The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-08-14
STRANGE CASE OF REMORSE.
Conscience Takes Effect After Fourteen
Years Had Elapsed.


by Warren Il. Leland, proprietor of the
Windsor Hotel. Mr. Leland at one time
conducted the Leland Hotel In. Chicago,
but he disposed OF his business there
just before the Worlds Fair. Last spring
he secured control of the Windsor Hotel
A few weeks ago MIR. Leland received
letter with postmark showing that 1t
came from Chicago, accompanied by a
package inclosing pocketbook. The
missive read as follows:
mr.. Warren LELAND / cend you A pocket
boock wehich i found in your hotele in
1882 hid 1t away and could not find IL
until lately as don't know who conceled
II ! had retner not say any thing.
The pocket book was one such as pro-
fessional man would carry, and besides
SIS in money II contained few papers
that gave no clew to the identity OF the
owner, and two visiting cards. One
card was that of III. Dumont Wagner, a
mechanical engineer of Philadelphia.
The other was that OF DR.. l.. X. Bald
win OF Philadelphia. MIR. Leland wrote to
both for information about the pocket
book. The first reply he received was to
the letter he had written to DR.. Baldwin.
1t read:
WARREN II. LELAND, ESQ:
Dear Sir-Your letter OF July % to DIR.
l.. X. Baldwin has teen opened by the
writer, as DIR. Bald " in has been dead for
nearly three years. He was in Chicago
In 1882 and stopped at the Leland Hotel,
but TO the best OF my knowledge he aid
not lose pocket book. Neither my moth
a. m " nt
Mr.. III. ID. Wagner. In all probability
Mr.. Wagner Is gentleman that my
father met either I'm your hotel or on his
way TO Chicago. III there Is any further
information that we can give you, 1
would ask that you kindly ADVISE me,
and Will be pleased to obtain IL for you
II 1t Is In my power.
Yours very truly,
l.. Il. BALDWIN.
The next letter came from Mr.. wag-
ner. 1t was as follows:
WARREN L. LELAND, ESQ:
Dear Sir-Your favor of the 25th inst.
came duly to hand, and in reply / beg
leave to state that in 1882 was stopping
at the Leland House, when engaged in
business with the Goodwin Gas Stove and
Meter Company, and that during my
soIourn in the city lost a pocket book,
but l cannot recall its contents nor do /
know where 1t was lost. The book, IL
mine, would in all probability have
either my business card or visiting card
in 1t, or some papers relating to the bus
mess or letters addressed to me at No.
l0l6 tilbert street, or No. 1919 Spruce
street, Philadelphia. After this lapse of
time tits difficult TO remem Der the facts
connected with the case without refer
ence TO memoranda, which is not acces
sible at present, but if you can find any
olcw from the above statement lea1ing
you to suppose the book mine, | would
bo obliged IL you would forward the
book to me in care of R.S. Z. Jones,
Collingwood, n. j., where l am staying
at the present time.
Yours respectfully,
II. DUMoNT WAGNER.
Mr.. Leland was convinced that the
pocketbook was tie property of Mr..
Wagner, and sent it to him. Yesterday
ne received the acknowledgment as fol-
lows:
WARREN +. LELAND, ESQ.,:
My Dear Sir-l beg leave to acknow-
ledge, with thanks, the receipt of your
favor of the 30th, containing pocketb book
and S2o, aud herewith inclose the
servants letter and envelope as you re-
quest. The incident is certainly most
remarkable one and inexplicaple in all
respects-that my book and money
should be returned TO me after SO many
years. 1t leads one TO believe in the ulti-
mate honesty of human nature: and IN
your action in the matter ] canno. ex-
press my appreciation of your Kindness
and the trouble you have taken. | GER
tainly will call at the Windsor when in
New York, and remain yours truly,
III. DUMoNT WAGNER.
Mr.. Leland now has with him num-
Der OF employees who were with him in
Chicago at the time of the theft. lie al
ways retains his employees as long as
they will remain, and yesterday he maGe
inquiry among them about the matter.
A. &. Hibbsrd, the bookekeper; ~Dan'
Lace, the steward; "Pat" Meyers, the
assistant steward; Miss Wright, the
housekeeper; John McGrath, the head
porter. and other employees, all remem.
bered the incident in Chicago when the
pocketbook was lost, but they had no
recollection of the details. Mr.. Leland
thinks 1t Is one of the most remarkable
cases OF a haunting conscience that he ever
encountered. There is not the slig htest
clew to tho writer OF the note. but from
tue appearance of the scrawl il is believed
that the writer is woman.-N. Y.
Tribune.