Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-06-07
TWO ECOENTRIC MAIOBNE.
Matilda Hacker and Her 81 ster.


| sREK1NG THE IDENTITY OF THE vICTM-THE
"wINcHEAP DOLLS" OF CANTERBURY.
IF, ON the London Standard, May 1871
The police have at length obtained what Is
| expected to prove satisfactory clue to the
identity OF tie remains found at Euston square.
The body Is now supposed to be that OF an
| Canterbury, who removed from that city to
| London on the death OF her sister, between two
and three three years ago, and when last heard Of
ton. Miss Hacker and her sister were persons
| OF very eccentric habits. Though both upward
Se ~ e c of M Wne
Ing, 1t is stated, considerable amount of prop
erty In Canterbury, and being IN comfortable
rious fashion. keeping no servant and resolutely
refusing to pay their rates and taxes or indeed
any debts, unless summoned. These peculiar1-
ties naturally attracted good deal OF attention,
and the sisters became very well-known char
acters In the suburb in which they resided, their
strange appearance often subjecttng them to
to London Miss Hacker continued the same
singular sty lie of living, and figured frequently
In Police and county court proceedings: Some
time ago, while living In Euston square, her box
was seized by superintendent Dawes, of the
Canterbury Police, and temporarily held as Sc
curity for debt, among the contents OF the
box being gold watch and chain. These arti-
cles have just been discovered at London
PaWnbroker's, where they had been placed IN
pledge by woman, and their ldenEncatlon
Will, 1t is thought, form material element in
the solution OF the MYSTERY. Miss Hacker WAS
lost sight OF about year ago, When letter
containing remittances for rent, forwarded by
Mr.. COZenS, who acted as her agent at Canter
bury, was returned through the Dead-letter
Office. At this time she was accustomed to
have her letters addressed to Initials at a Post
Office, and 1t is not known for certain whether
she was then still living at EustOn square. The
last, indeed, that was heard of her at Canter-
bury was report from London that she has
been sent to prison for four months for contempt
Of court. On Friday night q detective from
Scotland-yard went down to Canterbury, taking
fhnf af0ha Loot, ne
| from the remains and these, on being shown to
Super intendent Dawes, were identified, the
watch and chain as having belonged to Miss
| Hacker. and the hair as being exactly like that
tertalns little doubt that the descrip-
| ton given him OF the clothes which have been
| watch aud hair, that the remains are those of
| Miss Hacker and this belief is shared by the
! detectives in London. brother Of the lady
| saturday with the object of inspecting the
| remnants Of clothing found on the corpse In
the cellar; and should he succeed Ia Identifying
| them, any remaining doubt will be dispelled
| While living In Euston Square, Miss Hacker
| was frequently seen walking in the principal
! thorOughfares. She used to display a profusion
OF ornament, and her strange attire and gen
| orally odd appearance excited constant remark
| 1t seems unfortunate that when more than IL
months ago the letter spoken of was returned
Though the Dead-letter Office, the Police were
not Immediately communicated with, and a
| strict search made as to her whereabouts
Those who knew her might have been perfectly
! certain that she would never have kept her adj
| dress secret had she been alive when her rents
| became due, and the fact OF this letter having
been returned ought to have suggested inquiry
MI. Bastendorff, the tenant Of the house In
Euston Square, refuses to say whether Miss
| Hacker ever lodged with him, or, indeed
to answer any inquiries onthe subject,
stating that he has been connseled by the
| Police TO withhold all Information pending the
| resumption OF the inquiry.
Our Canterbury correspondent writes: sfNo
small amount OF CONSERVATION has been caused
In this city by the supposed Identification OF
| don, as those Of maiden lady belonging to
Canterbury, who has been missing for about Is
months. The name II the lady is Matilda
| daughter OF builder, formerly in business
here, who when he died left three daughters
and one son, OF whom only the latter survives
| dered, as is supposed. The father had acquired
good deal OF property In Canterbury, which
was left to his children, who supported them
| and the other two continued to reside In Canter-
bury, the brother going away. These two sis
| they had the body photographed. They used
to reside in large house OF their own, In Win
! cheap street, and from their peculiar style Of
| dolls" One popularity about them was that
they were always attired exactly alike: one
never wore anything the other did not, and
l
| ance that it was almost impossible to dist1n-
| guish one from the other. 1t was the custom of
these ladies every summer to go to the seaside,
| Margate and Dover being their favorite resorts;
| ana there they would ride out on horseback, In
riding habits, accompanied by a groom.
| They were also regular visitors to the
habttues Of which viii remember them
| as one day riding about the ground on anything
but overfed steeds, with their groom behind,
and on another day promenading On foot, at
| tired In costumes OF extraordinary pattern and
grotesque style. For years these two maiden
| ladies passed their days In this manner. They
were their own rent CATERERS. They lived en-
! tirely TO themselves, keeping no company, and,
| In fact, having no personal acquaintances. Be-
tween five and six years ago the elder OF the
| two died, and after that the surviving one, who
! 1t Is now believed has been the victim OF some
| foul crime, continued to reside In the same
| house and to go on much in the same way by
herself as the two had done before-eDcept that
| she became more and more eccentric. She per-
sistently refused to pay the rates and taxes for
| her property, and gave the collectors no little
payment, and after appearing In court and at
tempting to prove that there was some mistake
IN the matter, she would pay: In 1915 She was
cottage property, to have certain sanitary
works done In connection with her property,
but she neglected to carry out the order served
upon her, and eventually the local authority
did the work, and charged her with the cost.
Failing to pay the claim, she was summoned,
Out OLD not appear In court, and In ner absence
an order was made upon her for payment,
distress TO be put In II the amount was not paid
within given time. Instead OF attending to
the order, she wrote Hbellous letters to the
mayor, the town clerk, and other officers, but
10 notice was taken OF them. Finally, the
superintendent OF police {Mr. r. p. Davles)
went to London to try and distra1n upon her
property for the amount OF the claim. He traced
her TO No. "a Bedford place, Bedford square, at
lodging house kept then tthe autumn Of 1870 by
a Mrs. Bridges. She was going In the name Of
Miss Mary Bell, Of Brighton. Mr.. Davies had
great difficulty in seeing her; she shut herself
up in her bedroom, and did not come out until
he threatened to break the door open. Ulti-
mately she paid what the superintendent, In
the excitement of the moment, took to be the
amount DUE but on his return to Canterbury he
found she had given him, with some gold, a
bright farth1ng instead Of O half sovereign the
coin necessary to make up the amount. Sub3e-
| quently superintendent Davies had to go to
Bedford place on a similar errand-this time
| having to levy distress on Miss Hackers
! goods for the amount OF gas and water rate.
| The lady refused to pay the sum demanded,
| and Mr. Davies was compelled to seize her box
| containing articles OF Jewelry, &C. which he
| brought away with him, telling her he should
| detain the property until the money was paid.
| Nothing more was heard Of this eccentric lady
| until Friday last, when detective from Scot
| laId-yard arrived in Canterbury to make fn0uI-
4 nlNrr,f Hon J>oV,,x