A BEAUTIFUL IMPOSTER.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8923, 17 September 1907, Page 4

A BEAUTIFUL IMPOSTER.

I A beautiful young Englishwoman, representing herself to be the Hon. Eva Fox-Strangways, daughter' of ! Lord Ilohester, is wanted by the 1 New York police. After playing a prominent • role in American ( society she has suddenly _disI appeared, leaving behind a trail of bad cheques and unpaid bills amounting to many thousands of dollars. She went to New York j some weeks ago and put up at -a I fashionable hotel. She speedily volunteered information about her “rank,” and almost at once New York society women sought her acquaitance. With the greatest ease “the Hon. Miss Strangways” made her entrance into New York society, and has been the most sought after guest of the season. She borrowed money right and left of her new acquaintances, who thought nothing out of the way on this account. They were repaid just before the lady disappeared by cheques which have since proved worthless. In the same way she ran up bills on tradesmen who trusted her on account of her New York connection. When she left a few days ago she was supposed to be going on a visit to Chicago, and no suspicion was entertained about her until an effort was made to cash the cheques she had given. This is by no means the first effort of the pretty adventuress. This plausible young woman, with nothing to help her but her wits and an undeniable charm of manner, has attracted the attention of detectives of two continents, and succeeded in living at the rate of £IO,OOO a year without visible means of support. Miss Strangways, which is her correct name, is a well-educated and extremely self-possessed .young woman—a striking brunette, "plump of face and figure, with alluring eyes and a determined manner. Of humble origin, her first step towards imprvoving her position in life was to add the prefix “Fox” to her previously undistinguished surname. This unauthorised change gave her the family name—Fox-Strangways—-of the Earl of Ilchester, who owns large estates around her native place. For some years the girl was in receipt of a handsome income owing to the friendships she made and the coufldencre she inspired by reason of her social claims. Motor oars, yachting trips, and society functions with expensive entertainments at first class hotels all over the continent, were enjoyed by the “Hon. Eva,” to whom the life of a governess did not appeal at all. Afterwards, says the Daily Express, the “Hon. Eva” was thrown entirely on her own resources, and sought to earn fresh fame hy contributing articles on her “travels” to magazines and posing as a famous woman shooter of ‘ ‘ big game. ’ ’ She was able to persuade many wealthy and well-connected people that she was all she claimed, and her very boldness was her greatest safeguard. She told various'-, tales to suit her ever-changing companions. One of her stories was that she owned parts of Achill Island, some 33,000 acres of laud, off Co. Mayo, Ireland, and that she travelled for pleasure, and to do good to the poor. To others she said she was touring the world for an important Loudon weekly newspaper, and to those unacquainted with journalism she stated she owned an important English newspaper, which she edited from a distance. ’ ’ In September of last year she wrote] from a Winchester address to

a West End Hotel,. asking for ‘ ‘ good rooms,” and giving as her country seat a high-sounding Hampshire address, which has since proved to he a boarding-house, where she also owes money. She ordered !;-aud drove about in motor cars at the expense of the hotel, and made'a tour of the leading Regent street and Bond street shops. i Within a few days she ordered £SO worth of dresses and knick-knacks, which she instructed the hotel to pay for. As in some for as much as £2OO in a week were settled for any well-known visitor to the hotel, this request was regarded as in no way unusual or suspicious. At the end of the week the ‘‘Hon. Eva” who had been entertaining “friends” in private rooms, gave a cheque for £9O for her bill, and obtained a few pounds change, before she vanished, witli men from Pinkerton’s, the great American detective agency, now hot at her heels. It was at this crisis, when the game seemed up, that the “Hon. Eva” proved that her nerve aud as-

snranco were equal to most emergencies. She convinced the justly indignant hotel-keepers that she was about to marry a fabulously rich New Yorker, and that she must at

once cross the Atlantic at any cost,

but that she would return and spend her honeymoon—regardless of money —at the hotel that trusted to her honour! She was allowed to leave Liverpool on the strength of this promise, and she went on board the Campania, still followed by her zealous Pinkerton detective, who was calling her immediate attention to dishonoured

cheques. She had at the moment neither money nor ticket, but she mingled with the saloon passengers on the big Ounarder, and with some dignity turned an appareantiy deaf oar on the shadowing detective. The purser, who had heard something of this embarrassing situation, then politely inquired for her ticket.

“I have“none, ” replied the “Hon. Eva, ’ ’ indifferently. ‘ ‘ Then I must trouble you for the money, madam, ’ ’ replied the purser. “I will give you a post-dated cheque for the amount in full, ’ ’ said the lady promptly, ignoring the detective and his pointed inquiries about long drawn cheques held by his clients." “I am sorry, madam, I cannot accept a cheque of any kind,” replied the Cuuard official, but the lady was in no wav ruffled.

“You shall have the money before you leave Queenstown or I will then go ashore and wait for the next boat,” was all she said, and calmly went flown to supper in the saloon. At Queenstown the purser sent for the lady and told her, kindly but firmly, she must go ashore. It was then the “Hon. Eva FoxStrangways” rose to the occasion. Her luggage had been sent ashore on one tender and she was requested to leave tne ship on the second and last tender, without further appeal. At this moment a goutlemn, whose sympathies had been enlisted by her moving tale of distress, went to the purser on her behalf and guaranteed the money. In this fashion the “ Earl’s daughter” crossed to Now York—the life and soul of a merry Atlantic party. When the Campania berthed in*New York ;.docks another detective' was sitting on Miss Strangways’ luggage to ask further awkward questions, which she waived aside, or answered as the occasion demanded. She declared she was going to well-connected friends at Westover, Virginia. Later it was found she, indeed, Wont there, not as a guest, tut as a governess, and was discharged almost immediately because of her intemperate habits.