The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1896-07-10
Ghelrmnfra-S Star
A WOMAN'S CLEVER WAY TO
MAKE A FORTUNE.

woody west she excited Il greater dc-
gree OF curiosity than could a brass
band Of monkeys marching up ST.
Charles avenue. IL appears, too, from
the report that comes from Field In
spcct0r L. s. Woods, of Inspector
Dicc's division, that Sophia did not
act in good faith with the boys, either,
and that she played their coniding
hearts very low down indeed. Some
had the discretion to pocket their
losses and say nothing to the deroga-
tion of the fair but tickle Sophia. but
there was one in the bunch, thcgreat
bunch of alleged victims, who had the
temcrity to call Sophia's little game,
and as a consequence Sophia is to-day
in a pretty peck OF trouble. Uncle
Sam, on the strength of the evidence
and the charge brought by Carl Finkc,
OF Orlando, Oklahoma. is OF opinion
that Sophia has used his mails to per-
petrate fraud, and he is so hcartless
that he is going to prosecute the
damsel to the extent of the law.
From the reports that have reached
the headquarters Of the New Orleans
division of the post Office inspector
service, it appears that Sophia carried
on Il perfect land office business with
the capital of trusting, tender men
wiser men to-day. She had Il double.
ended bureau, operating one in Austin,
Tex, and the other in a place called
McDade. Her capital stock was as
limited as her methods were simple
She advertised Extensively, to all ap'
pearancc) that she was a lone widow
and that she wanted a position as
housckcepcr in the home Of SOM
widowcr or bachelor who needed thu
skill Of a fair n in his household
She specified that she was 81 years o
age, and the mediums through which
she made this ambition known mus
huNC 'uu u pl'uhy uhDi'uSI II'CuIdIlv'
in Oklahoma, Iowa, Wisconsin, hi
n0is, Nebraska, Missouri and Il mum
Der of other States. 1t was in attiac
tive advertisement, and it appears
that Sophia was a great hand ut writ
ing Il "takcy" ad. and a Smooth let
ter"
Replies to these ads. are reported t
have come in by the bushcl. EVIDENT,
there were lots Of gentlemen whit
wanted il housckccper of 30, refined
and attractive, and a widow to boot
it was out of these needy persons tina
the fair Sophia found the griSt for he
mill.
Carl Finkc's experience is i~lluStra
tive. lie opened negotiations, accord
ing to his story, with the advertiser!
widow. lie told her that he wanted
her services, and received a charac
tcristically smooth reply. Sophia wrOt,
back that she would be very pleased
to come to the Oklahoma place bear
ing the name of one Of the most love
sick OF Shakcspearcan characters
She had some money. she wrote, bu
not enough, unfortunately, to tax
her to that destination. 1t is sal,
THAT housekccpers are scarce in Okla
homa. She asked for $I2 TO take he
the trip, and she got it, but Carl ~
not his 35-ycar-old widowed house
keeper. In fact, he did not even re
ccive thanks for the passage money.
But Carl's experience happens to b
the only n that has come to light i
Il criminal prosecution against til
fair Sophia. 1t appears that Sophia
ad. reached a great number OF rur;
gentlemen in need of houSekcepers-
refined widows of b years or there
abouts. And Sophia did not fail t
profit of their necessities, witlou
furnishing any value received in tn
way vi Il OuochStpCi'
Carl's conilding Enclosure bears dat
Of March I. Since that time, however
Sophia's mail has been so bulky an
tlourishing that she has had to rent
box to keep pace with It's proportion,
During the last three'mOnths she ha
been placing this housekecpcr frol
her intelligence Office in Austin, Tex
and some index to the proportions {
her business is shown by the fact tina
she received there during that pcrio
not less than sevcnty-iivc money o.
ders. cashcd by the Austin dcparI
mcnt, and up to the date OF the arrcs
the h~ousekeeper had not torwarde
herself to any address. How niue
money came in the letters it Is.
course, impossible to estim1te, an
that is one Of Sophia's tender secrets
but the post Office orders aggregate i
the ~neigllborhood Of 800. acc0rdin
10 the report of the case. The expires
companies also brought in the argosle
which were to pay the travelling C,
penscs of the bcwitching housckccpc
who never came, and who found prom
Using such IA lucrative business
Sophia's last place Of operations WA
in the classic city Of McDade, Tex
and it was there that Inspector Wood
and United States Deputy Marsha
Fred Peck called on her with their sa
tidings.
Sophia Is reported not to be yer
fine looking, but her ability at sm0ot
letter writing challenges the rcspec
Of all who have seen the letters. The
ranged from grave to gay, from llvcl
10 severe. In n Of them she tell