The morning times., 1896-06-23
THOUGHT him A BUNCO NAN
Adventures of a Reporter fesking
the Owner Of a Purse.
It's Contents Suggested Romance
and the Result Was Any
thing Else.

It was all about lady's small red purse
which had been found in the Senate gal
lery d few days prior to the adjournment
or Congress, and turned over to The Times,
that the rig itfui owner might be found.
The pocketbook could readily be pur-
chased in any downtown shop for
quarter, and the contents were by no
means valuable, in a sense. In one side
OF the purse We're four copper pennies.
The center compartment contained several
| small tokens and pocket pieces, such as
| would be priced by their owner and none
| other. Among them was an image OF
| Christ folding in His arms a little child.
Another was a small bit OF paper in which
was carefully rolled a baby's gold ring,
but with no Inscription. On the sip, which
had evidently been clipped from a news
paper, We're the following pathetic lines
.Oh, think not could forget you
1 would not though | couid;
1 see you in al aboutme-
Tne Trees, the nag 1t, the wood;
The flowers that siumber so gently;
The sky above the blue
Oh, heaven Itself is praying
Is praying, my dariing, for you-for
when the love has died out OF your life.
That you thoug u would last t,rne end-
The first sweet soEg of tije heart
That no arteI days caniend-
You can sing no oth-r song.
Not even a treinuious note
Will falter forth Oh the empty air:
IL dies in your aching throat.
1t Is all In vain that you try,
For the spirit OF song is lied;
Ine nightingale e sing; n = more to the rose
When the beautiful flower is dead.'
Tha inf, k.x
some mother had lost her babe and had
removed from It's finger, as a token of
remembrance, this tiny band. or gJie.
At any rate, it had evidently been higlly
priced. Beside 1t was penny upon which
was stamped the words, Baby, Merry
Christmas and another bearing the mono.
gram, 'B. L. W." 1t was not the face
vaiue of the articles, but merely the treasur-
ing them as keepsakes that would indicate
their worth.
In another part OF the book was a pink
co.ored ticket for some article left at n
dye house on January 81, 1898. The
ticket bore the number 500, and was
from Doug'as' establishment, located at
No. 1888 Fourteenth street north west.
A Times reporter called at the above
Gunber TO ascertain, ir possible, the name
OF the person to whom the ticket was
issued, and thus locate the owner OF the
mysterious purse and its curious contents.
The proprietor, however, was unable to
give the desired information, as the book
Tor 1898 had been destroyed. 1t was
explained that the garment left to he
cleaned must have been, from the price OF
20 cents on the ticket, a pair of & entleman's
trousers, and was taken in at the branch
store, No. 331 Pennsylvania avenue south
east, but now closed.
The clerk who had issued the check was
long since married and tak.n up her abode
in the West. As all garments remaining
uncalied for at the establishment after a
certain length of time are donated TO
charitable institutions, the presumable
trousers have probably been turned over
to the rag man at least two seasons.
Inside the purse was written what was
intended for the owners name and adj
dress, which, after careful examination
was decided upon as "Grace X" and a
certain number on street southeast A.
Times reporter, after visiting other sec.
uons or the cTty, called at the number
indicated.
There it was learned from a voice coming
from basement window that Miss Grace
lived there. but tlrat the young lady was
at present in Philadelphia. Then came the
inquiry, who be you and what do you
want, anyway"
A brief outline and explanation of the
mission of the reporter followed but evil
IDENTIFY not to the satisfaction OF the madam
You come inside this house. young man."
said she, land tell me about this air thing"
Once inside the lady becam, very suspicious
that something was wrong, and flew into
a passionate rage at the incomer.
NOW, sir; see here: what do you mean
by coming here and asking folks if they've
lost any pocketbooks with q lot of old
truck in 'em. They's somethin' more'n
you're tellin' me to all this. Oh these
fellers that's all the time tryin' TO ruin
young girls reppertation. 1 wouldn't be
surprised If you had stoled a pocketbook
and was trying to work up some scheme
on me. but i amt goiD' to be bunco
steered. You're a rascal. you are. and
forbid you a sayin' anybody in this house
has lost their pocketbook. and if you do
I'll never take your old paper any more.
Besides. she don't go over to the Senate
and associate with such people.
Then Old Senators amt good fer moth
in nohow." Then followed a series Of
dire threats upon the innocent head of the
reporter IL any one said Grace had lost
her purse.
Asthe old lady ceased for a s econd to iDhaIe
anew dra ught of atmosphere she was asked
If she was the mother Of Miss Grace. "Yes.
Sir, be. now you know. don't you?"
When 1T was suggested that instead of
containing few worthless trinkets. the
purse might have contained a large sum
Of money, the old lady's demeanor for Il
moment changed and she became very
anxious tn see the cause Of all the trouble
She became very willing TO accept it and
take chances of its be eIoDging to her
daughter. This denied her wrath was
again kDGled..
The reporter was finally invited to
leave the premises after inviting him In,
and TO make tracks with heels pointing
toward the house" and her parting advice
was: IF you ever Come around here again
playin' the lost pocket book racket I'll
pour bflin' hot water on ye and call a
policeman. The purse is still at The Times
office awaiting Identification