Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-01-23

Ruth viscont the woman Of mystery
In President Wilson's peace note leak prob
under way in New York today formerl!
lived in Philadelphia in fact, she was mar
ried here after lot of thrills and trouble.
Her identity was established today by
William West who managed The Spruce
an apartment house at 7l2-7l4 Spruce
street, at the same time that his wife hat
a rooming house for young women at 101'
Spruce street. This was in 1911. Records
at City Hall tell of her marriage here or
June 26, 1911.
When shown a picture OF Ruth Visconti
Mr.. West. who now lives at Green's Hotel
Immediately recognized her.
"She is the same woman" he said. {"
know that same old smile. An, she is
shrewd one. l know IL is she, for | never
forget face. She was not Ruth VisGont
when / knew her She was Ruth Thomas.
son then. But she was coming to my house
712-714 Spruce street. then to see this
Frank Visconti. a Mexican whom she after
ward married. Frank was student at a
business college with his two brothers. They
were sent here from Mexico by their father
who was wealthy man. Ruth knew them
all right Afterward they were sent home
from the college.
"TThe woman had the most winning ways
Mr. West said, II tell you she Is shrewd.
She has those winning ways, and she gets
a persons confidence.
'.she knew Young Visconti was the son
or q wealthy Mexican WHO nau DeeN sent
here with his two brothers to be educated,
The boys were doing well in their work.
She kept calling them at my house
where the boys roomed until ordered her
away. The principal OF the college and
! had a meeting TO decide what should be
done,
FINALLY. the three young men were sent
back to Mexico under charge Of a guardian
TO prevent any communication with the
woman" said Mr. West, but when they
got as far as New Orleans, Francisco, or
Frank. the youngest of the three as ne
called himself here. slipped away from the
guardian and came back to Philadelphia
and married Ruth Thomasson. She was a
stenographer at Broad and Chestnut streets
when she lived in Philadelphia
Mr.. West says he thinks Mrs. Visconu,
the ''Woman of Mystery" has worked her-
self into the good graces Of Thomas w
Lawson. He continued:
'Young Viscont was crazy about her
She was not pretty. II was Just her WIN
ming ways / do not know II she is living
with her husband now, or anything about
them. l had not heard Of her for years
until saw the articles in the paper about
the leak probe Then recognized her IN
stantly."
Mr. West says that after his marriage
to Miss Thomasson, young Viscontts father
"threw him over" and he says that the
Woman of Mystery" obtained position
for him in a department store In this city
Records at the business college show
that the three Visconti boys were named
Arehangel. SalvIdor and Francisco. Fran
cisco went by the name of Frank, accord
ing to Mr.. West who says he was youth
Of twenty-five AT the business college,
Il was said the Visconti boys did not
remain there long. that they were not grad
uated, and that all trace of them had been
lost by the college. The latest city direc-
tory contains no record OF any one by the
name of ViscOnti.
Marriage license bureau records prove
Mr Vests statements concerning the mar
riage of the Vsconti boy and Ruth Thorn
asson In this city.
The record shows their license was No,
a67501 II was filed on June %, 1911.
1T shows that Frank Vsconti, born in
Mexico August IA. 1858, whose home was
at Rosalia Station Mexico, was married
June 26, 1911. to Ruth Thomasson, born
in Kentucky, September l3, 1885. She gave
her home address as 1913 Spruce street.
A note In ink on the outside OF the record
shows the marriage was performed at St.
Joseph's Catholic Church, vikings Alley,
below Fourth street.