The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-02-13
A QUEER CHARACTER.
"cRAzY JANE" OF PHILADELPHIA
A verltabIe .Miss Flite." Who Believes
that She Is the Rightful Owner Of Un-
counted Millions, and Cheated out
of Her Legitimate Income.
. S1philndeiphiA speolal.l 2 2 Z

HanBlnB hpOuU pn0 SO'if W " r f
for twenty years. She was known as
..Jane.o All the Judges and court officers
humored her. She is now dying at St.
Joseph's Hospital, where she was sent
yesterday.
James real estate is worth, according to
her own valuation, about $1,000, ,OOO. She
owns the wholero row on Fourth steet from
Chestnut to Walnut, with the exception OF
two houses. The ground on which the
granite building of the Pennsylvania Rail-
road Company stands is also hers. She
owns, Ybesides,. several properties on
Columbia avenue, west of Sixteenth, and
a row Of magnificent dwelling-houses on
North Broad street. Her title to the
ground on which the new courthouse has
! been erected is SO clear that 1t has never
been disputed. Her love Of Philadelphia
was, so great, however, that she never
pressed her rights.
She clungto her title papers tenaciously,
She would never Willingly permit them to
leave her own custody. For twenty years,
in sunshine and storm, she tripped from
court TO court with her precious documents
pressed up against her breast The cares
of her estate were always on her mind.
Her tenants were, for the most part, un-
mitigated villains. lFormonths and months
they would pay her not q cent of her Just
rents. Many a time they reduced her, not
withstanding her titles to millions, to the
necessity of accepting small loans from
generous court officers.
She lived ina little room up an alley on
Front street near Spruce. Her exact place
of residence was secret into which Judge
Elcock and Judge Ludlow, who looked aft
er her affairs as lawyers, her spiritual di-
rector and few tried friends were admit
ted. She had received information that
two men were always on her track, with
the design of robbing her of her title papers
while she slept. .'. .. ..,'.s ..,
She could, when necessary, reach her
home by an underground passage. 1t was
one that had been used by smugglers years
and years ago. The secret had been told
her by the last Of the band on his dying
bed, because she had been kind to him, and
had once paid surgeon to visit him by
stealth and dress a VIZ nd which he had
received in desperate fight with the off,
GERS Of the law. - s .A
She was sworn never to divulge the
secret, and would not for her life indicate
its situation, even to Judge Elcock OF
Judge Ludlow. Once she saw Judge Pierce
and her two enemies near the entrance to
the passage. She slipped into a jewelry
store, so that they might not see her, and
employed herself in examining and
pricing some diamond necklaces, one Of
which she bought for $780, OO0-though she
really didn't want it, and afterward gave
IL to neighbours baby to play with-until
the Judge and his two companions went
away. Nothing could prevail upon her tC
trust Pierce after that. She was convinced
that he was in league against her.
Most people had notion that Jane was
crazy. Jane, on her part, believed that all
the world except herself was more or less
out Of its head. "It's a great pity" she
said one day to your correspondent, "that
everybody nowadays should be so crazy
believe II they would all get their senses
again would get my rents"
Her system has been gradually breaking
up for several months. A serious organic
trouble discovered itself. Her wants wert
attended to by some clergymen connected
with st. Joseph Church. On Saturday sh'
was taken to st. Joseph's Hospital. Sh,
was very weak. As she was laid upon hel
bed In the hospital she was almost uncon
scious. She rallied after awhile. He
blue eyes wandered up and down; will
her shriveled hands she felt anxiously
about the bed, and feebly fumbled the GOV
erlet
"Are you looking for any body" asked
Sister of Charity, who was in attendance
''Yes,"said old Jane, in a whisper Of hor
ror, "my title papers. Oh, whore are my
title papersW ...
She would not be quieted until messen
ger, who had been sent to her room, re
turned with worn and thumbed bundl
OF papers, and gave them to her. ....
"Ah, now it's all right" said Jane, he
old face Frightening up, mo one shall
cheat me out Of my property. I'll be out II
a few days, and II those tenants don't pay
think they'll have to go. Twenty year
Of waiting is enough. wonder whethe
the underground passage has been discoy
ered9 No, that is safe; but / must asl
Judge Ludlow to keep an eye on Judg
Pierce"
In moment she was asleep, her price
less papers folded to her bosom.