Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-16
GIRLS KEEPS POISON
PEN NOTES SECRET
FROM THEIR FATHER
When He Receives One
Himself Postal Authorities
Are Called In and Dress
maker Is Arrested.

Three sisters who had been receiving
poison pen" letters for nearly two yeafs
kept them a secret until the mysterious
was the story told today by the Misses
Mary, Helen and Aanes Timmons, daugh-
ters Of z. p. Tinmons, 10 Chester pike,
Sharon Hill. Miss Anna stahl, a dress
maker, who lives within six blocks Of
the Timmons family. lie alleged TO be
the writer OF the letters. She was held
under 800 bail after hearing before
United States Commissioner Charles W.
Edmonds.
When MI Timmons, fish and oyster
commission merchant at Water and
Dock streets, received tho letter, he had
il put In the hands OF the postal authori-
ties. Three months work by Inspector
Mathew Mcvicar resulted In the arrest
OF Miss stahl. She denies having written
the letters, though her handwriting. ac-
cofding TO experts, conforms closely
with that In the poison pen letters which
have been streaming into the Tlrnmons
homo for the last two years.
It Is doubtful If the mystery would ever
have been cleared UP had tho writer con-
Hned her attentions to tho three Tim
mons girls. For nearly two years they
received the letters every few days. but
the letters always we're torn UP and de-
stroyed without ever being discussed.
The four LISTERS. two Of them written
by Miss Stahl, were submitted to I. H.
McCool, a handwriting expert. who de-
clared they were all the work of the same
person. The writer OF tho poison pen
A-l. fa Il 5,ant t,ar ur-rtt tvaof
but after the first few lines assumed
characteristics disappeared and the script
grew natural.
100 LETTERS RECEIVED.
All the letters sent to tho Timmons
girls were unprintable. There have been
more than a hundred in all. McVicar be-
leves and they came at intervals Of a
few days. Most of them were mailed in
Philadelphia. but two which will be Of
fered as evidence came from Darby.
OF all the letters only four remain. The
Timmons girls tore them up as soon as
they arrived and said nothing about them.
Finally, irritatod. 1t is believed. by the
failure to arouse the girls to showing
they had received the letters, the nysteri-
ous writer addressed Mr.. Timmons. The
first note reached him in December and
that his daughters should be watched and
contained vicious accusations.
For some time Timmons tried unsuc-
cessful!y to hnd who was writing the
letters. and then offered the reward OF
$500. That failed, and he turned TO the
postal inspectors.
At frat It was believed that the letters
were inspired by jealousy. and on that
assumption several Sharon Hnl young
women were closely watched. When sus-
picion fell on Miss Stahl however, that
theory was discarded.
There has never been "a man in the
case" according TO the Investigators. A
youth who was boarding with the Stahls
was sent away the day after McV!car
questioned their daughter, in order that
suspicion could not be attached to her
through his presence. It is said he called
twice at the Timuons home. II am old
enough to be his mother, anyway" Miss
Stahl declared when his name was
brought into the questioning.
The case !s a mystery to Mr.. Tim
mons the father OF the girls. who re-
Ceived the letters.
OFFERED REWARD FOR AUTHORS
Mr.. Tirnmons offered reward OF 500
when he first learned tho letters We're
coming into his house, but efforts OF
private detectives to md who was writ.
ing them were futile.
In NAV he appealed to the postal in
spectors. and Mathew McVicar set out
tc learn the Identity OF the writer.
TT was a process of elimination thai
LED us 20 suspect Miss shaw" said Nc,
Vicar today "A list of persons who NIGH
have written the letters was prepared
hut u was cut down until only Mis-;
| Stahl remained. This was last May,
The evidence on which MISS Stahl waI
| held yesterday was secured by hcVical
| on June /. That day he went to see
| Miss stahl at her home. Miss Stahl il
! a woman OF Al. She and her mother anC
/ a Younger brother have lived in a small
/ double house at Sharon HIN for ter
! years The accused woman is Il dress
/ maker, often employed by wealthy Phila
/ delphians and residents OF the suburbs.
/ McVicar found Miss stshl at home anC
I told her she was suspected OF hayin.
written the letters TO the Timmons strls
She denied il.
/ Why, Just TO prove that those letters
were not mine I'll write you specimen
! she told McVicar He had her copy TIVE
/ OF tine notes sent to Miss Helen Timmons
/ Miss Stshl vas very nervous while Nc
/ Vicar questioned her. he says and denieC
repeatedly that she had had any hand II
the poison pen letters.
Il never have seen Miss Stahl, or il
have : did not know her. he said TO
day Il ann told that she made som
dresses for my daughter Helen but tina
was several years ago. No one cOul
have any cause 10 write letters OF tina
I kind, am glad an arrest has bee
made, but I am chiefly anxious 10 hay
the letters stopped"
Helen Timmons, who received most o
the letters. Is not yet Is Years old Sh
Was a student az the, SWsrthmore P~e
paTstoTy SChoo! all last winter and vi
be graduated next June il she returns I
school My daughter is not strong,
said Mr.. TinmOnE. and ] doubt whethe
shall send her back 10 school for
month or two The letters have wOrrie
her seriously"
Miss Stahl may be tried early neE
week. The arrest was not made unit
yesterday because the courts were |
recess during the summer and the posts
authorities were certain she could b
found when they wanted her.
Miss StahPs attorney. q. PiantO
Middleton. Is not in Philadelphia toda.
but his partner. John Blakeley said h
was confident the charges against Ais
Stahl would be found without basis whe
| all eVtdencs haard