BERTHA HEYMAN.BERTHA HEYMAN.
America has produced a rival to Mrs. Gordon-Baillie in Bertha Heyman, sometimes known as “Big Bertha,” sometimes as the “Confidence Queen,” a lady of like smart appearance and engaging manners, who reaped a fine harvest from the simpletons who were only too willing to believe in her. One of her first exploits was to wheedle a thousand dollars out of a palace car conductor when travelling between New York and Chicago. Soon after that, with a confederate calling himself Dr. Cooms, she was arrested for despoiling a commercial traveller from Montreal of several hundred thousand dollars by the confidence game. Her schemes were extraordinarily bold and ingenious, and they were covered by much ostentatious display. It was her plan to lodge at the best hotels, such as the Windsor, the Brunswick, and Hoffman House, New York, the Palmer House in Chicago, or Parker’s in Boston, to have both a lady’s-maid and a man-servant in her train, and to talk at large about herinfluential friends. Yet she was constantly in trouble, and saw the inside of many gaols and penitentiaries, but she came out ready to begin again with new projects, often on a bolder scale. One of her last feats was in Wall Street operations in stocks and shares. With her specious tongue she persuaded one broker that she was enormously rich, worth at least eight million dollars, and by this means won a great deal of money. The fraud was only discovered when the securities she had deposited were examined and found to be quite worthless. “Big Bertha” was gifted with insight into human nature, and is said to have succeeded in deceiving the shrewdest business people. Of late nothing has been heard of her.
END OF VOL. I.
Printed by Cassel & Company, Limited, La Belle Sauvage, London, E.C.
FOOTNOTES:[1]“Records of Indian Crime,” ii. 158.[2]“Medical Jurisprudence of India,” p. 21.[3]“Reminiscences of an Indian Police Official,” p. 66.[4]Some other very creditable exploits of this Indian detective, Abdul Ali, in elucidating murder mysteries will be given in a later chapter when dealing with Indian police.[5]In the possession of Mdme. Tussaud & Son, Ltd.[6]Abridged from the full account given in the “Tales fromBlackwood,” Second Series.[7]See“Secrets of the Prison House,” vol. i.[8]“Criminal Law of England.”[9]Townsend’s “Life of Justice Buller.”[10]Theseconvulsionnaireswere a sect of the Jansenists who met at the tomb of “Francis of Paris,” where they preached, prophesying the downfall of the Church and the French monarchy. Their ceremonies were wild and extravagant; they contorted their bodies violently, rolled on the ground, imitating birds, beasts, and fishes, until these convulsions (hence their name) ended in a swoon and collapse. The law was very severe against these fanatics, who, however, survived the most vigorous measures.[11]Pasquier, Mémoires, iii., p. 311.[12]Seepost, p.337.[13]Seeante, p.236.[14]Seeante, pp.226-228.[15]George Augustus Sala, “A Journey Due North.”[16]Mr. George Kennan, in theCenturyMagazine.[17]“India in 1880,” p. 203.[18]Seeante, pp.241,242.[19]The opinion expressed by a Parliamentary Committee, in 1833, on this wearing of plain clothes is worth recording. “With respect to the occasional employment of police in plain clothes,” says the Report, “the system affords no just matter of complaint while strictly confined to detecting breaches of the law.... At the same time, the Committee would strongly urge the most cautious maintenance of these limits, and solemnly deprecate any approach to the employment of spies, in the usual acceptance of the term, as a practice most abhorrent to the feelings of the people and most alien to the spirit of the Constitution.”
FOOTNOTES:
[1]“Records of Indian Crime,” ii. 158.
[1]“Records of Indian Crime,” ii. 158.
[2]“Medical Jurisprudence of India,” p. 21.
[2]“Medical Jurisprudence of India,” p. 21.
[3]“Reminiscences of an Indian Police Official,” p. 66.
[3]“Reminiscences of an Indian Police Official,” p. 66.
[4]Some other very creditable exploits of this Indian detective, Abdul Ali, in elucidating murder mysteries will be given in a later chapter when dealing with Indian police.
[4]Some other very creditable exploits of this Indian detective, Abdul Ali, in elucidating murder mysteries will be given in a later chapter when dealing with Indian police.
[5]In the possession of Mdme. Tussaud & Son, Ltd.
[5]In the possession of Mdme. Tussaud & Son, Ltd.
[6]Abridged from the full account given in the “Tales fromBlackwood,” Second Series.
[6]Abridged from the full account given in the “Tales fromBlackwood,” Second Series.
[7]See“Secrets of the Prison House,” vol. i.
[7]See“Secrets of the Prison House,” vol. i.
[8]“Criminal Law of England.”
[8]“Criminal Law of England.”
[9]Townsend’s “Life of Justice Buller.”
[9]Townsend’s “Life of Justice Buller.”
[10]Theseconvulsionnaireswere a sect of the Jansenists who met at the tomb of “Francis of Paris,” where they preached, prophesying the downfall of the Church and the French monarchy. Their ceremonies were wild and extravagant; they contorted their bodies violently, rolled on the ground, imitating birds, beasts, and fishes, until these convulsions (hence their name) ended in a swoon and collapse. The law was very severe against these fanatics, who, however, survived the most vigorous measures.
[10]Theseconvulsionnaireswere a sect of the Jansenists who met at the tomb of “Francis of Paris,” where they preached, prophesying the downfall of the Church and the French monarchy. Their ceremonies were wild and extravagant; they contorted their bodies violently, rolled on the ground, imitating birds, beasts, and fishes, until these convulsions (hence their name) ended in a swoon and collapse. The law was very severe against these fanatics, who, however, survived the most vigorous measures.
[11]Pasquier, Mémoires, iii., p. 311.
[11]Pasquier, Mémoires, iii., p. 311.
[12]Seepost, p.337.
[12]Seepost, p.337.
[13]Seeante, p.236.
[13]Seeante, p.236.
[14]Seeante, pp.226-228.
[14]Seeante, pp.226-228.
[15]George Augustus Sala, “A Journey Due North.”
[15]George Augustus Sala, “A Journey Due North.”
[16]Mr. George Kennan, in theCenturyMagazine.
[16]Mr. George Kennan, in theCenturyMagazine.
[17]“India in 1880,” p. 203.
[17]“India in 1880,” p. 203.
[18]Seeante, pp.241,242.
[18]Seeante, pp.241,242.
[19]The opinion expressed by a Parliamentary Committee, in 1833, on this wearing of plain clothes is worth recording. “With respect to the occasional employment of police in plain clothes,” says the Report, “the system affords no just matter of complaint while strictly confined to detecting breaches of the law.... At the same time, the Committee would strongly urge the most cautious maintenance of these limits, and solemnly deprecate any approach to the employment of spies, in the usual acceptance of the term, as a practice most abhorrent to the feelings of the people and most alien to the spirit of the Constitution.”
[19]The opinion expressed by a Parliamentary Committee, in 1833, on this wearing of plain clothes is worth recording. “With respect to the occasional employment of police in plain clothes,” says the Report, “the system affords no just matter of complaint while strictly confined to detecting breaches of the law.... At the same time, the Committee would strongly urge the most cautious maintenance of these limits, and solemnly deprecate any approach to the employment of spies, in the usual acceptance of the term, as a practice most abhorrent to the feelings of the people and most alien to the spirit of the Constitution.”