Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-03
THE MILLIONAIRE TRAMP.
How Washington Widow Caught Hus-
band and Fortune.


/ " HUoNtWytOH opcctQt. sun.
A marriage, about which there is a
flavor OF romance and something of the
ludicrOus, took place at the rectOrv of
Epiphany church, this city, last evening,
in the presence of few friends of the
contracting parties.
G. G. Merritt, of Baltimore, youth of
! tWenty-three or more, and Mrs. Hattie
Howard, Of the Dundores Employment
and Claim Agency, an alleged grass
widow, were the contracting parties.
Mrs. Howard, who is described as 'Efair.
fat and forty" says she is thirty-three
Merritt is a rather wild young fellow.
who ran away from home in Baltimore
several years ago and has picked up a
living about here through situations pro
cured for him by Mrs. DundoRe and her
clerk, the unbushing bride.
A few months ago he disappeared. and
recently his father in Baltimore, who had
disowned him after he ran away, died,
leaving him fortune YariOusly estimated
at figures reaching above million. The
fair Howard warmed up her affections for
the wandering orphan and heir. and bv
great effort found his whereabouts and
informed him of his fortune.
Here's the way she tells it: ''He was
very wild and would go of and be regu-
lar tramp and then come back and Mrs.
DundOre would clean him up and
StraISnten MN all out again.
Late III the winter he disappeared for
good, we thought. Not very long ago we
got word from Baltimore that his father
was dead and that he would be very rich.
Mrs. DundOre was in Florida.
81 thought he was in Virginia, so | set
to work to find him myself. / sent postal
cards addressed to him, telling him to
come here, all over the State, and one
reached him at Newport News.
''Three weeks ago last Monday he
walked in this office and said: well,
here l am, what do you want?'
"'Caleb,' said l, your father is dead,'
and he tainted right off.
81 sent word TO Mrs. Dundare and she
came home. We didn't let him 20 to
Baltimore for fear that some people there
might try to put him in the insane asylum
in order to get his money.
Il had no more idea that he was going
to ask me to marry him than have that
you will before you leave this office"
But didn't he show any fOndness for
you before his return?
''Oh, yes. Let me see. 1t was last
winter that [ said to Dundore: Dun
dore, do you know that that cub of yours
is trying to make love to mel?
"'Well, never you mind, Howard said
she, 'sOme of these days that boy will
have more money than you ever had or
ever Will haVe.'"
''No, indeed" continued Mrs. Howard,
81 didn't have any idea that he wanted to
marry me until he asked me to. | almost
backed out several times because I think
people will say that | was a fortune
hunter, and that l inviegled him into mar
rying me. We will have a reception next
week some time and / will invite you to
it, but you must not say mean things
about me and rake me over the Goals in
the paper"
"You are interested in the employment
agency, are you not?" asked the 'repor-
ter.
''Oh, yes;'' was the reply. "Mr. Dun
dore attends to the law and claim busi-
ness and | to the agency"
'Will you continue it after your mar
riage?"
"No, indeed. We will have plenty of
money and will help spend it; and will
spend it right, too"