The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-09-28
on BUREAU DRAWER
Was Written the Life Story of
a Dying Girl.
FOUND IN The FREMONT HOTEL.
Drawer. IL Tipped Over, and on
the Bottom Was the story.

The bureau IN room - o. the Trenon.
MOTEL bears s strange story. On the lower
face Of the bottom drawer - the conf -
stoa o. dying woman Il g dated De-
ceneer ! issi- Tie writing IS in pencil
and every line stands out A,ainly against
/ the white pine ba background save where IN
places * becomes dim and unre2cSa'e.
This sarsau VAS formerly in the old
windsor hotel. at the corner Of First
avenue south and Jackson street. and the
writing was bly, placed there BY an
inmate OF that house The story IS not
strange one. except in the manner of
Us telling. Il is the sad tale OF a young
eirt started early IN life % shame. VINO
mas herself al l. years Of age hereft 81
beauty and friends. slave OF morphine,
ami dying by quick consumption.
December /, ISsl-taat VAS midvintor
I've years ago. Who cannot picture this
girl cunfd.ng 10 The friendly bureau
drawer the bitter secrets OF her life. nsr
thoughts as dismal the rainy night. y
htjle vain and romantic she must have
been, and she wrote no. without The hone
THAI some day when she had been long
gone ana forg gotten the words she scratch
cd might be read ana ponGsrs1
Room "a of the fremont hotel is ef a
suite which has been oecEpiea for two
weeks pass by John H. swodiing, his wife
AMI three small children. Mr.. Swodllag
came here recently from Minneapolis.
where he was cashier OF the 81. Paul X
Duluth Railroad Company. one Might
last week while her husband was on a
trip 70 Portland. Mrs. Swoiling deter
mined 10 clean out the bottom drawer OF
the bureau. Il pulled out hard. She gave
a sudden jerk 10 get IL free from the bsI-
reau aad in doing 80 the drawer WAS
turned partly over The bottom was Gov
cred with pencil marks. She carried II 30
the light and found the marks mere plain
and legiole writing The bottom was
covered. and little paragraphs were in
serted on the sides or wherever clear
space could be found.
What Mrs Swodllng read on the board
follows.
December !. Isai.-I, the writer Of tbs:
am lonely and am sick and thinking OF
what / happy life ! could have led rad l
only taken the right step bat' reader, II
another. but Try 10 forge 2. an1 brace Up.
Don't think like did: 4 am lost. What
do | care nowe | viii keep On But in
stead o. being weak hold your head up.
for even rich mems daughters have done
the same. and pulled fhro-Sf
Christian mother Ny FANNY was verT
comfortably fixed. as FIR as money vas
concerned. They were rich and good. re-
fined people. But l had 70 be The black
household When she died my great adnt
an cid cranky maid or 81, took me - New
York 70 educate. me; that Is. my father
sent me there for That purpose, as my
oldest sister was not AT home, but was
married. There were three others older
than me- Tae oldest was only going OF
Il. They were packed of TO boarding
school. and dad thought / @0ald he vel
taken care OF; better than living alone
with an old housekeeper and rim. Wei,
now for my abuse Mind y"'r. ] was al
ways used TO having nv own Way ana
being petted by all The elles; OF the fafnl-
ly being youngest, and never wh'pped.
For mother knew how 20 punish me by
telling me | hurt her feelings ard pre-
tending 10 cry. Being a sensitive child. l
would feel worse than If forged. II she
said 70 me: No. you must not. We would
never repeat or beg.
