The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1882-05-24
Miss Burr's HOarded Millions and
Wretched Domestic Economy.
the Curious Story of a Servant in the Pc
nurious Household.
New Yo-k Herald. May al


subject for adjudication by Surrogate Roll
Inns. The testimony OF McCabe yesterday
was intensely amusing and it gave a
description of the dead woman's mode of
living and habits of economy is exceedingly
interesting
"Where do you live, Mr.. McCabe?' asked
ex-Judge Pierrepont.
Il live in the house of Miss Sarah Burr
and have lived there for the past four
years." answered the witness.
Were you there when Miss Burr died?"
| ''I.was; / was employed there as a servant"
Your mother lived there also, L believed"
Eyes; and had an aunt who lived there
about seventeen years, but she died some
| time since.
"What were your duties?'
~ used to assist Miss Burr about the
mousse"
Now. Mr.. McCabe, where did Miss Burr
dine?" asked counsel.
'sShe used to ca, in the kitchen and sat
there most of the time"
| How about the fires?"
There were no fires in the parlors, but oc-
| casionally there was q fire lighted in the hall
up stairs"
What did she say about the firesP'
'She didn't want us 10 light and fires"
"What composed the articles of furniture
1 in the kitchenY
There were two tables, wash-tub and
four chairs"
| The witness then went on to say that the
old lady took coffee every morning which
| was made in thin saucepan, and diving
down into the basket beside him he rum
maged about for few minutes, and present
~ pulled from lis hiding place little old
iron saucepan which had grown rusty with
age, and contained the remnants OF an even
| ing tea feast fast mouldering away. He
then made another dive into tue aforesaid
basket and drew forth a two prOnged
iron fork and knife of similar
material an iron tablespoon and
a china plate, which had evidently
been used in Colonia. times. Then he sepa-
rated from the mass of rubbish contained in
the basket a cup and saucer of more mod
ern workmanship, but exhibiting unmis
| taxable signs of old age aud constant use.
Then there was a milk-pitcheT brought 10
light which would have delighted any
simon-pure antiquarian; the Court officers,
assisted by the witness, dragged from re-
mote corner of the room three rickety-lOOk-
ing rush bottomed chairs, with the bottoms
ali rushed out; then there was table-a
very plain table-with four rough-loOking
legs and little drawer, rusty with age and
accumulated dirt.
"All these things" said the witness, who
had mOmentarily held to view a well-used
hoopskirt not of the latest Partisan pattern,
were used every day by Miss Burr"
early. TO BED AND EARLY TO RISE"
How was she as to her daily habits; were
they uniformY' next inquired Judge Pierre
pOnt.
mo, sir; they were very dirty. Laugh
What would she do the first thing in the
mornings"
''she would get up and come down into
the kitchen to dress"
did any one sleep with her?'
my mother slept in the same bed with
her"
well, what was next done"
Mother would dress her, and then they
would have breakfast-very early Miss
Burr would eat piece of toast and drink a
cup of tea; she didn't eat very much in the
, morning"
"Well, what them"
) "Then she would ask mother if she had
2 had breakfast; mother would say Yes and
then Miss Burr would say, We must have
all early dinner.
What time would you have dInnerT'
"At 10 O'clock" [Laughterl
"What did she usually have for dinner?
, Sometimes turkey and sometimes porter
house steak"
'Well. what would Miss Burr say?'
"She would ask if she had eaten her din
ner; my mother would tell her she had, and
r then she would say, I'VE must have an
early supper"
What time did you have supper?'
"At o clock" Great merTiment
after supper" continued the witness in
| nocently, ''she would ask if she had eaten
supper; my mo her would tell her she had
) and then she would keep on eating up 10
bedtime. LRoars of laughter ]
Did she seem to be hungryr'
! '.She would keep all the time eating be-
tween times" answered the witness gravely.
-. ole
|, her habit in that respectY
''She would go to bed about or 6 o'clock
in the evening"
How about the lights?"
"She didn't have any light-we had can.
die to light up"
, What did she do in the kitchen?''
"Well, she used TO sit there and part OF
the time lie down on those chairs" pointing
u the bouomless articles already referred
10.
WAS there bathroom in the hOuse?"
"rhere was. but she never took a bath
while was there" (Laughter.l
What kind of dress did she wear?'
, "She wore a calico dress said the wit.
ness and when counsel asked If he had the
dress there the witness, with great prompt
, tude, disappeared from the Court room and
returned in few minutes with decidedly
8 suspicious looking bundle which he began
. to unwrap in the presence of the Court
Surrogate Rollins craned his neck, and the
lawyers and stenographer, who were like
, | wise in close proximity 10 the witness aiIu
the bundle, unanimously held their respec-
! tive noses. As the covering was taken fr,m
the bundle there was disclosed to view a
somber garment partly wooden and partly
cotton. 1t smelled strongly, and several
! elderly females in the Court room stuck ~
their noses at the unsishtly thing.
what was the condition Of this dress?''
asked Judge Pierrepont, when Miss Burr
wore it?'
lit was pretty dirty She had worn it for
gear but she had another one. believe, a
cal co"
. did she have a silk dress?'
Ives. She had silk dress which she
kept in the pantry. She would wear this
dress when gentlemen came to see her, bur
would change il when they went away"
The witness said that the personal habits
OF the dscedent were almost filthy.
CHEAP JEwELRY.
: ibid she have any lewelry?" asked coun-
} sell
Yes" aud here the witness again disap-
peared from che Court room, returning I'M
mediately wiNl a long. common looking
box containing Miss Burr's ''valuables.~
Where did she get this jewelry?'
"She bought most of it from peddlers who
came around"
did you ever buy any jewelry for her,
and il so from whom
! ssYes I hfdlOht "A scarf. nj m and RING from, O.