Fugitive Arrested in Tacoma for California Extortion Scheme
A man accused of swindling a California woman under the false promise of marriage is captured by local detectives.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The sheriff of San Jose, Cal., is on his way to Tacoma with requisition papers for Frank Maddo, an Italian, 26 years old, who was captured here last night by Detectives D. O. Smith, Malone and Ashby. Maddo is said to have extorted $180 from a young Italian girl in California and $600 from her brother on the promise that he would marry the girl. Later, it is claimed, Maddo slipped away and married a German girl named Olga Kratt. He was arrested in company with his wife at their rooms, near South Twentieth and X streets.
“Maddo is said to have extorted $180 from a young Italian girl in California and $600 from her brother on the promise that he would marry the girl.”
This case reflects the transient nature of criminal fugitives in the early 20th century, where cross-state extradition required lengthy travel and legal bureaucracy. The specific intersection of South 20th and X remains a residential area in modern Tacoma, illustrating the city's role as a hiding place for those fleeing distant investigations.
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