Wilmington journal., 1874-07-03
posTIsUMOUs CRATITIDE.
A Fortune Left TO Il Gentleman 80:
One Kindly Act.
From the New York Sun.

In the spring of 1864 Mr.. Barnum
organized an exhibition tour of his
''httle people" through New York and
the Eastern States. General Tom
| Thumb and his diminutive wife were
the stars of the troupe, and Mr. Viii
liam l.. Miller was the manager. Hay
ing exhibited at Burlington, Vermont,
the troupe came by boat to Whitehall
New York, one Friday night III June,
and took quarters in the principal
| hotel in that old fashioned village
The tour up to that time had been ex-
traordinarily successful, and Mr.. Mil
lers cash box was well filled with crisp
greenbacks.
On Saturday the General and his
twenty-five pound wife felt disposed to
rest after their extended travels, and
kept their rooms. Mr. Miller, who is
fisherman, and can cast a fly against
| the wind with Peter Gill himself, set
out to explore the Whitehall brooks
for speckled trout. Before quitting
the hotel he took his cash box into the
Generals room and left it in his care,
with warning to keep his eye on il,
and In case of his going out to leave it
IN charge of the assistant manager of
| the troupe.
ROBBERY.
Early in the afternoon the General
! aud his lady went out for q walk, for
getting the cash box, and leaving the
room door open. While they we're
gone a chamber-maid entered the
room, opened the cash box, took out
the contents-nearly S2,O0O-and took
French leave.
At 5 p. NJ. Mr.. Miller returned with
string of trout, and having occasion
to use pen and ink, went to the cash
box, where those articles were always
kept. To his dismay he found only
pen and ink where he expected to find
81 OOO. Hurried questioning of the
little people developed the story of
the temporary desertion of the room,
and lii few minutes the desertion of
the servant girl was made equally man
ifest.
Mr.. Miller sought out the sheriff of
the county, and in short time fleet
pursuers were on the track of the dis
honest handmaiden. Tom Thumb
wanted to join in the chase himself,
and was only dissuaded from doing SO
by the entreaties of his wife. Before
bed time the sheriff returned with the
dust-begrimed and travel-worn girl,
who had walked and run over fifteen
miles. She was tired and penitent,
and voluntarily confessed that she had
stolen the money.
In extenuation of her crime she said
that she was about to be married and
desired a wedding trosseau. Going in
to the Generals deserted room she
saw the money box. The temptation
was too much for her, and without
stopping to consider the possible con-
sequences, she opened the box, took
the money and fled. Being asked what
she did with the money, she produced
all but about $500 of it, saying that
she had lost that sum. She was SO
distressed, and seemed SO contrite.
that Miller, after some inquiries as to
her previous character, decided not to
prosecute her. On the succeeding
Monday the troupe went to Saratoga.
The news of the theft was known to
but few of the villagers of Whitehall,
and these few charitably kept the Sc
cret, so that the erring girl kept her
position.
a WINDFALL.
After the war, when business began
to brighten up, Mr.. Miller left the
show business, and went back to mer-
camille life, entering the firm of Hurd,
Morrison & Co.. of 500 Broadway. He |
,iid not hear any thing oi the girl from |
the time of the theft until two or three |
weeks ago, when letter from Mr.. |
Stebbins, of Whitehall, recalled her to |
his memory.
Mr.. Stebbins' letter recited a few
incidents of her history since the theft
the leading one being her marriage to
a wealthy lumber dealer, who lived
but few years, leaving all his prop
erty to his young wife. Two months
ago she died having devised $50, 900
to Mr.. Miller in gratitude for his act
Of forbearance in 1864. Mr.. Stebbins
said he had spent much time in his
search for Mr.. Miller. Finally, hear
lbs u :; pr nn with his initials in a
saddlery hrln on broadway, he had
written to ascertain il he was the
agent of the little people 1864. In
he informed him that O
arge lot of lumber formed part of
'he property devised to him, request
ed him to take it away, and told him
rs soon as his identity had been estab-
ished his draft for $1,000 wonld
De duly honored.
The Wadesboro' Herald says the
let proceeds of the Masonic Festival
n that place, on the Oath ult., for the
- IL |