New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-19
FLAGLER WIDOW
PLACED ON TRIAL
Got S4,435 from Sc Phone
Operator, He SayS-Was
to Have 100000.

Mrs. Fora Emma Howe, once cook
IN a small town In Ohio and more re-
Gently self-convinced that she was the
widow of Henry NJ. Flagler, the Stand
ard Oil man, went on trial before Judge
Mulqueen and a jury in General SEES
sions Yesterday, charged with obtain
ing s4,435 from Frank J. hahoney' q
telephone operator.
Mahoney alleges that Mrs. Howe as
sured him that she was Mr.. Flagler' s
widow and that she got the money from
him on a statement that she was to
inherit sl5,O0O.000 from the estate,
whereupon he was TO become her secre-
tary al a salary Of $4,000 d year.
Mahoney was the only witness yes
terday. taking the stand soon after the
jury had been selected. deputy As
sistant J. .rict Attorney John NJ. Min
ton is prosecuting the case Abraham
Levy is the WOman's attorney.
More than fifty years old, with white
hair. Mrs. Howe's appearance yesterday
seemed not TO measure up to the
charges that she wheedled thousands
Of dollars in cash and credit out Of
gullible members of the stronger sex.
During Mahoney's testimony, in which
he repeated conversations alleged 20
have been held between him and Mrs.
Howe, the Jurors frequently glanced at
her, seemingly unable TO believe that
this woman could have been as sue
cessful in her financial endeavors as is
alleged.
Lent Her s25.
Mahoney is under thirty. He met
her in the Office of the New York Tele-
phone Company. in Dey Street, on April
so last. At that time he was employed
there as an operator, at Sc week, and
SIG q week as a city employe. He had
saved about S400 and also owned ten
shares of Miami Copper Stock and one
hundred shares of Mother Lode Cop
per. e..
"She came into the telephone Office"
Mahouey testified, land, after making a
long distance call, she said to me-:
These girls here are very good 10 ne.
They know I'm Mrs. Henry VI. flagler.'
I've had quite conversation, and
in the course of il she told me that
she lived at the Hotel York and that
she needed a private secretary. She
said she was going to inherit $15,000,-
600 from her late husbands estate
when it was settled on May 20.
"Our conversation closed with an ar
rangement to meet on the day follow
ing at the National City Bank. | met
her there. At once she told me that
she was in temporary difficulties that
stocks and bonds she had in the Gar
field National Bank were tied up pend
ing the settlement Of the estate. She
needed a small amount Of money i'm
mediately. she said, and on her prom
ise to pay me 500 in return, ! let her
have 500.
Promised Him S1.000,00O.
"As the conversation went along and
she talked of millions of dollars my
enthusiasm increased. She told me she
would make me her secretary at 100000
a year, and that when all the legal
matters had been cleared up she would
give me 100000 Of the sl5,0OO,OOO
she said she would inherit.
81 met her several times after that,
and though ] received no money from
her her talk convinced me that she was
a fairy who had come down TO point
the way 20 wealth. ! had the greatest
confidence in her words and continued
10 advance money 10 her. her eXplana-
lions Away sounding satisfactory TO
me"
To Mr. Levy's questions on cross
examination Mahoney said that most
Of the money he loaned 10 Mrs. Howe
he borrowed from relatives and friends,
among them George Eberle, chief clerk
of the Civil Service Commission; James
j. Mcmahon, a clerk in the commission,
I'll 81 ri IN ha
Office Of the Corporation Counsel. He
admitted that 10 each relative from
whom he borrowed money he promised
$4,000 when he got his 100000
Mahoney viii resume the stand at
1O.ln cfcforL chic