Wei, when was about two miles cut
OF b. going with my runt. Z would
turn around she would grab me hy my
leg. and pinch II TIL it would bleed. How
] missed my poor mother then. lived
there for four years. ana lid her work.
and VAS a slave. and took care o. TWO
little kids. relatives OF hers. | sas pref
" child with long black curis vary plump
and rosy cheeks, and great big sorTowfu4
brown eyes. Was quiet child. and al
ways sad. and an old Niger servant said {;
That air chile am going 10 have heaps
o. trouble Well. | have, and am going
home 10 see father once more. and then
take Jump off the bridge back OF my
chfldhooc'S home. know when yoa read
This / will be dead. mean II. jusS
want ~ snow how man car ruin a girl :
life. Now. to finish my four years. She
beat me. and starved me until ran awaN,
and went out 20 a lady S house on a farm
She wrote home for me. and told father
I was SEX, which WAS true. lie sent 10
New York for ne. ard went up 10 aunt :
house and dared her 10 strike me. | was
a woman before ! was a child. | never
told dad on her, though she said. l sup
/ pose. tattle tale. you will tell beat you
4 went home. then was Ii. but
Father ala not know me. actually
| stayed a. home a year and got nesay, ard
| was a handsome g,rl Il DO say 50. a
IA sent me TO high Schoo,. and there
me- a handsome puppy VINO ruined my
! life. They al forbade me 10 speak 10 hsir.
/ He had seiuced great many gir.s mere.
hat ht. got to taking 80 nice. and one
/ night told me 70 come down 10 HIS fam
| er's large Caicago dry goods store. lie
ha! a lovely undeTshade for the top OF
/ my little phaeton. and a nice upper Tor
my saddle When | left ! was ruined
girl HE sad. I intend TO marry. you,
and We Will &c, married soon. ] believed
H. He came. back ard gave me money
/ \ child was born in Chicago. He liYed
with me quite while. one night he ~as
drunk ami was going TO choke my cniif.
7 nicked up A revolver and s3of hW. He
ia rot die ard l sot out on tS9 hail pu,
NJ by gambler friend OF his. lie caug y
cod two weeks before the ira ant 44ei
I got frightened. left my child Nth g)oa
.sIsu,fe-FIrs- experiercs oQt West. Got
/ married 70 good mar Isftf big
'Helena~-Layed WA another rich mar,
/ eof 81 .ssf. diamond and sa-Skin coat
Seattie--Alet Daa Tie saw ule 2 Z
---- AMI uut a bullet IN me. Then he
took everything and Ski9pca. ! goi sick
and vear.v DEED. Sem home. go WEI and
( made more MONEY IN q frr0rta than "A Ea-
man dong wrong could make In year
! ] was very handsome, bat trusted every
oae. anI one woman / helped stole ny
SewesFv and everything. I have cons0gnp-
ton now and nv end s near ON, isat ~
gas tonight. Always Keep Your money
+ als1 you ~.l have . friend.
/ That vas al of the straight story. TIE
+ following paragraphs we're on the eige q
+ tie board.
TAKE ,gylag girls hi % s3xlce Never
ernst - aHyoae AMI sxso yoar own taaE-
meut aH1 8cg4 use W0rgat@e. str Ne
EoNE anyone that uses 4f and 5aFe prize
I ThrouEh AZ usy ;rOa.-e ! KEEP pride and
+ never allowed nya-.f 20 70 AeN-
/ ''F1og. Sc tempted 20 H. Morphine and
I are great pals. That ~as Smother dear
/ "A arr 50 taln you eopla hide 1ne Behind
a af0orn When fDu Fa44 t1tE I sJuF0sF
vos ux5n saw 'ssgsu~ crazy fpo = - q bo rs
h-t yrgl Rif be reading one true heart
stor1. ~ raine* sfe have newer wanted
for money or anything aS~ ths --.f So A
K 1rs e-sssa sincerely given ta04 ] ~aate8.
Or " Says 'l.t.Ei- gIrl you RsH
rsot ase tao months .orger 4 you keep
venting A. mitch BOD AZ Tpu do
We J have 60 s-s9 saYe; and al
give Il for sons Ec-s5 use. J cannot bring
bark nv heatta.
'.I1ss, tainA ~ a yoHag slgl caly - dying
% qU.ck coEsaT pflpI
II hope 7 vior't I've IL org Tl~ %on.a
saws VI arr writing crly aeea ass I
an .9relv - md ferry u rhese
drawers e024a TO- 81. al raYe s-gfreTs3
o. faerU.
Traced very lnssanes2y sensa,A ether
writing were sac ~cr3z.