Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1885-06-25
50 WOOD STREET, LONDON, june s, 1855
W II KaaviI ESQ
Dead woman comes 40 Lac.

HARTFORD, Conn, June 23.-Marga-
ret HenneSsy, OF this city, about fifty
years of age, was supposed to have been
killed by the cars on the Valley railroad,
IN Wethersheld, over a year ago. She
had been employed as a domestic in
Hartford for many years and was capa-
bic house servant, but she was subject TO
occasional spells of mental delusion, and
and when in this state would visit neigh
boring towns and solicit aims. She al
ways carried basket, which she usually
succeeded in filling with a variety of
food, and was so well known among peo-
pie for miles around that they called her
Crazy Margaret, and humored her fan
cies. These periods of mania were not
frequent, though they covered a space
of many years, and they did not last
but few days. At other times she
was perfectly well, apparently, and
besides being hard and very
faithful worker, saved her earh-
ings and had about $1,000 in the Pratt
Street Saving Bank. On the day of her
supposed death she bad been seen in
Wethersleld, according to the testimony
Of several witnesses, and when the body
ofthe woman, with basket close by her,
was found by the side of the railroad
track, answering to her description, the
jury of the inquest summoned by the
authorities speedily returned the verdict
that the person known as =" Crazy Marga-
ret was the victim of the accident. 4
burial in a pauper's grave folloWedat the
expense Of ths town. AT the time the
Hartford newspapers gave the particulars
OF the case. and this public notice at
tracted the attention of sister of Mar
garet living in Rockville, this State, who
knew there was money belonging to the
deceased woman in bank, and she came
here in company with the Rev. Father
Furlong of that place, and went to the
probate office to take out administration
papers. The judge advised delay until
an advertising notice should be published
by order Of the court for the benefit Of
other heirs, should any be living. This
notice was given, aud Communication
was soon after received from brother on
Long Island, OF whose Whereabouts
the Rockville sister knew nothing, but
supposed he was dead. He said in his
letter. that he had several children who
were legal heirs beside himself to the
property. Father Furlong was in Au-
gust last appointed administrator of the
estate, and, after taking an inventory,
which consisted only of the bank deposit,
he had bill presented to him by Mrs.
Ne ntyra, who keeps a clearinghouse in
fearl street, this city, making a charge
Of over 5000 for bos-a against Margaret.
...s .ooKed like an attempt to rob the
estate, aud payment wasrefused. Finally
the claimant, through an attorney, con-
sented to take $500, and here the matter
rested until few days ago, when Father
Furlong received letter with demand
for settlement, with an intimation that
suit would be brought without much
further delay. On the same day, before
he had time to answer this letter, he was
astonished to receive another letter, from
Hartford, conveying the startling intel
ligence that Crazy Margaret" was still
living in this city, directions being given
how to reach her. He came here i'm
mediately and had no difficulty in find
ing her She was living in Washington
street, was in uncommonly good health,
and had not suffered from a return
of her crazy spells since her death was
reported. But she had heard nothing of
any report of her own death, and was in
healthy state of mind when the good
priest congratulated her upon her good
appearance and related the story of his
Enthusiastically. lie made it plain to
her that she had better not risk another
false alarm, lest her property might go
where she would not be pleased to have
it, and she has just made will and APP
peared in the probate Office so as to make
her identity plain.
What will become of the board bill re-
mains to be seen. If it is clear fraud
the claimant will be embarrassed by the
living presence of the late lamented.
Meanwhile, the Wethersfeld town au-
thorities are puzzled over the death and
burial in that place. There has been no
inquiry as to the disappearance of any
body by the railroad accident except
such as was made regarding the woman
now living. This part of the case will
probably forever remain a mystery.