The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-07-30
P. J. Collins Tells Discred-
ited Tale Of Miss Alice
Barrett's DOings.
Mystery Added to Mystery as
Days GO By in the
Investigation.
SAYS SHE WAS MURDERED.
William c. Goldman Defends Miss Barrett's
Memory-StsrIes Of Speculation and
Losses Denounced.

Boston. July 30.-The mysterious wom-
an who has been sought for high and
low ever since last Monday, and whose
Identity has been the object OF the most
exhaustive speculation and wonder
she who was said to have paid for the
rooms that M%s Barrett occupied at the
Hotel Thorndike and to have showered
valuable gifts upon her-was found yes
terday
Miss Sarah Wheelwright, to whom
Miss Barrett undoubtedly referred when
she told the story to her mother, char.
acterized II as a pure fabrication. with.
out the slightest shadow Of truth on
justification. This fiat denial which IL
also quite detailed and circumstantial
simply knocks the yarn into smither.
eens.
In answer to the alleged statement OF
the dead girls mother, that she engaged
rooms for her at the Thorndke, and at
the latters suggestion invited Mr.. Foss
to spend the evening with her in those
rooms, as her friend could not arrive
there until late. Miss Wheelwright said
she never spoke to Miss Barrett in hei
lie, and was never spoken to by her.
that she would not even have known her
IL she had met her; that she never heard
Of Mr.. Foss, and never engaged a room
at the Thorndike at any time.
+. j. Collins told a sensational and
seemingly impossible yarn, under oath,
before Fire Marshal Whitcomb yester-
day forenoon concerning Miss Barrett
Investigation of his statements shows
ha he
fire marshal stated at the conclusion OF
Mr.. Collins testimony that he did not
credit il.
Collins has a small office on the sec.
Ond floor at 100 Water street where he
acts as an agent for a patent beverage
On account OF his being in the office of
Goldman & Goldman on Saturday morn
ing he was summoned by Fire Marshal
Whitcomb. and he completely surprised
that official by the glib story he told.
He claimed that he knew Alice Bar.
rett well, had known her for six or seven
months, and that he had been out to
dinner with her. He attempted to con-
vince the fire marshal that he was on
very friendly terms with her, so much
so that while he and Miss Barrett were
dining together on Friday evening the
girl asked him TO lend her $1,000. He
did not have the money. but states that
In consequence of a note which she sent
over to his office Friday afternoon, he
met her and rode to Lovell's with her and
loaned her $40. He claimed that she
desired $50, but he only gave her $40. In
explanation he said that the young WON.
an and he were In the habit OF borrowing
money from one another. but that she
did not owe him anything.
Further than this this audacious weav-
er OF sensational narrative went on in
his reckless way TO make the young
woman out loser Of some $4,000 or 5000
In sugar lately, being on the short end
when he advised her otherwise. Accord
ing to Collins he was instrumental In
getting her to invest her money In stocks
There Is no one thing In Collins story
which is plausible, or even possible. In
the first place he never saw the young
woman until month ago, and as far
ms can be learned he never had occasion
TO see her except in passing in and out
of Codman's Office.