Meloling runs orphanages, oversees jail after release
A woman sent to San Quentin in 1905 turned her life around, committing to help others do the same.
Newlyweds Aimee Meloling, a nurse by trade, and her husband Albert were convicted of burglary and sentenced to separate prisons. Aimee was shipped to San Quentin’s Women’s Ward while Albert was sent to Folsom State Prison.
After their release, Aimee continued working on improving herself. She sued for divorce, worked for numerous children’s charities and eventually landed a job with the Alameda County Jail. She became the matron overseeing females incarcerated in the jail.
Aimee Wilkes Henderson, 22, said “I do” to 33-year-old Albert Webb Meloling in early 1904, according to their marriage license. Only a year later, the pair were cooling their heels behind bars.
Sticky fingers lead to arrest
The couple had a peculiar habit of picking up more than souvenirs on their vacations.
On March 19, 1905, the pair was arrested after their Los Angeles apartment was searched by police. It appears the husband, who worked at a race track, may have had a gambling addiction.
In their rooms at the Ormonde, officers found $1,500 worth of stolen goods.
“He holds a position at the Ascot Park race track and has been (betting) heavily there the last two weeks. Within that period, six rooms at the Ormonde have been robbed. By accident the thefts were traced to Meloling and his wife,” reported the San Francisco Call, March 20, 1905.
Burglary partnership
Police also recovered:
- three diamond rings and a watch
- large assortment of fine clothing
- silver knives, forks, and spoons bearing the marks of various hotels.
The first victim was a notable artist who claims various pieces of her custom-painted plates and vases were missing.
“A large crowd of curious people thronged the courtroom to listen to the evidence in the case which has proved of particular prominence because of the position of the defendants,” reported the Los Angeles Herald, March 25, 1905. “Mrs. Aimee Meloling was the first to enter the courtroom. She was attended by Police Matron Gilbert, and was followed closely by her husband. The two sat side by side, with the wife clasping her husband’s hand during the entire proceedings. The mother of Mrs. Meloling and the man’s sister appeared later and sat with the defendants.”
The first witness for the prosecution was victim Hallie H. Miller.
“Chinaware, consisting of one hand-painted plate, five decorated plates, two decorated steins and three decorated vases, all of handsome design and magnificent coloring, which were found in the apartments occupied by the Melolings, were produced as an exhibit and identified by Mrs. Miller, who said she painted them,” the newspaper reported. “Mrs. Miller said the bric-a-brac had been taken from her room while she was in Long Beach last July. She said she saw the chinaware in Mrs. Meloling’s apartments recently and that Mrs. Meloling claimed to have received it for a wedding present.”
Melolings sent to San Quentin
A few days later, more charges were leveled against the Melolings.
“For the second time within less than a week, A.W. Meloling and his wife faced a burglary charge,” reported the Herald, March 30, 1905. “This second charge was referred by Police Officer Ritch, charging Mrs. Aimee Meloling with the theft of a diamond ring from the apartments of Dr. J.G. Robinson at the Ormonde hotel. It was testified by the officers that Mrs. Meloling confessed having stolen the ring and having given it to her husband. (He) then transferred the jewel to Mrs. Ella Thompson, his sister, who had just arrived in Los Angeles on a visit to her brother, whom she had not seen for several years. She knew nothing of the property having been stolen. (The Melolings) were moved from their quarters at the city jail yesterday evening to the county jail, where they will await trial.”
A May 23 edition of the newspaper referred to the Melolings as being “educated and of refined families … backed by money.”
“Mrs. and Mrs. Meloling are charged with having entered rooms in several fashionable boarding houses and with taking valuable chinaware, fine toilet articles and jewelry,” the paper reported.
According to the jail matron, Aimee Meloling was well behaved while going through her trial.
“(She has) been (a model) of good behavior,” said Matron Gilbert in a March 27 interview. “When Mrs. Meloling is not sewing she is generally amusing someone with a story. … She seems devoted to her husband.”
Guilty verdict for Melolings
During her husband’s trial, Aimee Meloling took to the witness stand and confessed to the crimes, claiming her husband played no part. She claimed she wanted “pretty things” for her room so entered other rooms and stole the items. He testified that he was unaware of her crimes but once he realized what was happening, he chose to look the other way. He said rather than suffer the embarrassment of his neighbors discovering his wife was a thief, he allowed the items to stay in their room. The jury didn’t by it and he was found guilty.
“It is understood that the brave effort of the young wife in pleading guilty to save the man she loved from punishment will not reflect materially against her and either a light sentence or probation is expected in her case,” reported the Herald, May 25, 1905.
That wasn’t the case and her temper flared when she was found guilty and sentenced to San Quentin.
“May your honor’s heart soon be as soft as your head,” she told Judge Smith.
“When the sentences were pronounced, the small audience murmured in surprise, as it was generally believed that Mrs. Meloling would be released on probation,” reported the Los Angeles Herald, June 2, 1905.
She was sentenced to three years in San Quentin while her husband received five in Folsom Prison.
Working with children
She began working with children and orphanages. In 1916, she was one of a handful of nurses who examined nearly 200 babies at an event for new parents held at Recreation Center in Santa Barbara. She was also divorced by this time.
“Ninety-nine babies was the record at the conference with doctors and nurses yesterday, making a total of 191 to date. The smoothness with which every detail of the examination is managed makes it possible to manage so many in so short a time.
“The nurses serving yesterday were the Misses Royer, Hardy, Richter, Davens, Pinkerton, Walker, Humphreys, Whitman, Meloling, McKenna, Mooney, Mushet, Cavalliei and Mrs. Higgins and Mrs. Graham.
“The nursery on the roof garden took care of children under five, whose parents wished to hear the talks in the afternoon,” reported the Morning Press, March 9, 1916.
In 1919, she’s listed as working with St. Vincent’s Day nursery in Santa Barbara. She often spoke at conferences regarding nursing and social work.
“The historic pageant, ‘California,’ arranged by Mrs. A.W. Meloling, matron of the day nursery, held a prominent place in the evening’s program (for the St. Vincent’s fundraiser),” reported the Morning Press, July 20, 1919. The charitable event raised $2,000.
By the 1930s, Aimee Meloling was again dealing with inmates, but this time as the matron at the Alameda County Jail, escorting female inmates to state prison and court appointments.
In 1935, she married Scott E. Cowles and the couple resided in Oakland.
By Don Chaddock, Inside CDCR editor
Learn more about California prison history.