Evening star., 1897-01-04
A Woman Has Been Haunting His
Office for Some Time.
CLAIMS HE OWES HER MONEY
The Superintendent Of Charities
Out Of Town.
A NEW YORK EPISO E

rof many mOntllS past tnere niS DeeH d
mystery about the Office of the superin-
tendent of charities. Col Tracey. the su-
perintendent. has been conspicuous by his
absence, and whenever his name was
mentioned about the building the clerks
would emile and wink knowingly. In every
mystery there is woman. In this case
she was tall, stout and with a firm set
mouth, out of which came cruel invective
when she referred to the man who looks
after charities and corrections iE the Dis
trict cf Columbia. She never told her name.
but every one knew at least a part of her
husiness. Col Tracey. she charged. owed
ner money. The bill amounted to $1,000 in
all, and she had come on from New York
to get 1t, she said. and get 1T she would.
And if she couldn't get it she would have
revenge. And SO day in and day out she
came to see the colonel. But she was
doomed to disappointment on more than
one occasion. When the District offices
moved from 1st street to their presen:
quarters, the mysterious woman was found
on hand. At first no attention was paid TO
her of the frequency OF her visits. She
was locked upon as a charity charge, who
called upon the superintendent for relief.
Mere than once the sixth floor has been
startled with angry words coming from
the little room set aside for the head of
the chs rity department of the District.
Matters became so bad that the woman
was spoken to, but she was defiant, and
said she was there to get her rights. And
gradually Col. Tracey ceased to come to his
office or else he would not show up until
after office hours. He kept in communice-
ton with his clerk by telephone, but
scarcely ever came to his office. 1t was
whispered that he was afraid of the wo-
man who, it was said, had sworn to have
her revenge, and once threatened to shoot
him.
Tried to Keen Her Out
1t made little difference to her whether
the colonel was on hand or not. She came
just the same, and spent hour after hour
In his office. At length her presence be-
came so distasteful to the clerk that he ap-
pealed to the Commissioners to keep her
out Of the office. He explained how she in
terfered with his work. and said her abuse
was uLbearable. Then the Commissioners
acted. The officers at the door of the Dis
trct building were notified to keep the wo-
man out. But the order was a difficuit one
TO carry out. There are several modes of
entrance to the District building, and tine
mysterious woman In black knew them all
And so she would gain admission to the
building whenever she pleased, always act
ing dehantly and insisting upon her rights
as citizen. Additional orders were semi
to the police, and after, it was said a
threatening letter had been sent to Col
tracey special policeman was stationed
at each entrance, with strict orders to keep
her out. After that she contented herself
with talks with clerks on the basement
moor, TO whom she poured out her tale of
woe vowlng vengeance upon Col Tracey
and his clerk.
Her Story.
Thls Is her story-that is, the part she
tells everybody, and which Is known
throughout the District building.
She says that at one time she was a
wealthy boarding house keeper in New
YORK city, and Col Tracey was one of her
Doarders' that he ran up a large bill for
board and lodging, and once he came to
her and borrowed d sum OF money: that
this was repeated many times, until at
length she found he vas indebted To her
1or $Z.3oO; that he always gave her promis-
sorry notes, but when they came fiue usro
never paid. When Col. Tracey first came
to Washington as the superintendent, of
char1tles. she says that he promised as mart
payment to obtain for her 4 position. but
he never fulfilled mis- promise Then she.
says she, came on to See, him and try and
arrange for some settlement. but he was a
hard man to catch, and she scarcely eyer
saw MIN; that when she was successful
ne would promise her anything and every
thing. but never kept his word to her: that
the notes needed renewing but that he had
Kept the original notes and refused TO make
out new ones.
Last week she was on hand every dav
looking for Col. Tracey. When Thursday
came, ana still the superintendent did moi
naterlalize, she grew furious. She was ad-
v1sed to go to New York. for Col. Tracey
aiter new Year. So she departed Thurs
DAY, and nothing was heard from her un-
til yesterday, when the following onnaared
in the New York Herald: