Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-11-09

The ErFEcrs OF STREET MENprcANr Ac
cIpENrALLY DiscovEREp.

For several years a man named Girls Par
ker, quiet but repulsive-lookingm man, acted
as lanitor for what Was known "a the Wolfe
Building, located on the northwest corner of
Sixth and Walnut streets, a building now
occupied by keeshsn, the druggist. Parker
occupied rooms in the building with his wife,
Margaret. and the pair always betrayed ex-
treme poverty. They were always hungry,
and invariably shivered through the winters
for want of fuel and clothing Finally Par
ker died, and because of the widows poverty
was placed in an old rough pine box. and,
without formality of ordinary funeral rites,
was buried. Soon after the old janitor's
death the widow was moved from her squalid
quarters, and found place to hide herself on
Walnut street, between Sixth and Seventh
streets. Again turned out, she found har-
Dor on East Seventh street. Here, as on
Walnut street. she was constantly an object
of charity. The good people of st. Xavier's
church were never appealed to in vain in
behalf of poor, old Margaret Parker. On the
street she frequently successfully besought
strangers to assist her in her sore need, while
some of the Sixth street restaurants kept her
supplied with the refuse from their tables.
One day last week Margaret was notified
that she could no longer occupy the uncom-
Portable quarters she was then in unless she
paid up the rent She replied that she had
nothing with which to pay, and would, there
fore, have to move. Straightway she notified
Silas Cameron, a gas filter, at No. All Free
man avenue. of the trouble she was in. CAM
eron had befriended her on several occasions
and was ready to do it again. Leaving his
work he secured furniture wagon and the
assistance of a couple of friends named Sulli-
van and Hubbelseimer, and last week, We'd
nesday, began the task of transferring the old
woman's dirty effects from her Seventh street
quarters to room on Sixth street. During
the work of removing, and while the old
woman was watching every motion Of the
men, particularly while thev were carelessly
handling dilapidated old trunk, they acci-
dentally let it drop on the sidewalk. As the
trunk struck the walk it burst. and two large
bags of money rolled out. They were both
tied up with strips of cloth, and from rent
in one of them several pieces of silver rolled
across the pavement. Through the coarse
cloth of which the other bag wa. made could
be seen many large pieces of gold. Both bags
were very heavy, the one containing the gold
being much the heavier of the two. 1t was
roughly estimated that their combined weight
was something over twenty pounds, and that
their value amounted to $1,000 or $1,000. A
stranger passing just at the time. and recog-
nizing the value of the bags, attempted to
grab one Of them, but was prevented by the
three men. As the wealth of the old miser
WAS so suddenly exposed her usually red face
turned to an ashen hue, and she exclaimed,
"My God what have you done, and what
shall do? People now know have money
and I'll be murdered for it,
Eagerly and nervOusly she snatched the bags
of coin from her assistants, and ~ nervously
gathered the fragments Of her broken trunk
together, keeping her hands on them all the
while they were being carried into her new
but dingy quarters.
She was advised by Mr.. Cameron and his
companions to at once deposit her wealth in
a bank, as it would be no longer safe with
her. To this advice she made no answer.-
Cincinnati Gazette.