The evening times., 1897-11-29

New York, Nov. 29.-Airs. Sophie E.
of Washington, D. c.. the nephew Of Gen.
Myer, famous as "Old Probabilities" was
arFaigLed before Magistrate Kudlich In the
West Side police court Saturday on tie
charge of letting her building at No. 164
West Fifty fourth street to- disor derly per
sons, and she waived examination. Mrs.
Poun1t has had three husbands, the first
of whom was Thomas Myer, the second
was Frank Murtha, a saloonkaeper. and the
third is Charles A. Poundt. With him she
lives In fine apartments at No. 80 Wash
ington Square, West.
Mrs. Poundt is worth nearly 4 million
dollars. She las more than S5OO,OOO in
vested in city real estate. She has two
sons at colIegs.
Since Tuesday last Capt. schmittberger,
who arrested Mrs. Poundt, las teen col
leoting the facts of Eer history from 20
licemen who were attached to the Mercer
street police station when that precinct
WIS the iilCSt one Ill tHC Ct
from women who We're mainly responsible
for the unsavory condition OF the district.
This history, among other things, explains
how Mrs. Poundt managed to heap up
nearly million dollars.
There is one TART OF tie woman's his
tory with which the police are not ac-
quainted. Her maiden name was Carleton.
AS Sophie Carleton, thirty y-odd years ago.
she was entitled to mix with the test
society in the city. The Carleton family
is a much older one than the Astor, the
Vanderbilt or many others of tie diStin-
guished families OF today.
BY the closes les OF kinship it was
hound to the Stu! ants and the Ruther-
forls, and they mighty families he
fore the fist Vanderbilt Or Astor was ever
heard of. In the Veins OF the woman
who must IL ce the ugly charge in the
police court today flows the blood OF old
Peter Stuyyesant.
1t was because she was a Carleton that
she married Thomas Myer. He was a
man of wealth and OF family position, and
when lie died he left 100000 in cash,
besides other property.
Mrs. Poundt made the bulk of her for
tune in bouse on the east side of Wooster
street, Just below West Third street.
1t was an oid-fashioned, double house
Fifteen years agoit was the most notorious
house In that most notorious district, and
1t was a remarkable place for another rea
son. Its owner was credited with having
more influence with the police than any
other woman of her Class.
At that time she was known as Sophie
Myer, and later as Sophie Murtha. Hon
est policemen stood in dread of her. If
one OF them stopped in front OF the house
at night she would appear on the front
stoop, and In the commanding voice of
an autocrat, say:
Go patrol your beat; don't stop here
II the policeman resisted the order she
would say:
.I'l see that you are transferred
And in every case he was transferred.
She is famous in the department today
for having had more men transferred to
uptown precincts than any captain or
regular police official. Thus was loyalty
To duty punished.
When Thomas Byrnes, afterward inspec-
tor and chief, was captain of the Mercer
street station, he made an effort to clean
the precinct. One night he planned a
tremendous raid, the like of which had
never before been attempted. 1t might
have been successful if there were not two
men in the department to carry a war ling
TO the prospective prisoners.
Sophie Myer heard of it early in the day
and had an abundance of time to MAKE
her preparations She took all of the
women from her house and from the no Isas
of some of her boon companions and drove
them in Carriages up to a house in East
Fifteenth street, which she owned. There
were fifty uufortunates in all, and these
were huddled in the cellar of the Fifteenth
street house. Capt. Byrnes made few ar
rests that night. The next day the women
were taken back to Wooster street.
One OF the atrocious features pf this
Wooster street house was sheeJ-irun cell
in the front basement room, into which sic
placed any unfortunate creature who ct
tempted to resist ier commands, first
her of her clothing.
One woman escaped one night into
Wooster street with only a piano cover
wrapped about her. That caused a lot of
talk, and Sophie Myer was advised to do
away with ber cell. 1t was pointed out that
sooner or later it would get her into serious
.rouhle, besides making 1t embarrassing for
ler friends ill the .depar rtment.
All the time that the Wooster street house
was being conducted the woman herself
ived in flat In West Fourth street, close
% Sixth avenue. There she kept her sols
lntil thay were old enough to be sent awayto
school.
Mrs. Ponndt has given her sons from
childhood every educational advantage
which the sons of nilionaires receive.
rhe iuother was parsimonious in everything
md with everybody except her sons.
The eldast one, Joseph, who is now in
mis- twenty first year, and who is taking
,he medical course in one of the most
famous colleges in the country, receives
81 800 n year for pocket-money. All of
his living and educational expenses,
to $500 year, are paid
y his mother. Ills friends are the sons