The New York herald., 1920-12-25
FRAUD Is CHARGED
TO DOCTORS WIFE
Mrs. Ruth RuickOldt Said by
Police to Be Self-con-
fessed Swindler.
AFTER RUSE
Dummy Package Used by jew
elry Firm Leads to Her
Capture Here.
AFTER RUSE

woman who told the police that she
was Mrs. Ruth Ruickoldt, the wife of
DR.. Charles A. Iuickoldt of $50 Chapel
street New Haven. Conn. was arrested
yesterday by Detective Sergeant Frank
Cassasa of the West Thirtieth street
station in the office Of tho Adams Ex-
press Company in 90 Broadway and
locked up at Police Headquarters on the
charge of grand larceny.
The complainant is Mrs. Elna Sharp
of Derby, Conn, who accuses Mrs. Ruick-
oldt of defrauding her of $1,000. The
prisoner also Is accused of trying to
defraud the jewelry firm of Stone &
Berry of New London out of diamond
ring and gold watch set with diamonds
by using the name Of Mrs. Alfred Mitch
ell, related to the Tiffany family and
prominent in society in New London.
Mrs. Ruickoldt was arrested by De-
tective Cassasa when she went to the
express office and claimed a package
shipped to New York by Stone 4 Berry
and addressed to Mrs. Mitchell. This
package. the detectives say. Mrs. Ruick-
oldt thought contained the ring and the
watch but in reality it was a dummy
package and a trap to catch the wom-
an, who is alleged to have signed the
name of Mrs. Mitchell to the receipt
for it.
Confessed, Say Police.
When she was taken before Inspector
Coughin in the Detective Bureau at
Police Headquarters Mrs. RuiSkholdt IN
sisted for two hours that she was really
Mrs. Mitchell, but the police say she
broke down and confessed when the
police showed her reports from the
Pinkerton Detective Agency to prove
that Mrs. Mitchell was in Florida for
the winter
The police declare that Mrs. Ruickoldt
admitted that some time ago she tele-
phoned to the jewelry firm in New
London saying that she was Mrs
Mitchell and ordering the diamond ring
and the gold watch sent to her at the
express office in New York. She also
is accused of having told the jewelry
firm to charge the two articles to Mrs.
Mitchell's account.
During the work of preparing the ring
and the watch some question arose con-
corning them, and clerk was sent by
the jewelry house to Mrs. Mitchells
New London home, where. the police
say, it was learned that Mrs. Mitchell
was in Florida and that she had given
no such order. The Pinkertons were
then notified, and upon their instruc-
ton the dummy package was prepared
and sent to New York and the New
York police were notified.
The police also say that Mrs. Ruickoldt
admitted that on December 2 she tele-
phone to Mrs. Elna Sharp i'm Derby.
saying that she was Mrs. Sharp's
cousin, Mrs. Charlotte e. Sharp of 29O
Westminster street Providence, r. /.
According to the accusation against her,
the prisoner told Mrs. Sharp that she
was in trouble in New York and needed
$1,000. which Mrs. Sharp wired to the
McAlpin Hotel at once
Identified by Clerk.
The police say that this telegraphic
order for the money was cashed by Mrs.
Ruickoldt, Who signed the name of Mrs.
Charlotte Il. Sharp to the receipt. She
was identified at headquarters yesterday
by the clerk of the Western Union Tele-
graph Company. who paid her the
money.
Mrs. Ruickoldt is also said by the po-
lice to have told them that she has been
living at the Murray Hill Hotel under
the name of Mrs. L. L. Porter and
that she had stayed at the Commodore
under the name of Mrs. Charlotte e.
Sharp. Detectives who searched her
room at the Murray Hill found dresses
and lingerie valued at several thousand
dollars, which they are trying to trace.
Mrs. Ruickoldt would give the police
no reason for her actions. When she
was asked why she had defrauded Mrs
Sharp and attempted to defraud Mrs.
Mitchell she said:
II was very foolish woman. II my
husband ever hears OF this he will COM
NIT suicide"