
within the next thirty days in order
that the jury can pass on her sanity.
The arrest of Mrs. Gage on charge
of threatening, the life of Mr.. Bell,
which was printed exclusively in The
Times yesterday, created a sensation be-
cause of the prominence of the persons
involved.
The warrant charging Mrs. Gage with
threats was sworn out in the Police
Court by Central Office Detective Evans,
but as soon as Mrs. Gage, accompanied
by her daughter, came to headquarters
In response to a telephone message that
Inspector BOardman wanted to have
talk with her, it was clear that plans
had been carefully made to have her
SAdIlllltu as " ltl llleuldl COllulllOll'
Police Surgeon Present.
DR.. II. II. Lawson. police surgeon,
was present during her conversation
with lnSD"ctur Boardman. and as soon
as she was taken TO the House of De-
tention Dr.. William A. White, SuPerin-
tcndcnt of the Government Hospital for
tic Insane, and Police Surgeons Law
son ana Barry subjected her to series
of mental tests.
An affidavit charging insanity was
filed and Sanitary officer Sroufe made
out the necessary papers committing
her to the asylum.
In the meantime, Miss Gage was hur-
rying around the city in a futile effort
ON the threat charge. But had she OBJ
tained the necessary bond. Mrs. Gage
would not have been released. The OBJ
tanning OF bOndsman had been dis
counted by the police, and had accept
able surety been furnished on the threat
charge the additional charge of insan-
itv would have been filed Immediately.
Mrs Gage is alleged to have said
she would kill Mr.. Bell and hang for
IT" because she believed the banker
had used his influence to keep herself
society. MI. Bell, it is stated, hardly
knew Mrs. Gage. and avs at a loss
to understand why she harbored any
alleged grievance against him. 1t is
also charged that Mrs. Gage threat
ened to horsewhip Mr.. Bell in some
public place.
Miss Margaret Calvin Gage is an
attractive young woman of twenty
two. When seen this morning she re-
peated her. statements of Yesterday
that her mother is the "victim of a
social Black Hand; a Malta that is
as deadly as the Italian one, in keep
ing people out Of society"
Mrs. Gage Is the widow of Harley Cal
vim Gage. of Illinois, and since coming
to Washington has been before the pub
lie on different occasions. Some time ago
she wrote a book entitled THE Royal
Descent and Colonial Ancestry of Mrs.
Harley Calvin Gage"
Mr.. Bell stated that neither he nor
the company of which he is the head
had had any dealings with Mrs Gage
why she supposed he had done any
thing to iniure her. The charge that
Mr.; Bell had sought to keep Mrs. Gage
and her daughter out of society was
characterized by Attorney A. S. Worth
ington, representing Mr.. Bell, as alb
The threats which Mrs. Gage is all
legged to have made to kill Mr.. Bell
were made, it is charged, through third
parties.
Seek Relatives.
For some time the police and Mr. Bell
have been trying to have relatives Of
Mrs. Gage put her in an institution,
In order to avoid swearing out a war
rant for her arrest a week ago De-
tective Evans went to Newark and had
talk with Mr.. Mott, but he said he
old not want to take the initiative in
having his siser committed to an in
sutution. He said that if conditions
became such that the police found it
necessary to place his sister under ar
rest, he would take a hand in the
matter then and do whatever was best
Mrs. Gage and her daughter have been
frequent callers at Police Headuuarters
during the last few months the police
having tried to straighten matters out
without placing Mrs. Gage under arrest.
She has had numerous conferences with
inspector Boardman during the last few
weeks.
Mrs. Gage also believed that efforts
were being made in certain channels to
get her to dispose of her Dupont Circle
property at price less than its actual
worth.
Miss Margaret Calvin Gage, daughter
of Mrs. Gage. in defense of her mother,
has made the following statement:
My mother is the victim OF a social
Black Hand. a Malta as vicious and
deadly as the italian one. The COW
ardly arrest of her today at the inSti-
CATION of Charles j. Bell, who is the
head OF the organization OF gOciety real
estate dealers conducting the Mafia,
is but the elimination of seven long
years of persecution on the EaTt of Mr.
Bell and his friends againsE both my
I'VE came to Washington from New
York seven years ago and stopped at
the New willard Hotel. We entertainC d
quite a bit and were entertained. Soon
the real estate dealers began to try to
sell us property. Mr.. Kerr Mr.. Bell $
brother-in-law, a member of the firm
of Fitch. Fox & Brown. finally sue
ceeded in selling mother the house we
now occupy at Dupont Circle.
I'VE have understood since that Mr..
Kerr was acting for Mr. Bell. AS an
inducement to purchase, Mr.. Kerr prom
ised us that he would see we met nice
people If we took the house.
Reports Circulated
Shortly after we bought the house
We began to hear of reports that were
being spread about us by Mr.. Bell and
his friends, who, 1t was stated. said
that We were not quite good, socially
speaking, etc.
His effort was to make us dlssatis-
fed with Washington, and so sell the
house back to him cheaper than we
obtained 1t. The property, meantime,
was becoming more valuable. Every
little while Mr.. Bell would send an
s,gNr H..