Morning journal and courier., 1888-08-01
N WEDNESDAY AUGUST

where near their value, but mans morally
sure to want to ges his leg or arm back again,
and pension day the old soldiers generally
manage to get their missing limbs out Of
pawn. Occasionally an old soldier will die,
leaving his dummy limb in fhock.' IF his
friends don't redeem it it's apt to be q loss
to the pawnbroker, for people dislike to buy
secondhand limbs, and a leg that cost forty
or fifty dollars won't bring more than thrse
or four dollars.
sfThsre is class of people who make q
living ont of the pawnshops. The plan most
generally adopted is to buy goods from the
instaliment houses and to pawn thena.
There's large number OF sharpers who have
worked the dodge with singular success.
Pawnbrokers are notified to look out for
stolen property, but they have no means of
knowing whether the customer is pawning
her own goods or those of an installment
house. They generally select clocks or some
other article that is valuable without occupy
ing much space, and pay the small amount
of cash to be paid down. When the coIIeo-
tor calls for the weekly installment they
either pretend they are not at homs or that
they have been unfortunate and have been
unable to raise the money. Excuses are
made weekly until the collector becomes
tired of calling, put down the claims as mo
man who has played this trick on every large
installment house in this city, and each time
under q different name. She move in re-
spectacle society too, and her friends un-
doubtedly think she is honest"
"Are pawnbrokers ever taken inf'
The broker sniled again. "Not often, -
he said, struggling his shoulders.
"Still pawnbrokers are fallible in their
judgment, and while their business necegsa-
r1ly makes them shrewd, they do occasional
ly get taken ins'
A friend of mine, who has been In the
business good many years, had woman
customer who came so often and was so reg
ular in redeeming her pledges that he be-
came careless and frequently gave her the
advance she asked on an article without tak-
ing it out of its wrapper. One day she was
particularly short, but everything of value
she had was in 'hock, and there was nothing
for her to realize on. A lucky idea struck
her. She remembered the pawnbroker's
growing carelessness, and wrapping pair Of
worn-out CATERS in piece of paper, took
them to the pawnshop and asked for an ad-
vance. The pawnbroker threw the bundle
on the shelf and gave her the money. After
that he opened the bundle.
Several months couple of young brush
makers had big stock of small paint brush
es on hand, and being temporarily Short
concluded to take them to their 'uncle's.'
The pawnbroker was unacquainted with the
value of the brushes and sent a clerk to a
neighboring drug store to inquire. The
clerk returned and reported that the brushes
retailed at twenty-five cents apiece. A large
sum was advanced on this basis and the
brushmskers went away delighted. The
pawnbroker advanced them twenty-five cents
more on dozen than they were getting for
the brushes at wholesale. They weren't slow
to see the advantages OF such a market and
they flooded the pawnbroker with brushes.
-.
equally advantageous advances, and In less
than month every pawnshop in town was
oTerstocked with the brushes and out of
pocket. When they discovered that they
had advanced more than they could have
purchased them for there were some mad
pawnbrokers in town; but the brushmen
didn't care. They had got rid of their
stock"
THE OOUNTEsS,S LONG SEARCH.
She Believes She Has Found Her Hus-
band in n Wealthy yPhIladeIphian.
lFrem the Philadelphia Press.l
An old fashioned coupe stood in front of
the entrance to Mayor Sulzberger's oaice,
Sixth and Chestnut streets, yesterday after
noon, for almost four hours. Just as the
the driver was getting impatient, a naughty
woman of about so years of age, dressed in
black silK, trimmed with costly lace, that
made startling contrast to her pale, delicate
face, was assisted to the carriage, and with
;zez <zs;a sys.s wfx;risd away to Mime. Henfy's
hotel, Washington square, where she has been
staying.
The elderly woman. now worn out with
rhenmatismand shorn of much of her grace,
was the Countess de Wartensleben of the
Grand Rive, Villa Rivoli, about 80 miles from
Paris.
The countess is still distinguished looking
and is very accomplished as linquist and as
3 musician.
She is o Polish woman of noble birth,
and sne has come all the way to Philadel-
phia on information said to have been fur
nished her by the French consul In rela-
ton to claim she has against retired mer-
chant of this city.
The claim she has makes o very romantic
story, covering a period of twenty-eight
years.
The account was closed yesterday afternoon
in Lawyer Sulzberger's Office and AMeriea
will see the Countess de Wartensleben no
more, as shs leaves for Paris on the steamer
Burgundy from New York tomorrow.
Soon after the countess left the lawyers
Office yesterday a noble looking man with
fine white hair and an erect form as vigorous
as German general left the Office attended
by his counsel. He was the man against
whom the claim was held.
He came to the city to wash his hands Of
the Countess de Wartensleben forever, and
he was successful as the countess was after
money.
The romance settled yesterday through the
persuasive means of dollars and cents began
about the year 1860. The Countess de War
tensleben, by her own statement was then
divorced from her husband, the count.
Soon after this she met the Philadelphian,
who was travelling in the vicinity of her cas-
tie. It did not take long for the handsome
young German traveller and the countess to
fall in love with each other and get married.
For term of three years she alleges that
she and her new husband lived happily on
various estates in Europe. Here they be-
came estranged and her husband disap
peared.
The desire to save herself from the loss of
considerable amount Of property, she says,
made her determined to find her husband,
and search was begun, which she says cost
her considerable portion of her fortune,
neeessitating the employing of detectives in
.s....S.:ss. The ssasah lssAs5 ....4!l