The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1883-11-02


interest in his affairs. Blodsett was shrewd
and let her. She engaged Inn TO collect her
| rent- for her, paving lin well. and Also loaned
lin money. Sine invite him to call and sec
her at her house on Beacon street., sud accord
ingly hu made an evening ca twice q week.
In a short time he seemed to gain a wonderful
influence over her, and she gave him the en-
tire control of her INN .nse estates and affairs.
paving him 10 per c mt for 70 doing. AS his
i tluence over her grew stronger sie heeon tn
make HIM presents. 40 he claims. She s,arted
off by giving him $l4.OOU worth of govern
| ment bonds II was done in this way. She
ordered him to buy the bonds. which he did.
| charging IL per cent for 80 doing. Then. soon
| after, she ordered him to sell them. For this
he also chaI ged 10 per cent Then TO CAP ali
she made him a present of the money realized
by their sale. Before many months mad passed
she made him another present, 50 he claims.
of 100 shares of NortlIern railroad stock worth
$40, 900. aud a little later shs gave him 100
shares OF tho Boston 4 Albany railroad stock
va .ued Mt $4,000. Ii seemed as if the poor
de.uded and infatuated old soul conld not do
enough for him for she followed up these mag
niicent and ptiuce!y ni ts by again making
HIM a present Of elgnty.two shares in the Bos.
tou d PROVIDENCE railroad, and SID, 900 worth
of at ,ck IN the Boston & Maine road, Blodgett
got 10 per cent com,nisslo, when these shares
were purchased. A short time after Mrs. Arm
strong made tho Acquaintance of Blodgett. a
great change was noticed in her by her friends
She became misery to herself. her sisters and
al her relatives. but was most generous to
Biodge,t, giving him presents o! money and the
STOCK before mentioned. She would half starye
herself 10 save money 10 give to him, and 1T
seemed as If it WAS her only happiness in life
u give her moaey away to him alone. Blodgett
was all the time getting 10 per cent cumlnls-
sion upon her iucom-, aud managed to secure
by this means alone about $40, 900 a year.
lie got so wealthy ut last that he moved INTO
the next house to Mrs. Armstrong. which was
worth $4,000. Abont 1877 Sac prepared
her Will III which she gave 80 900 each To her
nepiiews and ueices, y little more than that 10
ner three sisters, anu from $500, 600 to $780,
900 10 Blodgett. This VIII. however, was
never executed. BY this will one Of her nuices,
who had married her fathers coachman, was
entirely cut of.
MISERY WITH MILLIONS.
As to her parsimonous habits. ii was stated
in evidence. that although che had all income
OF about 500 a day, she denied herself the
bare necessi les Of life. She discharged her
coachman and all her servants, and sold her
horses aud carriages. She did her own cook
lug, butt fires, suited ashes and won d wash off
the trout door steps herself to the Intense hor-
Tor of her arlstocrAtlc %neighburs. Her break
fast and supper consisted of old slices Of
bread, with butter, aud d cup of tea; while for
dinner she would add u small piece Of steak.
Between meals she would take 5 SIP of brandy,
furnished her by Blodg 1T to the extent of d
sanon Il m,nth. The knivos and forks she
used were old ballered-up steel ones unfit for
use. Most of the crucRery ware was clipped
and cracked, the cups bong without handles,
wnile the cream jug was minus its nose. The
carving knife was simply q blade, the handle
beng broken uf. Gravy was served from an
Odd cup. she put away the elegant dresse.
and costly jeweiry she USED 10 wear when
her husband was aliv,, and for years
she wore an old, shabby dress that originally
cost IS. Her only exIravagauce iu the way of
dress was a l5.cent apron, which she was in
the habit Of showing to her relatives with great
pride. Although wearing shabby clothes her
self, she did not like 10 soc her relatives wear
or clothing, and upon one occasion gave a
relative S75 10 buy some clothes with She
would buy heavy congress boots for S;S. be-
cause they were cheap. Fires she would not
have, "a they were too expensive. Ga very
cold days she would leave her room and 90
into the bath room, where there was a radl-
ator, to get warm. She was continually max
lug gifts of money and bonds to Biodgett. and
at last she made over the whole of her estate
to lin OH condition that he paid all the taxes
on the property, and Kept il in repair. beside
paying the household expenses, Her house
hold EXPENSES. however. were only Sl a dav.
20 1T VIII be seen thai El,dgett was getting n
good thug. She paced $4,000 worth of
bonds and stocks in Blodsetl's hands. ia trust
for certain of her relatives, and promised that.
upon her death, he Should have tho houses on
Beacon street, and all The rest of her property.
In 1882 Mrs. Armstrong died, leaving prom
erty worth $500, 600. Search was then male
among her effects. -
A CURIOUS MEDLEY.
In an old hair trunk without a lock. kent in
a front room, was found an immens coiyec-
non of visiting carde, invitations and circulars.
Among these were also found bonds ami .a.
curitlos worth thousands of dol ars. the greater
part of lhcm being negotiable During the
last years of her life Mrs. Armstrong Insisted
in keeping these vaiuaLles ia the Old trnnk.
where anybody could steal them She had
beeu asked to put them in a safe. but abe an
swerod that they had always been safe
where they were, and would not listrn
to their removal More papers and valuables
were found in an old secretary in the dining
rooms and in sons bureau-lrawers in her bed
room. Everything wa. in a chaotic state in
the latter. A great many small bundles of rags
were found tied up in two or three knots. viii
,,,, =, - r,, ,~l k,. a.