The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-09-13

L
From that time until his death, which
occurred Sept. ., 1894, he was continu-
ally in my employ, working ms car
pcnter and builder; as AN inventor,
perfecting and patenting several articles
of value, us Il real estate dealer and rs IL
wholesale lumbcr merchant, buying and
shipping lumber from the south and
west to Chicago and St Louis. where |
sold the same products.
think it was in 1889 that was one
day waited upon bv two aeutlcmen who
wished 10 sell 1nc gas macDlne, ny ua-
ing which l could be forever independ-
ent of the regular city gas company So
great were the Inducements held ont
that / later met them at their Office on
La Sale street. and before leaving
them had bought one Of the machines,
which IL few days later, was, arranged in!
the basement of my building, andI had
notified the city company that thereafter
l should cease to be one 0f,thcir patrons
For two days the new machine perform
ed wonders, and'I recommended it to
many Of my customers and friends. The
third evening when | was verv busy,
my store was suddenly onvclopcd in
darkness. l was Obliged to turn away
my customers and close for the want of
light From that time until morning !
wrcstled with my gas machine, and
when Pitczel came TO his days work he
found me still perspiring, and fear,
swearing over it.
The machine was to him rs Il new
toy To II child although he soon assured
me that as II gas producer il was an nb-
solute failure. Tint afternoon [ in
structcd him to temporarily connect ii
with the city gas pipe to provide light
Tor the evening, and next day / would
go to the company and make Il now APP
pllcatlon To again become Il permanent
customer. AS he finished making the
connection lie remarked that he thought
that would be II good permanent ar
arrangement without going TO the gas
company. His quiet remark resulted in
my having him, the next day, lead the
gas from tho city main to the machine
underground and iii such way that
1t would not be known without a close
inspection and this'I did, not so much
to dotraud the city as to "get even"
with the company who had defrnuded
me, and "A few evenings thereafter tho
president of the company called upon
me, and after quietly studying my new
light for n time spoke to mo of it,
L then told him that | had bought his
machine for the purpose of trying a now
gas that for years | had been exnori-
mcnting with. Several other visits fol
lowed, and although | was apparently
averSc 10 disposing Of my new discovery
L finally did SO. taking in turn, first.
acontract SO skillfully wordcd that there
could later be 10 claims brought against
me, and, second, cheek for n large sum
OF money. Had matters stopped here. us
l had at first intended, all would have
been we'll, but ! neglected disconnecting
from the city supply from day TO day,
until finally an inspector, more energetic
than his fellow workers, became aware
of ii, and this resulted in my very will
lng!y choosing to pay 5000 gas bill in
preference to being openly written mp
and perhaps prosecuted.
first met Minnie r. Williams in the
real estate and intelligence Office CON
Quoted by Mr.. Campbell, upon Dearborn
street, Chicago, near the Manhattin
building. This meeting took place in
January, 1898, she having engaged Air
Campbell to procure her situation as
II stcnographcr. being wholly without
means at this time, save some mort
gagged Texas real estate, valued mt be-
tween 30. 600 and So, 900, exclusive of
the membranes existing against il.
May - or %, 1893, while stopping
with mo ut the Bates House. Chicago
(see register thcrc), she was again Mt
tackled with the same form Of mental
disorder with which she had told ne
she had suffered during her trouble i'll
New York. Becoming somewhat better
l had her 10 go to the Baptist or Pres
byterian hospital, an Institution near
the Clybourne avenue cable limits in
Chicago, where her name Will be found
enrolled upon the books Of that institu-
ton during the last week in MAY, 1898,
under the name Of Mrs. Williams.
We took apartments at 1920 Wright
wood avenue. carly in Jnne, and about
June:20 tho sister, Mamie. came to visit
her,sdn response to letter from Miss
Williams. Eer trunk was dcliveredShy
Drinks next day, it being another ono
containing books and pictures that was
later returned TO Fort Worth. Mamie
Williams was never at 70l Sixty-third
street. At about this time Mr.. Edgar
Hatch, a former New York theatrical
acquaintance Of Miss Williams, called
uDDn pE