The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-04-24
Evidently an Tmpostor,

About week or ten days ago woman
arrived in Davenport in destitute circum-
stances. and very sick. She was kindly
cared for by the Overseer of the Poor of
that city, and on her representation that
she had relatives living in Lacrosse. she
was ticketed to that point and placed on
board the Arkansas. She is evidently an
impostor. as the following will show:
Last Saturday the steamer Arkansas
brought up from Davenport sick woman
who had been public charge upon that
city for some months. The authorities
fixed her up story about relatives here,
and shipped her up solely to get rid of
her. No persons of the name given by her
as relatives live 10 this vicinity The poor
commissioner has issued transportation
for her. and she will be shipped back to
Davenport by the first packet. She is at
the Robbins house and requires daily
medical treatment liza Crosse Chronicle,
To the above the Davenport Democrat
replies as follows:
The fact is. the woman told Overseer
Tuerk that she had a brother and sister
| living In Lacrosse, where she herself re-
sided many years, and that ii she could
reach that city she would be we'll provided
| for So her fare was paid to that city.
| The fact is, all 1.-THE poor authorities in this
| region have to do, when INDECENT strangers
ask for relief, is to send the applicants to
Chicago, and they do right in nineteen
cases out of twenty. The oyersesr of the
poor in that city are distributing Aindigent
families throughout the region all the
time, and every little while they place one
in Davenport. and in three days to week
after the poor beings arrive here they
make their way to the superintendent OF
the poor, claim residence, and ask for fuel
and provisions. And heaven only knows
how many individual paupers Chicago con-
trives to get rid of in a year. No. MIR.
Chronicle. Davenport needs not to send
her transient paupers as far as Lacrosse
on a pretext; and if that woman is re-
turned to Davenport, the law will be en-.
forced against the steamboat which lands
| here there now"
To day the Arkansas arrived at Rock
lsland having on board the identicaI
woman, who gave the name Maggie Miller.
She was put off at the Northern Line
warehouse. and was evidently very sick.
She sent for Overseer Sweeney, who
went as quickly as possible, but the Al
kansas had gone when he arrived, SO that
he had to rely on her statement for the
particulars. She told Mr., Sweeney that
she had a sister and other friends at Mt.
Carroll, and that if he would give her a
ticket to Savanna, she could get assistance
there and reach her friends. 1t was
la plain story, the woman
was apparently in the last
stages Of consumption, and Mr., Sweeney
thought il the cheapest way to get rid of
what might prove town charge, and go
bonght her ticket This was about 8
o'clock this afternoon. Later be learned
who and what she was, but she had gone
north, on the steamer Maggie Reaney, and
it was too late to get back She is no
doubt an old hand, for about the first thing
she did was 10 request Mr.. Speaker, the
agent, to send ior the overseer of the poor
taking good care, however. to wait until
the Arkansas was out of sight. 1t is
about as well. however, that she is gone.
for it costs the town only $I.00 for her
ticket, whereas had she remained, the
chances are the town would have had the
care of her for some time.