The Magnet in the Pocket: How a Civil War Veteran Lost a Beltful of Gold to a Grass Widow

The arrest of A. C. Hansen, a bookkeeper, and Jenny M. Crosby, a dressmaker, of Portland, at Tacoma Tuesday, while en route to this city, proves to be a very interesting climax to a love story, in which Wesley Perry, a veteran of the civil war, hailing from Sidney, is the victim of the wiles of a grass widow.

The story of the affair, as told by Perry, is that he met Mrs. Crosby five years ago in an old tent in Sidney, in a crippled condition and in needy circumstances. He took pity on her and took her to his home to live with her two children. She lived there through the winter, and in the spring her husband came and took her away, and gave Perry $75 for her keeping. He gave the woman a butterfly breastpin and other gifts. He saw her a number of times afterward, and last spring he received a letter from her written at Tacoma, saying that she was starving. He didn't answer her letter, and received another one saying that she would not go back to her husband, as she was afraid of him. After that he sent her $10 or $20 every week.

She left Tacoma and went to Portland, and Perry followed her, and when he arrived gave her $70 in coin. Shortly afterward she got a divorce from her husband.

Perry went back to Sidney, and shortly after arriving received a letter from a man named Hansen saying that May Willard was sick in a hospital in Portland and wanted some money. At the same time he received a letter from the woman saying that he was her only friend and that he could trust Hansen with the money sent to her. He sent her some money, like the devoted lover he was, and after that directed all his letters to Hansen. Soon after, she sent Perry word to come to Portland, and they would get married. Of course he went, and took lots of money. He was met at the train by the "mutual" friend Hansen. He went up to the place where she was rooming and they had a regular love match. She called him all the sweet names she could think of.

It wasn't long before she struck him for money with which to buy a silk dress, and he "didn't have the heart to refuse her." He also gave her a gold watch and a diamond ring. She asked him how much money he had, and he told her a whole beltful. She told him that thieves had a peculiar magnet, which they carried in their pocket, and when they were near any one who had gold about his person the magnet would draw in that direction. He believed her and gave her the money for safe keeping, and he never saw it again. Hansen told him that he was going to give her his money for "safe keeping." Hansen said he was going to Spokane, but the woman told Perry to ask him to accompany them to San Francisco. The trunks were packed and sent down to the wharf, and Perry and Hansen went down with them, but the fair May was not to be seen. Hansen said he would go after her. He returned with her about 4 o'clock, and asked Perry for his ticket, so that he could check the trunks. That was the last seen of Hansen. Perry and the woman went down town, and when near Sixth street she went into a house, saying she would be out soon, but "she never came back."

He rushed down to the vessel, but she was nowhere to be seen. Realizing that he had been robbed, Perry went to the police station and swore out a complaint. The officers learned that the couple had taken a train for Tacoma and telegraphed out to arrest them.