The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-01-09
MRS. jerks AND rnE PoTTHRTTrs

/
The Joke She Played on the Three New
Orleans " Gentlemeno who, Having
Pound an Envelope Addressed % Her
Proceeded az Once to Investigate IL
Contents.
From the New Orleans picayune.
Mrs. Agnes D. jerks has again com.
mitted one Of those little eccentricities
which have done 10 much to give her q
national reputation. The story runs, as
told BY the,witness before the committee,
that on the 10th day Of September last
Mrs. jerks unexpectedly appeared at the
establishment Of Messrs. Elkin & Co., and
informed Mr.. H. W. Lloyd, one Of the
statesmen, that she desired to inspect
some carpets, mating, &C., with view to
the purchase Of whatever might suit her
delicate fancy. It would seem Mr.. Lloyd
at once recognized his fair customer, prob.
ably from the portraits Of her published
in the illustrated papers, but nothing
daunted by this knowledge, he displayed
to her criticising gaze all his available
stock Of goods, Apparently, Mrs. jerks
was much grati6ed by what she saw, and
before taking her departure informed the
jealous salesman that she weuld return in
q few days and make some purchases.
When Mrs. jerks left, Mr.. Lloyd retired
to the back portion OF the store and en-.
tered into an animated conversation with
Mr. Thomas L. Raymond, fellow en-
ploye, the subject discussed, no doubt,
being the visit OF Mrs. jerks.
Twenty minutes after Mrs. jerks had
departed from the store the fourth person
in the comedy about TO be enacted appear.
ed-Mr. Maloney, attache Of the Elkin es.
tablishment. Mr.. Maloney, while en-.
gagged in replacing the goods which had
been shown to Mrs, jerks, discovered,
strangely enough, an envelope behind q
bale Of mating, the said envelope being
directed to "AIrs. Agnes D. jerks" It
never occurred TO Mr.. Maloney that II the
envelope had been accidentally dropped
It would have been in front instead Of be.
hind the bale OF mattings, inasmuch as 1t
would have been impossible for person
TO drop tho package without putting a
hand half way round the mating.
Mr.. Maloney, convinced that he had
made o discovery ct least equal to any
thing OF Edison's, informed his colleagues,
Raymond and Lloyd, OF what he had done
In the following enthusiastic words: "See
here, boys! I've found bonanza-here's
q document addressed TO Mrs. Jenks.n To
relieve the strain upon the readers curl.
osity, It must be mentioned, this "bonan.
"a" Of Mr.. Maloney has yielded him exact
ly$, the amount tho Ssrgeant-at-Arms
handed over to him yesterday in consider.
alton OF his attendance on the Potter Com.
mittec.
After Messrs. Lloyd, Raymond and Ma
loney had examined the mysterious docu.
ments found in Mrs. jerks envelope,
these gentlemen were convinced thew
were in possession OF the most startling in.
formation. What they found in the en-.
velope consisted Of sundry and various
notes and kilograms from individuals 10
Mrs. jerks and her husband. The most
important document though, was one
worded precisely like the original so.oalled
sherman letter." and moreover, had an.
pended to it the talismanic name "John
Sherman"
To shorten the story, /: is only necessary
to add the discoveries, thinking them.
selves in possession Of the ifsbpraan let-
ter" had It photographed, and sent to Mr.. |
Potter o batch Of aftidayits relating to the
whole occurrence. Yesterday thew told
their tale to the Potter Committee. and.
although each Of the three gentlemen Is
most modest in bearing, 1t was quite eyi.
dent to 4 aisInteFested observer that they
were satisfied their announcements Eoul1
create a genuine national sensation.
Probably they were not far wrong in their
but the sensation will moi
arise from their discoveries, but from the
discovery al the committee that the three
gsntleRFeeqn weFethe YietaiiRs Of ? practical
!oke 81 MYe. lenks TIE whole affair
Potter announced that the so.caiied
Sherman letter" produced was spurious,
and ofno political value whatever.