The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-01-13


impostor.
have been living in feigned abject
destitution. dressing herself and her
twin girls. Iris and Lirfs, In fatterS
and feeding them crusts OF bread and
hot water To keep up her alleged de-
ception In order to draw from King
county "a widows pension Of so =
month.
HAS $1,000 CASH ON
DEPOSIT IN BANK
Judge King oykeman. head Of the
juvenile and mothers pension de-
partments OF the superior court. said
today he had only recently disc0v-
cred that Mrs. Hurst was not only
able financially to support herself
and family but is actually woman
OF no small wealth, with $4,000 cash
on deposit in local bank and other
property OF value.
She is charged with perjury and,
following her arrest on a warrnnt
made out by Deputy Prosecutor Joln
ID. Carmody and sworn TO by Judge
Dykeman. was lodged In the county
Jail in default Of $500 bail.
Deputy Sheriffs William Sears anl
Napoleon LoveaA. who served The
warrant and arrested Mrs. Hurst
said today they found her home =
masterpiece OF poverty and her ON
and her children's wardrobe = -
Of rags.
TOTTERs WEAKLY INTO
OFFICE: TELLS PITIFUL STONY
On September Is. according u
Judge Dykeman. the supposed widow
totiered into tn. mothers pension
department weak from apparently
genuine lack of nourishment and
told a pitiful story that wrung the
hearts OF department heads and a.
taches.
She was speedily provided for.
She left after swearing she was en-
titled TO a pension for herself and
her twin daughters. making Affidavit
under oath that she had no money
in bank and had sold no property
during the year last past.
1t was understood by the depart
ment that her husband was not liv-
ing. When arrested. II is said. she
admitted she had "A living husband.
II years of age. residing in the Old
Soldiers home at Port Orchard No
record of such a man could be found
at the home today. Mrs Hurst
Is IS.
The complaint filed by the prose
cutting attorneys office charges that
Mrs. Hurst's account at the Union
Savings & Loan bank, at ais Pike
ST.. shows $4,000 cash on deposit. and
that in June. 1920. she sold a pieca
OF property TO buyer named c. G.
Pinckney. The consideration Is not
named.
Il never saw n more decrcpit. pitt
able looking woman" said Judge
Dykeman. "On Christmas II is the
custom of the Juvenile and mothers
pension departments to see that
every poor family. especially where
there are children. is provided with
a basket of food.
ASKS FOR BASKET OF
FOOD FOR HER GIRLS
MANY well-to-do women take 4
hand in this welfare work at Christ
mas time. Mrs. Flora A. Bixby. OF
263l Harvard ave. N. volunteered TO
see that Mrs. Hurst and her daugh-
ters We're provided with Christmas
dinner. and when Mrs. Hurst hobbled
into the mothers pension depart
ment a few days after Christmas and
complained that her little girlS had
had no Christmas dinner. we loaded
her down with basket of goodies.
gave her some street car tokens and
sent her on her way.
"She got on a street car. paid her
fare with one of the tokens we had
given her and rode down toy the
bank. where she drew out $194 Of
interest accrued from her deposits.
1--WE didn't know anything OF the
incident at the bank, or in fact any
thing about her deception, until We
went to see Mrs. Bixhy.
WERE VEXED BECAUSE
SHE HAD BEEN OVERLOOKED
1--WE We're quite put out because
Mrs. Bixby had not fulfilled her
promise to furnish n Christmas
basket to the Hursts. We asked her
casually IL she had overlooked tho
matter.
"'Why. no.. she said. 7 didn't
overlook it. That woman has lots Of
money
1T was not until then that we
began checking up on Mrs. Hurst
or even suspected her. l have been
aware for some time that imposteYs
occasionally fleece the mothers pen
T,f
but usually We merely reprimand
them and cut off their pension.
Mrs Hurst's case seemed to be
so absolutely genuine that perhaps
IL wasn't investigated as thoroly as
II should have been until after Mrs.
Bixby found her out Her case Is
so fragrant that | decided we must
prosecute"