Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-04-02
WEALTHY PAdPERs.
Men OF Mean. wh. Have Esd-s rheIr DsSs
IN she Almshoase.
Nan yoxk Aoxr,,x~

1he warden oil the almshouse on
Blackwell's Island, Mr. Marshall
Vought, whose temper is seldom ruff
fed, and whom fifteen hundred friend
less paupers regard as protector, du-
ring the past week has been very indig-
nant at the discovery of how he has
been basely imposed upon and the
city defrauded. This mode Of cheat
ing consists of individuals who
have proper means for subsist-
ence stored away in banks or even
invested in real estate going before
police justice or Superintendent Blake,
Of the Department of Charities, and
having themselves, under oath, COM
mitted as paupers to the poorhouse by
swearing they are not possessed of rela-
tiyes or friends or single dollar with
which to procure shelter. Two weeks
ago an aged woman who had been ex-
tended extra sympathy and care by
Warden Vought. on account other pitt
ful history, died, and the Indignation
Of the official on discovering the facts in
her case can be imagined. A few hours
previous to her demise she called him
TO her bedside, and there confessed
TO not only having two bank-books with
heavy amounts to her account, but adj
mitted that her sons and daughters were
still living, and that she had perjured
herself to secure admission to the aims
house, so that she could live the re-
mainder Of her days without touching
her savings or being dependent upon
others. This confession, and the fact
that he had been so cleverly imposed
upon for several years by the old lady,
startled the warden, and he at once in
stituted an investigation in the cases
Of other inmates. A number Of ad-
ditional cases have come to light, some
Of them possessing remarkable fea-
lures. Yesterday, when Aer-
cNry reporter asked Warden Vought
in the Office of the almshouse
about his experience with these aris-
tocratic paupers, that gentleman, with q
look Of intense Indignation as he vicious
ly chewed on the stump of half-smoked
Havana, said: "0h, the way these
people have been coming here as COM
mon paupers is something awful. You
could hardly believe there were people
mean enough in this world to do so
while they had means sufficient to get
crust of bread and a bed to lie down
upon. They have been dying here,
actually worth not only thousands of
dollars, but with houses and other pro-
perty besides. ! tell you | have been
grossly deceived, finding out, only when
too late. who some Of my people were.
Now. there was the case of man
who died here some days ago. He
came here under his right name, but
declaring he was without a friend or
dollar in the world. Almost month
after his death his true history came to
light. lie was the owner Of two
houses in the Fourth ward, and also
member Of Catholic benevolent So
ciety, which provides that at each mem
ber'S death he is allowed s75 or sl00
and burial by the society. He left his
home and family of grown children be-
cause they would not put up with his
having married third wife. When he
left home no trace of the man could be
discovered until they at last learned
that he had died in the almShouse on
Blackwcll's Island. 1t was then too
late to recover the body, for through
course Of law it had gone TO the dis
Secting-table of some medical college.
There was another ins tancc Of ras-
cally wretchedness, went on the
warden. = A woman almost bent with
infrmity was brought here, who repre-
sented she was without home, and
that all belonging to her were dead and
gone. Her story was believed. and
created good deal of sympathy in her
behalf. Her sight was pretty good,
for, although giving her age at iilty-one
when she entered, she could read and
sew without the aid Of glasses, which
many Of her associates here cannot do.
Well, occasionally while with Us
rather young-looking NAH called and
made some inquiries about her. The
other day she died, and this visitor
happened to come along right after.
While not eyincing much sorrow at the
woman's end, he was quite grieyed to see
she had her age down at tifty-three years.
He coGtended she was but forty-one
years old. Well, says to the man,
tins woman came in here giving her
age at ffty-one, and now she is fifty
three years old. and only at that age
shall her body go out of here 1t
turned out that the woman's life had
been insured. but her real age had not
been given in the policy. She had a
married son and daughter, who live in
comfort in New York. The name she
gave was simply assumed to conceal
her identity so that she could live
at the city's expense. But just
look at case that accidentally came
to my notice last week. Here was
a man who came TO us without de-
cent coat to his back or shoe to his
foot. He was nearly fifty years of age,
with a big, raw-boned body, and actual
ly looked as though he had been stary-
ing all his life. lie said he lived in the
Tenth ward, but was out Of work, and
was we'll received here. lie would do
what was asked of him ciyilly, and
seemed all he claimed to be, except
when visitors were about noticed he
Stunned their glances and avoided their
presence. At last sickness attacked
him, and he began to show signs OF
failing. When he was finally given
up, he one day sent for me
and told all. lie had been a
traveller mostly all his life, and
by hard work and much adventure in
various countries succeeded in gather
ing together quite sum of money and
yaluables. He came to this city, after
visiting the West, for the sole purpose
of finding out son whom he had dis
carded. He found thst this man was
married. but living in humble quarters
on the west side Of the city. Here he
had wended his steps for the purpose
of taking up his abode with his son.
and in case Of death making the fel-