The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-04-12
DOUBLE LIFE Of.
MOTHER Of 10
REVEALED
pChauffeurs Charged With
5lackmaiI Claim Woman
Is ''Taxicab Fiend."
BY International News Service.

rn4LADELPdlA, Pa, April
12.-Mrs. Anna Beswick, fifty,
mother Of eighteen children, who
admitted bigamy yesterday to rid
herself, as she said, of three men
who had utilized her imprudent
act for blackmailing purposes, was
to be given a hearing in a magis-
trate's court today on charges of
forgery and pretense preferred rs
q result Of her alleged forgery Of
the name of Judge J. w. Martin
in letters which enabled her to
borrow money.
Called Taxi Fiend.
The three men accused of black
mailing turned upon Mrs. Beswick
this morning and declared her q
'*axicab fiend"-possessed of an
Unsuitable desire to ride in a cab
for hours. They asserted all the
money they received from her was
in payment of taxi bills and pay
ment of loans they advanced her.
They denied ever blackmailing her
to the extent of $4,000, as she
charged.
Beswick, a carpenter, declared he
wants to forget about the whole
sordid case" He admitted his wife
served six months in prison in
1917 for passing a bad check.
Men Arrested.
The men, Herbert Russie, thirty.
nine, and Irwin Hamilton, thirty
two. were placed under arrest yes
terday.
Further questioning of the woman
led early last evening to the arrest
Of John Mccoy. forty years, near
the home of the woman's first hus-
band, where she lived in the day.
time with the father Of the eighteen
children she gave birth to during
her married life.
Mccoy, according to the woman,
was the brains Of the trio Of black.
mailers. Together with Hamilton.
he operated a taxicab that took
her on more than one occasion
from her West Philadelphia home
to the palAtial house OF Mr.. Martin
in Fox Chase. and sometimes re-
turned for her in the morning.
The drivers soon learned of the
woman's double life and are said to
have extorted various sums from
her to keep silence. The three are
charged with conspiracy, extortion
and blackmail.
Husband" Arrives.
William c.. Martin, of Fox Chase,
vice president Of a bank in that
suburb and president Of the Penn
sylvania Cold Storage and Market
Company, the latest husband of the
woman, whom she married on Feb
ruary 26, came to City Hall as
soon as he learned Of the woman's
arrest and Immediately went into
trict Attorney Maurer. An hour
admitted Mrs. Beswick had obtained
money from him, he said he could
not give the amount. He appeared
stunned as he talked with reporters,
but refused to divulge anything that
would be of a damaging nature
against the woman.
Say Woman Fleeced Them.
Mrs. Beswick whose hair is
streaked with gray, is about fifty
years old and, when arrested, was
modishly dressed and wore an ex.
pensive fur coat. She was taken
into custody on charges preferred
by William Shuman, a clerk, and
Ralph Hawthorne, chauffeur.
Hamilton and Shuman charged that
the woman fleeced them out of
$1,000 on the strength Of representa-
tons of letters supposed to have
been signed by Judge J. Willis
Martin, who is not related to the
second husband Of the woman.
Mrs. Beswick denied that she had
taken part In any such transaction,
but said that she had taken all the
money she paid to the blackmailers
from Mr.. Martin. She admitted,
however, that she had been ar
rested on charges of swindling in
1917 preferred by merchants. rela-
tives and friends.
The detectives had no idea the
woman was a bigamist until she
cried out while they were question.
ing her. Don't tell Mr.. Martin
It will kill him. Please don't ask
me to tell my story. I love Mr..
Martin. He was kind to me and
always a gentleman" she sobbed,
Historically. II took every cent Of
that money from Mr.. Martin. I
didn't want to do 1t, but they
threatened me and drove me to it.
Persistently pressed for her story,
Mrs. Beswick told of how she fooled
both husbands with her double life.
Get haNn hoou thu Tnnfhor nf oiul1f.
cen children. seventeen boys and
one girl. Nine of those children,
are living now eight sons and one
daughter The oldest is twenty.
six and the youngest five. They're
old enough, I'm sorry to say, to re-
alize the disgrace their mother is
bringing on them.
st started out as a poor but hon.
est woman. I have no estate. i've
been in this country thirty-two
years from Germany, where was
born, and 1 lived as mother should
live until these blackmailers made
me rob Mr.. Martin Of $4,000. /
know it's that much, within a yea-.
They got nearly every dollar of
that money by threatening me that
they would reveal my secret to Mr..
Martin, and break up my home
with man loved. / foolishly
talked too much when riding in a
taxicab which they hired at stand
at Sixteenth and Market streets. 1
used their taxicab to go to Mr.. Mar
tins home, which is beautiful
stone mansion in Fox Chase, when
he was counting me.
Betrayed by Taking Taxicab.
"T was foolish enough to use tho
same taXicab hack to my humble
hnsenA m Mantna ouAnua Vrhnna