130 years ago in 1894, transcribed as originally published in the Youngstown Vindicator:

Mrs. Ham charged with stealing railroad man’s hard earnings, is held. Told conflicting stories. Her husband and friends have deserted her and she went back to jail.

Until such a time as the grand jury decides whether or not she should be indicted for grand larceny, Mrs. Lizzie Ham will remain in the county jail. She is charged with stealing $40 (approximately $1,400 in 2024) from Thos. Fahey, a railroad man.

One night last week Fahey visited her house on North Avenue and, when he left, his roll was missing. The police arrested Mrs. Ham, her sister-in-law Mrs. Patterson, and their husbands Louis Patterson and George Ham. The men were discharged by the police the next day because they were not in the house when Fahey visited the women. Both Mrs. Patterson and Mrs. Ham told their stories to Chief of Police McDowell.

So suspicious was the story of Mrs. Ham that she was bound over to court. Mrs. Patterson was released on a promise that she and her husband would leave the city. They went to New Castle. The Hams and Pattersons formerly resided in Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and Altoona.

On the application of Attorney George Swanston, Mrs. Ham was given a rehearing this morning before Probate Judge Ewing. Fahey made his statement to the effect that he had drawn his pay, had had only one drink, and had gone to the Ham house on North Avenue. After being there about an hour and a half, he left and started toward his home on West Rayen Avenue, when he discovered his money was missing. He reported the matter to the police.

Chief of Police McDowell told of the statement Mrs. Ham made to him. Mrs. Ham took the stand and made a damaging statement. She said Fahey entered her house without an invitation and had given her a dollar and also one to her sister-in-law, instructing the latter to purchase whisky for him. Subsequently he gave Mrs. Ham $2 for the privilege of lying on her bed to sleep off his jag. When he was about to lie down he had flashed his roll of money and boastfully told of the amount he had. In doing so, he had dropped two $20 bills and she, seeing them on the floor, had picked them up and placed them with $5 of her own money under the dresser cover. While Fahey slept, the women when down the street and when Mrs. Ham returned, she found the house in possession of Mrs. Patterson. The arrival of the police caused her to look for the money and find it missing.

On cross examination Mrs. Ham said she had looked for the money and found it missing before the police arrived. She and her sister-in-law had discussed it then. On further examination when confronted with the conflict of statements, she said she had noticed and discussed the absence of but a portion of the money.

Judge Ewing brought the hearing to a close by stating that the weight of the evidence was so much against Mrs. Ham that she must await the action of the grand jury. Having been deserted by her husband and all of her relatives, she is here without friends. No bond was asked.

Compiled from the Youngstown Vindicator by Traci Manning, Mahoning Valley Historical Society curator of education.