The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-10-09
HOW CUPID WAS 0UTD0NE
JOHN SIMPSONS LOYEM4KING W4S
 RUDELY INTERRUPTED.

He Says That He Proposed and Was Ac-
 cepted by Fair Widow Washburn After
 an Hours Acquaintance-Char. With
 Obtaining Money Under False Pretense-
 Still Wants to Marry the Widow.
 'John P. Simpson, obtaining money
 under false pretence," is an entry that
 appeared on the slate at police head
 quarters last night, and back of this
 simple memorandum is a story inter- esting as well as in a degree ludicrous.
 The false pretence" alleged is evident
 ly the pretence of being in love, but
 whether John P. Simpsons -mak- ing was a pretence or not is a matter
 to be yet determined. John says it
 was not, and the fair widow who re- ceived his attentions and advanced him
 $25, gold watch and diamond ring
 on the strength of his protestations of affection is in doubt, but rather inclines
 to the belief that he was in earnest.
 Her name is Mrs. Mary B. Washburn,
 and she resides at the corner of Edge
 wood avenue and Lynwood street.
 Only about ten months has she been
 widow, but already her heart begins to
 pine in her loneliness and to long for an affinity to cheer her solitude; so when big, jolly, good-looking John
 Simpson appeared on the scene yes
 terday morning and offered his heart
 and hand, what is the wonder if the fair widow of about fifty summers en-
 braced the opportunity and gave him
 her own heart and a few dollars in re- turn?
 John Simpson is forty-one years of
 age and is a jolly sailor boy, with a
 psysique that shows good living and
 betokens him jolly good fellow. He was born in New Haven and graduated from the high school in 1874. Soon af- ter that he went to sea as one of Uncle
 Sam's tars on the United States steam
 ship Ranger. Since that time he has followed the sea, and while with the
 United States steamship Richmond he was coswain of the cutter which car ried General Grant ashore at Yokahoma
 when he was on his tour of the world
 Twenty odd years at sea have satis-
 fled Johns desire for rowing, and he
 came to New Haven last Wednesday
 with the intention of getting a wife and SGlIllIlS uOWH. IGSlGIudy lIfOliiliS AiC
 started out to find 8 rooming place to
 live while in search of a wife. At the
 corner of Edgewood avenue and Lyn- wood street he saw sign Rooms to Rent" and at once decided to anchor there. He rang the bell and the door was opened by Mrs. Washburn. He was ushered into the parlor, and there
 made arrangements to rent room. This business disposed of, in spite of the fact that they had never met be- fore, he grew confidential and told Mrs. Washburn of his desire to settle down. She then informed him that she was a widow, and John, taking his cue at once, opened negotiations. The re- suit was that inside of an hour, as Simpson says, it was arranged that they should be married to-day.
 John says that after this part of the
 business had been arranged the widow informed him that she had $90O in the
 bank, and that he was welcome to go into part ownership of it with her. He says that he told her that it was her
 he wanted and not her money. He
 says, however that when she finally
 proposed to him that he take some
 money and come down town to buy
 wedding outfit he was nothing 10th,
 and when she gave him s25 to make his purchases he accepted the cash and started on his mission. Before he left the house, he says, she gave him gold watch to carry so that he could
 keep track of the time and not be gone long, She also gave him her ring by which to measure new one which he was to buy for her as a wedding ring. Simpson says that he came down town, bought new pair of $5 trousers, a necktie and suit of underclothes. He then felt a thirst and assuaged it at divers places and then returned to his widow, elated over having found wife and also by the copious draughts which he had imbibed He says that on his return he gave the widow $17, left out of the $25, and the watch and ring.
 All went well as marriage bell dur ing the afternoon, according to Johns story, and he says that during the afternoon and evening some of Mrs. Washburn's friends and one of her ad- mirers heard that he had been installed as her future husband, and they start s ed to make trouble for them The po- < lice of the Dixwell avenue station were notified, and John says the story of his ! having obtained money from the wid- $ low under false pretence was cooked up. < Anyway, he was arrested and languish- Ned in the lookup at the central police lstation last night. Whether or not the awedding will come off to-day is unde- Ecided, but John says his intentions are Honorable, and that he was sincere in wanting to marry the widow and settle sdown.
 8 He says that his father lives in the Scity, but refused to give his name. He ssays that he has a stepmother and I5some half-brothers. He also says that she has not gotten along pleasantly with
 l1is stepmother, and that was the req Sson for his rot going to his fathers ahouse on his return to New Haven in- sstead of rooming with strangers. |
 The case will probably come up in | sthe city court this morning. Simpson | !,