The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-17
TAKEN FROM THE LOCKET
GEORGE"
April 30. 1892.

'==-
Then the owner Of the envelope opened
1t and showed to his wondering COM
panion a bright coil Of girlish hair. Fair
IN color and softly fine In texture. the
cleaning little circlet. WHISTLER IL came
from young royalty's head or not. looked
strangely out OF place on the common
place dummy, although 1t was being han
died with peculiar care.
How do / know that is Queen Vic
toria's hair2" continued the proprietor OF
the treasure. his great hand tenderly
pushing back the springy ringlet and
replacing the envelope In his pocket.
"Wen. I'll tell you.
1t was some time ago that a young
Englishman. George Howe Brown, came
to my house TO room, and later died there.
That envelope was perhaps his most treas
ured asset l found % after his estate
had been settled UP and kept IL. had got
to know Brown pretty well, and ne owed
me considerable when he died. and so
felt sure OF the Identity of the hair and
that l am justified In keeping AZ.
He was a high-nyer, was Brown, In
more ways than one. l found out he
was a grandson OF Sir James Tyler. n
nephew of Lord Dunraven-the fellow
that races with Gould and the Prince OF
Wales-and "A cousin of the Countess OF
Munster. lie came over In style, bring
ing a big wardrobe of Poole suits. a flip
barmaid who he had married sub rosa,
and whole collection of jewelry and
valuable knick-knacks. There were
dressing cases with solid silver topped
fittings. every one with its crest a
solid gold manicure set, diamond pins
and rings galore. and among them was
a heavy gold locket containing hair.
Il think the young fellow must have
been shipped out here on account OF his
wild habits-maybe It was his mesalli-
ance with the barmaid-and he kept II
up on this coast Drink? Wen, he would
ask me into the room and offer me a
tumblerful OF whisky, and when | laughed
at him he would drain Il himself without
SO much as wlnking. He came TO live on
whisky at last till 1t killed him. The bar
maid left him, OF course-got running
round at Pete Dorseys and so on.
don't know where she is now.
Brown was a good enough fellow I'm
his way He was very methodical for
one thng-kept his room very neat and
always put down In his diary every lit
tie thing that affected him. He would
enter every bank note that he received
from England-and he got good many.
with its number, date of receipt, etc.
| remember seeing his record OF his
voyage from England with the newly
married barmaid. and he would enter
In his diary every time he had a quarrel
with her and made 1t up-which hap
pened apparently several times every day.
BY and by, you will understand how
this habit OF his forms an important
link In the authorization of my Queen
Victoria lock OF hair.
"Wel, he died. and when the coroner
broke Into his room all he could find
for the public administrator to admins
ter on was pile OF pawn tickets. They
represented all the young fellows belong
ings and the dates OF them show how he
had chung successfully to his dressing
cases. solitaires. watch and chain, etc.
nd hR 10 81 e. M ssafA
locket.'
There was a big fuss made by the
English relatives and friends after II was
too late. Letters were written and calls
made to my house; the young neer-do-
well, whom no one cared for when liv-
ing. was honored in death with fine
funeral, and there was a scurrying to
find out what poor Brown had done
with all his valuables
"Chief In request was the locket.
There came a letter from England, bear
ing terrific heraldric devices, demanding
the locket instanter. The writer in
sisted that II was a family heirloom,
and then IL came out that 1t contained
the hair OF Queen Victoria, presented by
her when a girl to a heightened relative
Of Browns, who I'm turn had entrusted IL
to him. The letter stated that the locket
bore the date of April 30, 1892.
well, they found the locket-traced II
to a pawnshop, but It contained no hair.
When later / found this envelope, and
saw the date on It, / knew / had the
prize. The young fellow was English,
and that means pride. He had kept the
family loclset to the last, and when forced
to soak II, he was too loyal to let the
young queens hair go. So he kept IL.
and In his usual methodical way indorsed
the envelope containing It In a manner
that conclusively identified It. Poor
Brown 1t was probaly the last shred
Of romance and pure feeling to which
he chung when all was dark shipwreck
about him. AS a drowning mariner
clutches a spar, he preserved inviolate
the sunny tress OF his country's queen"
The owner of the interesting lock IS
Mr.. Henry c. Bell, who is at present
a member of the orchestra engaged at the
Peoples theater. Oakland.