Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23

There is a man in Washington who is
rich and yet unknown. The tax duplicates
show very valuable property as belonging
to him, but he transacts only such business
as he Is forced to do. A more miserable
man cannot be found In Washington, and
Lis money Is the sole cause of such state
of affairs. During the boom he owned
farm in the Shena ndoah valley. 1t was not
considered very valuable. but a syndicate
wanted the land for town site. He had
been born and raised on the old place, no
man was happier than he, and money was
but little temptation. He had never owned
much cash, and did not know what could
be done with it if he had it. This ard not
any prudential motives caused him to re-
fuse very tempting offers. Members of the
syndicate did not understand that 1t was
sentiment not shrewdness, that prevented
him from selling at the first price they
offered and they raised their bids several
times. Finally, the mans wife prevailed
upon him to sell at a figure that seemed
almost fabulous, AMI the family moved to
Washington. Neither of them had ever
been in society. and after a few awkward
attempts to obtain recognition they gave
1t up and now in a great, big house they
fret and fume, ard quarrel they never
did before. while the capitalist drives aim
lessly about the city, bis heart back in the
Shenandoah valley, where his farm is row
town.
x x
dangerous to look like another person. A
friend of mine, who is engaged in the prac-
tice of law, told me of singular Instance
where too strong a resemblance got
client in trouble. A young
rested, charged with burglary. He had
been surprised while in the sleeping room
of the head of the family, and had aped
by jumping through a window. He was
pursued, but got away. Two hours later,
my friends client stranger in the town,
was arrested. The man and his wife, who
saw him, positively identified the young
man, as did those who joined in the pur-
suit. To his attorney he persisted in pro-
testing his Innocence, but could not &C.
count for himself at the time the offeHSe
was committed. except by saying he took
a long walk to see the city. The attorney,
who at first believed his client to be guilty,
looked up his record and became convinced
that the young man was innocent, but his
conviction seemed a foregone conclusion.
One day the lawyer met man the
street whom he mistook for his client.
Why. how did you obtain bond?' he
asked.
You are evidently taking me for some
one else was the answer
A bright idea struck the lawyer. The
stranger looked though he was in hard
luck, and proposition to sit in the court
room during the trial was accepted. The
lawyer concealed the double until the case
was called, then he had the real prisoner
st behind him where he could not be seen,
the accused being small and my friend
quite large Inc double was seated IN the
prisoners dock. Every witness identified
the man most positively, and the prosecut-
ing attorney looked fully satisfied until the
supposed prisoner was placed upon the
the defendant. Subsequently convicted
burglar made a confession. and among the
crimes was the one with which my friends
client had been charged
u = \
There was pathetic incident In Judge
CoX's court that no one knew except the
prisoner and his wife during the trial of
Oscar Wanneck, the Frenchman convicted
of obtaining money under false pretenses
by selling brick dust as a rat eXterminator.
Upon the second day of the trial, which
lasted three days, the newspapers said that
the defendant seemed worried and nervous,
but no one knew why. Just as the first
witness for the defense was placed upon
the stand a letter postmarked Paris,
France" draped in mourning was handed
him. AS ne read it his head dropped upon
his hands and for a time he forgot that he
was on trial and that his liberty was In
jeopardy. 1t took but moment to read 1t,
and that moment will never be forgotten
His sister wrote the latter. not imagining
that it would ever reach him under such
conditions, and 1t conveyed the sad news
that his mother was dead, and asked him
to return home at once that he might as
sist In arranging the affairs of the mothers
estate and help comfort his sorrowing sis
ter. That letter went with the convicted
man to the penitentiary, resting against his
heart.
saw an incident on Belt line street
car that would by itself make a good tenn
perance lecture. lady neatly attired and
showing unmistakable evidences of culture
ar d good breeding sat in a corner. AS we
reached a downtown street crossing
n an entered, so intoxicated that he could
scarcely stand, his clothes were dirty and
marks of recent fall were upon his coat.
His eyes were bloodshot, his features
swollen, giving him beastly look. AS he
er tered the lady in the corner turned pale,
then seeing that he would fall, arose,
placed her arm around him and helped him
to a seat beside her. Then he dropped his
head upon her lap and fell into a drunken
sleep. 1t was evidently the lady's husband,
and a hunted look came into her eyes,
while her face grew white as a sheet.
When the car reached the vicinity of their
home she helped him off, literally lifting
him from the platform to the ground, and
as they disappeared, the other passengers
watched them far as they could be seen,
but no said a word, the suffering
shown upon the wife's face was too seri-
Gus to make the subject of ridicule.
u
It is the unwritten life histories that are
Of the greatest human interest. 1 thought
of that yesterday when I saw wagons be-
longing to a furniture house that sells on
the instalment plan, removing goods from
handsome house on Capitol Hill. l met
the giSls. whose failure this betokened. when
they first came to Washington, six months
ago. 1t is Il common, everyday story. Two
sisters, the Oldest of a minister's large
family, tired of trying to make both ends
meet on their fathers small salary, planned
for many months how they could assist the
folks home, and take care of them
selves. Someone advised them to open
boarding house in Washington, and by go
ing without everything they possibly could
dispense with even doing the washing them
selves. the two girls raised $780, 1t seemed
like a fortune to them as they counted out
the bills and the silver pieces. Then they
came to this city and selected a house.
After paying months rent and the first
instdllment on their furniture, the money
was gone, but 81 grocer gave them credit.
How they advertised for boarders, and the
trials they had with those VINO responded
and could not be suited, never be told.
few were obtained, however, and day and