The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-02-23


On the border of the Flushing
Meadows, in Long Island, in bleak
spot west of the village, near Ire
land Mills, is the old Texido man
sion, forInerly..the residence Of the
late Captain Manuel Texido. On
his death the house was sold. 1t
passed into the hands Of Senator,
now Chief Justice Prince, Of New
Mexico, who now owns the farm.
He sold the house TO a Miss Clark
son. The house, few months ago,
was let to a Mrs. Allen, from New
York. She represented herself to
be the sister-in-law of prominent
official of the last State Government.
She was very greatly interested In
religious matters. She said she had
brother w.o is clergyman ofthe
Episcopal Church in the western
part of the State. About a month
ago Mrs. Allen, who had another
woman living with her, moved to
New York. Before going, Mrs. Al
len asked lady here if was safe to
leave the premises without any oc-
cupant. When told that it might
not be safe, she said:
swell, I've got a competent per-
son to live there in my absence" "
Miss Clarkson, who did not know
Of Mrs. Aliens removal, recently
went to collect the rca. due. Her
summons at the door received no re-
sponse until it was vigorously re-
peated. Then o window was OPEN
ed, and a woman's head was thrust
out. The woman looked wild, and
her hair was dishevelled. She i'm
mediately began chattering to Miss
Clarkson. She said she had not
seen Mrs. Allen, and was starving.
Miss Clarkson, not knowing what
else to do, came back to the village
for assistance. She called upon a
lady friend, who returned with her
to the old mansion. They took q
loaf Of bread with them. On their
knocking at the door they saw the
head thrust out of the window. The
woman made a heart-rending APP
peal for something to eat. The two
ladies procured a rail from a fence
in an adjoining field, and sticking
the loaf on the end, held the bread
up to the famished woman. She
showed the greatest anxiety to Sc
cure the food. No sooner did she
get it in her hands than she began
ravenously to devour it.
Then she begged for. water, saying
that a dog that She had with her for
company was also furnished. The
ladies got a piece of cord and threw
it to the woman, who by it let down
pail. The ladies filed the pail
with water and the woman drew it
up.
Still they were unable to get into
the house, and once more they re-
turned to the village and called
upon a Justice, who referred them
to County Superintendent Of the
Poor Sullivan. He with the ladies,
returned to the mansion. Mr.. Sui
livan tried to get in by 4 window,
but it was firmly secured. He then
crawled through the cellar and work
ed his way up stairs to the room
where the woman was. He found
the door not only locked but nailed
up with boards, and the handle was
tied with a rope to the handle of
another door across the hall. Mr..
Sullivan tore away these obstacles
and burst the door open.
In the middle of the room stood
the woman, dressed only in a thin
cotton skirt and a jacket of similar
stuff. Under her arms was the re-
mains of the loaf, and dog, bark
ing and snarling at the intruders,
was at her side The only articles
in the room were a pile of meadow
grass in one corner, on which lay
piece of covering four feet square,
and a pail. There was no stove.
How the woman lived through the
recently very cold weather it is hard
telling
Mr.. Sullivan and the ladies ques-