Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-04-02


name then she flops down by the side
of his bed and cries out: My Cod,
What is the matter, madam says |,
and Burns himself sort Of pulled up TO
the cry ard opened his eyes. All, you
know me. then. dear SAM says she
and claps his hand and kisses it. The
old folks in the ward were looking en-
with a broad band of white lace. This
ing feature of her costume Is an i'm
Burns gave a gasp and died, and the
lady stood w and turns to me AMI
says, with great solemn eyes: 'Matron,
he was my husband. | have been
searching for him for two years
Il looked from her to him four times,
! can tell you, and then | caught her
hand ard led her down to my room.
She told me how happy they were at
first, and how tie drink had got him
by degrees, and how she bore with
him for long time, and then came
! to worse. and then she didn't see no
more of him for long time. She
had come then into bit OF money, she
bands leading tramp's life and going
| from w0rkhouse to wCrkhou3e, AMI
! she spent all her time trying to find
4 him, and now, she says j am too late
4 and can only take the body
] "And take the body she did that
afternoon to pretty house she had
near here. She was going to take her
/ husband to America, she said, to bury
him in the family vault; and that S
what believe she did do"
This was very pathetic, matron,' |
said you do not often see su"n
! things, do you?"
The matron laughed scornfully, and
/ said 1--WE never had such a thing be-
! fore nor since. Poor lady, she was
beautiful, and no mistake, and spent
her money like a queen. She felt it
very much coming in like that-not
even in time to get a word from her
! husband. one word, one kiss she
SAYS, that would have made 1t so
much easier! | should feel so much
happier
left that matron in state Of ne
wiIderment. 1t was ! that was be
wildered not the matron. ! could not
make 1t out At noon Mrs. Burns was
weeping over Burns at the workhous2,
and at o'clock she was giving his
body like old junk An idea came,
and | laughed. could not help II. |
saw The whole thing now. She had
made a mistake in the man, and had
discovered the little error after she
got the corpse to her house. But no!
If that wer so, why had she come to
me the next day? Why had she
carried the coffin to New York?
stopped specializing, and went on
inqulring found that she had taken
the house that the matrOn had told me
Of furnished, for month, that gen
tlcman whom she called her bother
was with her, that they had no serv-
ant, but only charwoman that they
were quiet liberal people. and that the
lady had had great and unexpected
sorrow In the tragic death of hus-
band she had not seen for long time.
The Charwoman was extremely dull,
but remembered the largessc of Mrs.
Burns with rapture.
Yes, sir, Mrs. Burns come theer
wi Il packing box big as ouse, ana
likewise she had her mourning dresses
wi her when she come. see en- in
her baskets"
1T never struck you as odd, | sup
pose" | uueried, that Mrs Burns
should have come here with coffin
in her luggage and a lot of black
clohtcs, and then have found nus
band to die in the nick of time?'
"Lor, sir. YOU don't mean she muir
dcrcd he? And yet there be a tidy
few Of them sorts about now and the
woman looked about as if she eX-
pcctcd to dcery II murdoress strolline
along the pavement
The undertaken who carried the cot
fin from the house to the cemetery
and thence the next day forwarded It
to Liverpool, had little to tell, When
his men got to the house, they found
his lead coffin already sealed up and
placed in its outer casing, and all they
did was to move ii rs above described
All papers were legally in order. The
undertaken said he would like more
such profitable and easy jobs
My inquiries ON this side of the
water were over; but | was determined
to find out the contents of that coffin
therefore wrote q friend in New
Work, physician Of influences, asking
him quietly to trace the destination OF
the mysterious box. giving him full
particulars rs to steamer, date, etc
In due time came his answer | print
II in full
Your letter in regard to coffin has
had attention Records of Health Blu
rcau show permit to land body of sam
ucl Burns and same to Brooklyn. Rec
ords Of latter place showed intermcnt
ut Greenwood next day with tritlins
difficulty. owing to Inability 20 give
adequate reason, obtained permission
to disiuter. Found therein body oil
man hut no further particulars noted
Yours tuithfullY,-