The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-09-21
Gretchen, with Albumin air"
Helped Get More Than
Million by Blackmail.
GIRL OF THAT TYPE
WAS HERE FOR FAIR
Chief Hutson Does Not Believe
Woman Wanted Makes
Visits to Cape.

known as Gretchen" who played an
important part in the gigantic black
mail plot recently unearthed in Chica-
go, whereby number of women OBJ
tanned more than $1,OOO,O0O, is being
sought in Cape Girardeau.
The police were asked last night to
make a search for a girl known as
"Gretchen," with auburn hair, who is
said to be frequent visitor of re-
sorts in this city. A young woman,
who is known as Gretchen" was in
terviewed last night by the police, but
her hair did not meet the description
of the Chicago girls locks. Chief Hut
son learned last night that there is a
girl who frequently visits the Cape
from Poplar Bluff, who has red hair
and whose stage name is Gretchen "
She was in this city twice last week,
the police learned, but her present
whereabouts could not be ascertained
The girl sought is native of St
Louis. Her correct name is May Traub.
A number of the women implicated in
the plot have been arrested by Federal
officials in Chicago, and a nationwide
search is being made for more than
| fhran - otl,n,-
Chief Hutson does not believe that
the authenticated woman has visited
this city. "a woman shrewd enough
to participate in a plot of such gigan-
tic proportions" said Chief Hutson,
would not spend her time in a city
this size, unless it was for the purpose
of hiding. But will instruct the po-
lice to be on the lookout"
The members of the alleged black
mailing band will be arraigned before
the Federal authorities here for pro-
ceedings, seeing to return them to
Philadelphia for trial. The charge on
which removal will be sought is the
kidnapping of Government witness at
Philadelphia.
Mrs. Edna Klipper of Philadelphia,
who is said to have given $500 to the
swindlers, was notified by the Federal
District Attorney she would be called
as Government witness. The wire
had been tapped, and before the mar
shall arrived a man representing him
self to be the deputy marshal, called
and saked Mrs. Klipper to go with him
to the train. She awoke in Montreal,
where she was detained. Mrs. Klipper
is expected in Chicago late today.
Clagaugh telegraphed to st. Louis to
arrest a red-haired girl known as
Gretchen, whose real name is May
Traub. She is said to be at 1900 Olive
street in st. Louis.
The tango parlors, hotels and clubs
of New York, Philadelphia, Boston, At
lantic City, and other large cities are
said to have been the favor hunting
grounds of the band. They have en-
gagged Charles E. Erbstein, a we'll
known criminal lawyer, and expect to
make strong fight for liberty.
The women of the party are alleged
by Government authorities to have
been used to entrap rich men into COM
promising positions and then blackmail
them. The men are said to have SINH
larly entrapped rich women. The per-
sons held in the County Jail on FEEDER
al warrtans are: Edward Donahue,
alias "Doc" Donahue; Mrs. Edward
Donohue, Mrs. Helen Evers (alias),
Mrs. George Brown, Henry Russell,
James Christian, alias H. J. Cross;
George Bland, Mrs. Frances Allen.
alias Mrs. Frances Chapman.
Additional arrests of members of the
alleged national Matchmaking gang
were expected today by United States
operatives and police working here on
the big plot.
H. c. Woodward, said by investiga-
tors to be the brains of the gang, is
being sought, and H. s. Clabaugh, Fed
eral investigator, said today that Fed
eral authorities have positive clews
that will lead to his arrest and that of
another woman, in few days.
Clabsugh also announced that Rich
ard Barrett and Edward ]. Thompson,
whom he says formerly were members
of the gang, have agreed to testify for
the State. Their stories are said to
have caused Sunday mornings raid.
The Federal authorities state dtoday
that they had in their possession
names of number of Chicago men
and women. many of them rich, who
have been victimized by the band. They
will be called into court to testify to-
morrow if their stories. ara dsemed