The herald., 1897-09-02
FORTUNE IN HIS BOOTS
Thomas Hussey, an octogenarian, and
Valuable Bonds

| arrived IN this city from Montgomery
Ala, with $32, 900 in cash and bonds on
his person on Monday evening. He went
to cheap lodging house on Watts street
and spent the nightwith his seedy and
eoiled clothes on.
The old man was not only nervous
but very weak. and was tottering on the
edge of the grave. Fortunately he was
not robbed. Hussey was too fond of his
boarded wealth to let any stranger know
the amount of the money and the value
of the bonds he had with him.
He left the lodging house rather late
in the morning. A small valise which he
had brought with him was left in the
house. Hussey ambled over to Broad
way and clambered up the steps into the
American National bank. He went tc
the place where the coupon clerk stood
and endeavored to find some coupons
which he wanted to be cashed.
| The old man was so weak that he could
not make any search of his clothes. The
coupon clerk saw his helpless condition
and said: "Tell me where the bonds are
and I will take their numbers, So that if
any other persons attempt to cash the
coupons they will be prevented"
The octogenarian pointed to his old
boots and muttered that the bonds were
inside of them. The coupon clerk called
the janitor of the building and also a
bank messenger. They pulled off the old
mans boots and found the bonds tied
around his legs. 1t was not an easy mat
ter to remove the boots for they fitted
tightly to the bonds. Hussey had not
taken off his boots since he left Mont
q orb noly tbov, !,
of the bonds.
| He realized that the old man was unfit
| to talk business, so the janitor called in
Policeman John McDermott of the
Broadway squad. The octogenarian in
sisted upon going ahead with business
| The policeman unbuttoned his frayed
| coat and found in an old wallet the cou-
pons. Hussey was so weak that he could
| scarcely talk. He said he had no rela-
tives in this city, but had "far-ofr''
one named Mitchell, who lived in Brook
| lyn. There was no place to take the
man, so the policeman determined to
remove him to the Old Slip station tenn
porarily.
You had better go in cab," suggest
ed the coupon clerk.
How much will it cost ?" inquired the
octogenarian.
"About dollar"
II guess I'll walk" replied Hussey.
| And walk he did, the policeman and
| one employe of the bank assisting him
The cause of his arrest was recorded
on the blotter at the station house as
"a suspicious person." A search of his
clothes revealed the following: A wallet
containing $773, a return ticket to Mont
gomery, Ala. a check on Drexel & Co.
Philadelphia, for $11 ,0O0 and an envel.
ope containing forty-eight coupons
There were eleven $1,000 bonds Of the city
| of Savannah, four $100 bonds Of the same
and certificate for 100 shares Of New
York Central railroad stock. The cash
coupons and bonds represented $32, 900.
Hussey was not especially communi.
cative to the police. He said the money
bonds and stock constituted practically
all his fortune. He has been in the shoe
business at Montgomery, Ala, for the
! last fifty years. He said he was born ir
England. The old man was taken tt
the Center street court early in the af
| ternoon, where he endeavored to give
some account of himself, but did not sue.
ceed very well on account of his veal
condition. The magistrate committed
him to the Tombs for further examina
graphed to his home. His money ant
bonds are at the Old Slip station.
Hussey is a little, frail man, with &
gray beard and small blue eyes. He wa!
poorly dressed.-New York Herald.