Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-05-03
JESSIE BELL HOPPER.
THAT Is THE NAME THE WANDERING
GIRL GAVE AT Lee STATION.
what the Police Discovered I'm Goooh'
laad--Jessis Tramps Nine miies-Tho
Mystery Complicated.

The revelations of the last twenty-four
hours have thrown anew light upon the
"yessie Miller case. Yesterday morning
Il will be remembered the DISPATCH pub
Iished letter from Lee, on the Richmond
and Allegheny railroad, stating that q
woman answering Jessie's description took
the train there for Richmond on the eve
ming of the 2sth (the 9th was intended).
The police had received information TO
the same effect, and yesterday morning
CAPTAIN Angle, of tho Second district, and
Officer Walton. who found the girl in the
street here Monday night. made trip MP
the Allegheny road to follow UP this clue.
ON THE BioHT TRACK.
When Jessie was taken TO tho station
house Monday night she had in her
possession piece Of thick brown
wrapping paper, on which was the
address Mary Lou Turner, isqueani."
This the officers took along with
them. Arriving at Lee they found
that they were on the right scent as far az
her having been there was concerned:
They discovered that on the evening OF
the 9Th Jessie, who was walking down the
track from the direction Of Maiden's Adj
venture, approached negro man and two
negro girls who were minding cows about
TWO UllleSITOm Ice, hHu hShSu thtn Nv"
far IL was 10 the next station. One OF the
girls was Mary Lou Tuner. After some
further conversation she requested the ne
gro girls TO accompany her 20 the STA
ton, which they consented to do.
THE STORY OF TnEsE GIRLS.
The story of these girls is that during
the walk Jessie stopped several times and
sung and danced on the railroad treck:
She told Mary Lou Turner that she had
been q nurse in an insane asylum ana
asked her if there were police In Rich
nond and how they dressed. Mary Lou
replied that there were and described the
police uniform. Jessie then asked II she
acted funny in the streets would the ponce
take her IN and was assured that they
would.
Al the station she laughed and chatted
with the negro girls, and remarked to the
agent that he must think that she was
crazy, and when she priced the ticket to
Richmond and was informed that IT was
seventy-fve cents said that was all the
money she had.
THE TWO ADDRESSES.
Before being put on the train she took
Mary LOUIS address, and told the negro
girl to write to her. The latter said she
did not know her direction" whereupon
Jessie gave her the following: Jessie
Bell Hopper, CITY insylum." This is In the
possession of Captain Angle. and is writ
ten on the Same kind of paper as that on
which the negro girls name is written.
The handwriting of both addresses IS I'LL
terate, and is the same, and Mary Lou
says both were written by jessie.
WALKED NINE MILES.
The police traced Jessie as far as Irving,
nine miles above Lee, and found that she
had walked the distance between the two
stations They have also learned that
short while ago girl who acted very much
rs Jessie has done here was ut Cntton
Forge and at O later period at Lynchburg.
POLICE THEORY.
Their theory now is that Jessie tramps
through tho country and whenever she
wants rest plays insane in order 70 get
into some public institution. But all this
does not relieve the case of mystery. In
measure il complicates the mystery. In
the first place 1t is almost impos-
slble to reconcile such an llhterate
chirography and Jessie's cultivated Ian
ruage and the knowledge of techni-
cal terms che showed in speaking
of severe surgical operation that had
been performed upon her. In the second
place, there has been no shamm1ng about
The attacks she has had while at the aims
house, nor could she have very well act
ed the refinement that has characterized
everything she has said and done ever
since she has been in that institution.
NOT TOLD ALL.
That Jessie has not told all she knows is
very evident, but il is probable that there
is deeper mystery attaching to her case
and her life than many who have studied
il closely have even suspected. The tramp
theory is not the only one that has color.
For the last two days Jessie's mind has
been perfectly clear.
Wednesday Jessie admitted to Ofhcer
Walton and the DISPATCH reporter that she
had been TO more than one drugstore on
the evening of her arrival. This adnls-
sion was made during the conversation IN
which she insisted that she had walked
from one depot to another in Richmond.
SEEN IN DAD COMPANY.
Yesterday il was learned that on Monday
afternoon girl who fits the description OF
Jessie went to Scott's drugstore, corner OF
Franklin and Seventeenth streets, and
asked the clerk to give her the address OF
j. NJ. Marshall. The clerk referred TO the
directory and gave her the number l2l7
east Marshall. Councilman Charles Il.
Brauer was in the store when the girl en-
tered. He noticed that the girl was IN
company with q negro woman of unsavory
reputation and remembers that the time
WAS about O'clock