The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-25

1t materially improves its quality.
''THx GREATEST ScoUNDaEI IN THE WORLD" has
been discovered by London paper In the person OF
Piccadilly sbopkeeper named ochse, who keep ps
fashionable store for the sale OF elegant dress goods
ochse recently sued a young lady by the name OF
Kate Smith for goods furnished her credit to the
amount OF c340O When the defendant was put
upon the witness stand and told her story err Oohse
at once emerged from the obscurity OF a common
place ltgating creditor into the full effuigence of
pre-eminent sc0undre ISM T come, !" said Miss Smith,
IRON birmingham, where, seven years ago, was
married to one whom ! thought an honest man.
After nine months my husband deserted me- and 1
have never seen him since" The girl went on with
her biography, the old story OF decentralization be-
coming now by the introduction OF Mr. ochse. The
latter, In fact, while ostensby Keeping ordinary
shop for the sale OF choice feminine apparel really
derived his chief income from women like Kate
Smith, 10 whom he supplied dresses at prices fully
Ave times more than their value, and whose mere
rcous need OF such dresses he took reless care TO
establish. Assisted by his wife, an arch adept In
every description OF heartless intrigue, he had
splendid parlor and ballroom, like those OF
old Ralph Nckleby. over his store, and therein
he gave frequent entertainments, to which
the Lord Nerisophts and Sir Mulberry Hawks
OF London society had standing Invitations
Miss Smith. whose acquaintance he had formed
through his wife, was one OF the poor vain,
showy dressed girls induced to act as the bellies OF
these entertainments and the style OF social dissipa
ton thus began soon trained the unfortunate crea-
ture for such extravagances of dress as only the
0chses could accommodate with long credits. She
was charged one hundred and twenty-five dollars
for mantle worth thirty eighty dollars for silk
jacket, one hundred and seventy-dye dollars for a
velvet basque, thirty dollars for a parasol, nine
dollars for plain under petticoat, and all
other articles OF attire in proportion. One OF
Oohse's aristocratc guests having distinguished
Miss Smith from among her rivals for a while
the enterprsing shopkeeper first accepted a thou :
sand dollars from him as the price OF the richly
dressed slave he had placed him in the way of secur
ing, and then furnished the girls burban villa for
her at an expense suggesting the "Araban Nights .
While the aforesaid slave whose personal beauty is
her sole value could find buyers to supply her with
payment for her sellers inanimate wares all went
smoothly; but at last she neither would nor could
answer the extoronate demands in full and SO the
suit was brought against her. Ochse made shallow
attempts to show that he knew Miss Smith solely as
customer of his shop and sued her only for COM
mon debt Mr.. Justice Blackburn laid down the
law in the usual way. A woman, whether good or
bad, was answerabie in court for debts contracted
in the purchase OF necessities; but on Che other
hand, any person supplying her with goods for i'm
moral purposes, and at extorlonate rates. did so at
own peril. Thereupon. the jury at once found a
verdict tor Kate Smith, and the Piccadllly shop
keeper lost his case