Evening star., 1923-03-09
POLICE SEEK TRAIL
OF VISITING WIDOW
Woman Told Story of ST..
600 Legacy at Many
Homes Here.

A woman about sixty years Of age
who, according to her story, is a re-
cent widow with an estate Of $4,000
Boston, Grand Rapids, Wilmington
and Denver. and who has affiliations
with the Lutheran, Christadelph,an
Nazarene and other churches, is being
sought by the police today as the
professional widow" to clear up a
few points that have cropped up since
she vanished some days ago,
Al tho home of Rev. c; n. Jarrett
1890 b street southeast, she was
known as Mrs. Mary Holden. She
left last Tuesday to go to the Riggs
Bank and see about $4,000 or so to
take care Of Housekeeping deal she
was figuring on. She has not been
But Mrs. Jarrett has informed the po-
lice that she has compared notes with
four other persons who describe a
wayfaring visitor similar to Mrs
Holden.
Stopped at Many Homes.
At Ave Washington homes, IL was
learned today. the woman told a
story that was in one detail the
same. and IN half a dozen others she
told different stories altogether
Mr.. and Mrs. Joseph @. Carlson.
129 street, IL was reported, had
entertainde a lady with sharp fea-
beads about her neck and a Boston
bag. who was a Christian Endeavor
worker. The lady told Mrs Carlson
that she had been recently bereaved
and that her husband left his estate
OF $4,000, accumulated IN the drug
business, to her
She was in Washington looking for
nome. She was going to pay SILL
600 cash for it She stopped with the
Carlsons for one night
Now there were two or three dia
mond rings in the house which could
easily have been taken, according to
members of the family. but they were
not touched by the visitor. She did
say that her son needed $1,000, and
that she had only 81 in change, but
Mrs. Carlson was not responsive.
Later the visitor had a coin holder
that needed two dimes to be filled up
and the two dimes were provided.
Went House Hunting.
When the wayfarer stopped at the
home of John S. Allison, at 1919 Morse
street northeast. she said she was q
Lutheran. Her husband had just died
she said, and left an estate valued a,
something like s21.ooo. He had beer
in the drug business etc. She was
looking for a homo. etc. Her furni.
ture was on its way from Boston
etc. This was on Thursday Of last
week and the Allisons reported moth
ing missing.
She also called at the home of Mr.
and Mrs. E. W. Farley, 3542 11th
street. Here the visitor was an ar.
Loo al tn tfov1 ~
worker. The husband in this story
had been q resident Of Denver. The
furniture was on the way. Farley
being with a local real estate firm
showed the woman q number OF
houses. No purchase Is recorded.
Mrs. B. w. Brookbank at her home
i15 4th street northeast. also enter
tanned the visitor one day. She was
Nazarene Church enthusiasts here. But
Mrs. Brookbank could not accornmo-
date her. The lady was affronted, the
police were told, at the inability OF
tho selected hostess to provide accom-
modations and left abruptly.
The last stop was at the home OF
Rev. c. N. Jarrett, pastor OF the FIJI
teenth Street Christian Church. at 1890
b street southeast. There the lady
shared the same denomination. The
scene Of her bereavement was Grand
Rapids, Mich. Furniture, on the way
etc. ad infinitum. She mentioned 9
son who was coming to Washington
as a craftsman In the Navy Depart
ment, taking the job next Wednesday.
Incidentally, the Navy Department
knows nothing OF q man with such q
name as Holden, which was the one
used by the visitor.
She took out an unsealed letter and
$40 and asked Mrs. Jarrett for change
There was no change and Mrs. Jar
rett advanced IS. The lady started
for the Riggs Bank and has not been
heard Of since.