The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-06-02
Living by Pious Deceit.


who, among other peculiarities, have
been spending large sums of money in a
way and for articles altogether incongru-
Gus with their appearance and manner,
which are those belonging to the
humblest condition of life. The mys-
ferrous pair-one a tall, thin, angular
woman, about thirty eight years of age.
and the other q rather robust young
woman, bearing the appearance of a
maid of all work-have been ordering
sumptuous ten-dollar dinners daily At
Finelli's and the Continental, driving in
the Park, visiting the most fashionable
stores, buying the most elegant articles
at random, apparently regardless of cost
or season, and occupying the most con-
spicuous seats at performances in the
different theaters in the evening. In
various ways they have managed to get
q number of romantic stories af1oat as to
how the tall and angular young woman
who controls the purse-strings secured
her money. One story is that it was a
legacy from a lover who discovered a
gold mine near Leadville, but the true
story, which came out yesterday, while
anything but romantic, discloses one of
the most curious cases of deception and
imposition upon credulous and charita-
bly-disposed people that has been known
in a long time.
A few weeks ago two women, answer
ing tn e description given, the elder one
very poorly dressed, went into a fur
nishing establishment at Thirteenth and
Chestnut Streets and asked the price of
set of bluerep-covered parlOr furniture
in the window. 1t was show set. eX-
ceedingly handsome, and intended for a
rich modern apartment where the sur
roundings would be in harmony. One
of the young statesmen, chuckling at the
thought of the establishment the would
be customers would receive, replied that
the price was $3.50. To his own aston
ishment he was told that they would
take the set. Inquiry showed that the
furniture had been promised to other
parties and could not be disposed of,
whereupon the mysterious customers,
more than ever determined to have their
way, ordered set made exactly like it,
offering to pay an additional sum, if nee
essary. They gave the address to which
the furniture should be sent, No. 1918
South Street. Upon going there it was
found that Margaret Bethel, as the tall,
angular young woman had given her
name, occupied a room on the second
floor above a small notion store, kept by
Mrs. A. Gregg. Although unable to find
how the money had been obtained, the
salesman was satisfied that the young
woman was able to pay, and the furni-
ture was made, and as soon as finished
paid for cash down. Several other visits
were made by the two young women to
the same establishment and large pur-
chases made, including silk and velvet
ly ever asked for at this time of year, the
latter alone costing upwards of $500.
The salesman having remarked the in
congruity ofputting such furniture in
room without carpet. he went with
the two women; at their request, and
aided them i'm the selection of one, and
also directed them to a real estate agent,
as they talked of buying house in
some fashionable quarter. Out of this
and similar examples of the extravaganza
of Miss Bethel and her companion the
very singular story of how she got her
money has come to light.
For upwards oftwelve years an elderly
woman named Margaret Bethel has been
a pensioner on the charity of St. Marks
Protestant Episcopal Church, where she
attended and showed all the outward
semblance of great piety and extreme
poverty. She attended nearly all the
services and was the constant recipient
of money and numerous articles of wear
ing apparel from wealthy people in the
congregation. A man named John
Bethel. who lived with her, she said
was her intirm cousin, unable to work,
and she represented her daughter as an
imbecile. Living in various places, the
last being the room ON South Street, the
old woman, up to the time of her death
in February last, appeared to be but lit
tie removed from starvation. She had
scarcely been dead an hour when Mrs.
Gregg, who assisted in preparing her
body for burial, discovered that she had
left behind her a very large sum of money
in cash and books of deposits for many
thousands of dollars in various banks and
trust institutions. All of this was taken
in charge by her daughter. Itnow trans
pires that for many years, probably
twenty, the old woman and the man
who lived with her, who turns out to
have been her husband, and the daugh-
ter have been practicing the most sys-
tematic deception upon charitable people
of almost every religious denomination.
Each worked in different way and
everything went to the common fund.
They have represented themselves
as Catholics, Methodists,
Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and it is
hard to tell what else, and drawn,
and food and clothing constantly
from people and churches of every faith.
They have lived niggardly. sold nearly
everything given them of any value and
put the money in bank. The father,
who died a year ago, was buried under
Catholic influences, while begging aims,
built a marble vault costing $500 in
Woodlands Cemetery, in which she placed
her husbands body. and the daughter,
in turn gave the mother 5000 casket
and a splendid funeral. The number of
families and churches, and clergymen
and institutions who have been victim
lied during these years by ..good old