The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1891-01-15
DEAD PAUPERS GOODS,
SELLING AT AUCTION THE ODD
PROPERTY OF SUICIDES.

When They Take Their Own Lives
They Find Their Way to the Bower.
Misery's auction sale" took place
Thursday. It was held at Duane street.
and though that is not its official name
1t occurred to reporter who heard it
called 80 as most appropriate one.
The auction has an odd and grewsome
origin. When a man commits suicide
by pistol or knife the coroner takes nos.
session of the weapon. If the man has
no friends or relatives, and leaves no
will, his clothes and any personal effects
that he may have go with it.
After the unfortunate is laid beneath
the sod of Potter's field, and all the legal
formulas have been observed, the coro-
ner hands all these things over to the
public administrator The large num-
Der of suicides in this big city, the mys-
ferrous deaths Of unknown men and
women and the deaths in the poor gar
rets serve to swell this officials interest
ing collection of estates and heirlooms to
such size that special man is kent
busy looking after them.
Should any of these articles be valu-
able they are placed in the Office safe or
else sent to safe deposit company. But
the bulk OF the stuff that falls into the
administrators hands is of little value,
consisting mostly of cheap furniture.
clothes, bedding, revolvers, knives and
odds and ends, of which every man pos
sesses his share. These things are sent
to the storehouse at Duane street, ad-
joining the Newsboys' Lodging house,
and there they accumulate until the pile
grows too big for the place, when they
are auctioned off to the highest bidder.
THE AUCTION ROOM.
When the reporter entered the place
the sale was in progress. The auc-
tloneer's pulpit like stand was in the
middle of the room, and that function
airy, in a silk hat, was deeply engaged in
overcoming the objections of a poorly
dressed, stout Irish woman to buying a
cheap watch that might have been silver
or steel. The room was filed with a
motley gathering of men and women. It
was poor looking crowd, although
here and there scintillating spark be-
trayed diamond on the person of
chatham street curiosity" dealer. Many
people who daily pass the curiosity shops
on the Bowery have wondered where all
the odds and ends displayed in the win
dows come from. Had they attended
this auction they would have known,
There were perhaps a dozen of these
dealers present, and they bought largely.
Then there were many women, poorly
dressed creatures, who stopped bidding
when the article passed the dollar point,
Where they came from, or what they
wanted the stuff for, nobody knew save
themselves. The auctioneer got his
money-he didn't care. The curiosity
dealers shrugged their shoulders-it was
none of their bHsiness. The stock Of
fered was scattered about the room. 1t
included knives, umbrellas, old clothes,
bedsteads, rusty bayonets, billiard balls,
carpenters rules, peddlers' outfits,
chromos, revolvers, chairs, tables, stove
pipes, ETC., all mingled in rusty, dusty
confusion The sale proceeded after
this manner, the auctioneer saying:
Glow much dye bid? Forty, forty,
forty-forty-five? Fine silica umbrella.
Maybe a duke owned it; maybe
duchess; maybe bum stole it. Forty
five! Once, twice, down she goes. Mrs.
Mulligan, that's the name, isn't it?
Forty-fve cents. Now we have lot No.
256-a saber How much d'ye"-and
so on.
There was story connected with
every one of these articles, a romantic
one undoubtedly in many cases, but no
one there knew it or evinced the least
desire to learn anything about it.
UNROMANTTC BIDDERS.
A suit of clothes was held up by the
boy.
How much dye bid?"
Those nearest the stand felt the cloth
and examined the clothes carefully, then
bid was offered, and another, and SO
on until the hammer fell. Mrs. Multi
gan must own q second hand clothing
store, for she bought great deal of
clothing.
LOT No. 347-one coat and vest. How
much dye bid?" came the monotonous
formula of the auctioneer.
''Lemme see, cheviot orwhat? What's
it made OFF, asked Mrs. Mulligan. She
examined it closely for q moment with
an eager face. Then she said in a dis
appointed way:
Its got hole in it,"
Yes, sure enough, there WIS q small
hole in the coat, right above the upper
outside pocket. The auctioneer presse l
his finger on the spot for moment and
then remarked in matter of fact voice:
Il guess that's where the bullet went
through"
The coat and vest were sold, and when
some poor fellow buys them he will
never know that a bullet once pierced
his coat and reached mans heart.
where's lot $780,? asked the auc-
tioneer.
The assistant handed up ~ package
wrapped in dirty piece Of yellow paper.
1t was united, and with Gathering
noise lot of revolvers and knives fell