The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-01
VERONA WEBER, ONCE A WISDOM
SIN BEAUTY, FOUND in sQUAL-
OR AT HAs1LINE.
HER C0NSoRT IS ARRESTED.
HARRISON sAYRE WILL nh
CALLED UPON TO FACE sERI-
Gus CHARGES.
SAD DEPRAvIrY IS ALLEGED
Against the Chief Participants In
the Story Which Caused the
Arrest Last Night.

Harrison Sayre, f1fty-six years old
who claims to be real estate dealer
at Minneapolis, was arrested last even
ing by officers from the Prior avenue
station. Sayre was taken in custody
on a warrant issued on complaint
sworn to by Relief Agent Hutchins,
which charges him with living with a
woman to whom he Is not married at
1893 Thomas street, this city. Sayre
was arrested at the house on Thomas
street, and will be arraigned in the
| police court this morning. The arrest
| of Sayre was the result of numerous
| complaints made to Relief Agent
Hutchins by the neighbors in the vi
cinity of the house occupied by Sayre
and the woman in the case. The neigh
bors complain that the woman takes
no care of her children, and that the
case is one which needs attention by
the authorities both on the ground
Of humanity and public morals.
Verona Weber and Harrison Sayre,
| of Minneapolis, it is charged, have lived
together as man and wife something
like six or seven years, and during the
last year have resided at 1899 Thomas
street, Hamline, where the former has
| lived in state of almost absolute
want, and, until recently wretchedness
and filth unspeakable. Verona Weber
is the daughter of John Weber, of
Alma, Wis, and has a brother in St.
Paul. Her mother died when she was a
little thing, and she was reared by a
family, where, to use her father
words, "She was taught anything but
to work" She grew up handsome
brunette, with a good education and
an excellent knowledge Of both Ger
man and English. She seems to have
| lapsed morally, however, although
some years ago, upon the birth of a
boy baby, she informed her father that
she was married. He went to Mime
apolis, where she and her husband re-
sided, and made them a visit, the lat
| ter assuming to be man Of means
and claiming to own the home in
which they resided. This, however,
| proved to be an untruth on the part of
Mr.. Sayre, and after moving about
| from place to place, the daughter
wrote her father that they were unable
| to- pay even a small rent Later he
! discovered that the couple were not
married, and, while previous to this
| he would have assisted his daughter
and taken her home, he was not in cir
cumstances to allow of his doing so
| then. The couple moved from ST. Paul
! to Hamline some time ago, and lived in
| such apparent want and squa1or that
| the neighbOrs, after rendering all kinds
Of aid reported the matter to the re-
| lief association, and the two were
brought into court and the then young
est child, a boy two years old, who
had never been taught to use his
limbs, was placed in st. Luke's hospi-
tai. This child was still nursing
baby. although two years old, and was
sadly in need Of care. The couple went
back again to their home and lived
| about the same kind of a life as before.
Seven weeks ago the woman gave
birth to a pair of twins boys, both of
whom are alive. Mr. Sayre is in Min
neapolis all day. only going to Ham
line late each night and returning ear
ly In the morning. He is an old SOL
der and in the real estate business.
though he lives chiefly on his pension.
Each night he brings to the woman
in the dismal home at Hamline enough
to live on for the next twenty-four
hours.
She, poor creature, has not been
without the door Of her wretched
| abode, except at night for a wear
When the case was first reported to
Mr.. Hutchins the rooms were filthy
| and lacked nearly every article of fur
niture usually to be found in even the
plainest of dwellings. Beds, there were
| none. The association furnished a he'd
| for the oldest boy, and the man was
| made to provide bed for the wo-
man. AT her confinement she was
alone. as she has been ever since AL
though possessing a good educa ton
and speaking like a lady the wretched
| woman seems unable to do anything
| toward lettering her condition. She
| has been given any quantity Of cloth
| ing by the Relief society and the neigh
! bors about her home but makes no
! effort to use such of the garments as
| do not please her, refusing to wear an
| UnderveSt which had not been ironed.
| She wore no shoes or stockings when
the residents first noticed her. and
wore her dresses UP to her knees. She
has been persuaded to dress more In
| accordance with the popular custom
of the day and the house has been put
J into much cleaner shape. A Glob e
reporter called upon her Tuesday after
noon and, after few words, was ad-
nitted. Mrs. Sayre, as she calls her
self, made many excuses for the state
of the house and explained that they
had thought of moving but that she
would not go to Minneapolis to reside
/ and they had decided to stay where
i they were for the fall, at least, but
/ that while they had managed to get
! through the winter of year ago. at
6dI1llne, Sne was AFRAID the little
/ babies would freeze unless they had
warmer quarters. The room was in a
state of disorder. but not dirty. A trunk
stood against the door into the hallway
which she had removed when coming
| to the door, An open closet showed
number of well made and cleanly
gowns, and piles of clothing were scat
| tered about the floor. At one side of
the room stood bed minus any cover
| ing but gay orange and white quilt.
1 A number of dirty pillows without
/ cases were scattered about on the bed
upon which lay couple of babies,
clothed only in dirty under garments.
One child, a bright little fellow with
red cheeks and big blue eyes and in
I clined to be very friendly in baby
sort Of a way, was engaged in the de-
light-ful occupation of examining his
own little hands which certainly were