The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-09-15
A FAMILY FALLS.
The unsrcakable Debaueliery OF n
Wealthy Family.
ALL WERE DRUNK FOR A WEEK
rw" Sou. Found E,hauMri or IAfc, the
Daughter Insane From E,re,.ira Drink
ami tho Aged Mother M inrbrintc-Oc.
snplsd High socini Position aud HAL
Unlimited aienns-A Terrible story from
iIniIaiU. h,

Special In New York Press,
BUFFALO, Sept. l2.-An episode has
been learned of here that might belong
to n story OF some evil time In tho dark
ages, or n mother. daughter and two
sous, the sole surviving members OF
what was once one OF the proudest ramI-
lies In England. two are dead, one Is
Insane, aud the other Is In n precautions
condition MS the result OF a horrible de-
bauch IN this city last week.
The history OF tho fall OF tho house Of
Payment begins In proud English
home. On this side OF the Atlantic II
for n time In Lewiston, Niagara Coun-
ty. iand at last the scene changes to
Buffalo and the crisis comes In whIrl
OF dissipation.
The Payment family has In the past
furnished England with many, OF her
warriors. statesmen and sailors. For
centuries the name Payment hnS been
synonymous with proved courage on
the field and loyal attachment to the
country In the halls OF parliament
'''N sNui n uhb Nblulltl lkhllntIl Will
his family camc TO this country and
settled In Lewiston. They lived quiet
life and mixed little with the other resi-
dents OF the village. Money was no OBJ
ject with them. for they had plenty OF
II and spent II freely. Three years uftcf
his arrival In Lewiston the Colonel died.
and report had II that drind WIS the
cause OF his death After this the fam
lily led moro secluded life than ever.
and the old mansion In which they lived
became an object OF mystery to the old
and awe to the young In country round.
All Drunk fur Week.
The family remained In Lewiston
until two weeks ago.. when they came to
Buffalo and registered In the Stafford
House, Washington street. They en-
gagged two large rooms tina have a con-
Meeting door. the mother and sister
nominally taking one and the brothers
the other. Their handwriting In the
hotel register bears evidence OF weak
ness, for the names are written in u
scrawllrg, rambling hand and are bad
~ blotted. They are Edward. Drury
Payment. William Fl. Raymcnt, Mrs.
II, Payment and Miss L. Payment.
The daughter at once attracted the at
tcntion of the hotel employees She was
n striking looking woman. about forty
years old. with brown hair and an in
tellcctual face. But mental weakness
had destroyed her beauty.and the queer
mes OF her actions was marked by the
bellboys and walters
From the time that the rooms were
ordered till the body OF the son William
was carried out corpse week after
ward the family prnctlced hideous de-
bauchcry. Bcllboys relieved each other
In the endless round OF carrying all
sorts OF drinks up to the rooms OF the
family, and the hotel clerks stood
aShast AT the quantity OF intoxican,s
the family proved capable OF drinking.
Twice when the proprietor OF the hotel
demonstrated with Mrs. Payment. an
aristocratIc old woman OF over 60 years.
she handed him a $500 bill. and so 81
fenced him.
The drinking began Wednesday and
lasted through that day and on, In a
continuous bout. till-thc following Tues
day. when the elder brother was carried
out TO his last resting place. the mother
and younger brother were Frustrated
with the excesscs, and the wavcring
reason. OF the sister was completely
bOhSE L AtAI' ptilblCtt lilC vi sltS GtdStu
Rrrrls End In Death.
On Saturday night the reyels grew so
wild that the proprietor closed the bar
to the family. Mrs. Raymcnt then
dressed. and calling carriage, drove
out and returned with numerous pack
ages. which eventually proved to be
whisky. Several times between that
time and Tuesday she left the hotel
and returned with liquor in this way.
On Monday the stories OF the doings In
the rooms became OF so grave anature
that the proprietor decided to order the
occupants out OF the hotel the next
morning.
On Tuesday morning he called at the
rooms and obtained admlttance. What
he saw. there was 10 dreadful to de-
scribe. lie realized that there was ne
cessity for immediate medical aid. and
sent for the nearest doctor. The physi-
c!un at once saw that William Payment
was dying. and that his brothcy was in
dangerous condition. The daughter
was completely exhausted from excess
es. and Mrs. Payment was insensibly
drunk. An ambulance was sent for to
take the dying man TO the general hos
JllHl, but Hc was aihs
The other three were removed to the
sanItarium OF DR.. McMichael, where the
other son has since died.
The women remained at the sani-
tnrium only n short time. when they
returned TO the Stafford, where they are
attended by physicians and trained
nurses. The mother Is fast recovering
from the results OF her dcbauch. but the
daughter Is almost wreck In body,
and wholly so In mind.
The latter history OF the Rayment
family Is wrapped In mystery. a resi-
dent OF Lewiston who knew them rs
well as 1t was possible for any one TO
know such exclusive people says that
the old colonel was n retired commodore
OF the British navy. and drew n big PEN
sion from the British Government. The
Payments were lavish spondcrs OF
money and never wanted for the lux
urles Of life.
AS BUSINESS MEN VIEW II.