The evening times., 1897-01-26
A M|ssPENT LEE's ENDING |
The Erring Daughter ola Million
aire Passing Away.
DYING In A HOVEL HERE
She Has Lived in Washington for
Years-On Her Deathbed She Di-
vuIged Her Real Name to an OFF,
cer-She Longs to BE Forgiven by
Her Father.

"MIster," piped a little colored girl, at
tired in shabby dress, who had timidl,
entered the Fourth precinct police station
''theres dyin' white woman over ON
street, an SHE wants to see youright away
Policeman B. +. Henry, one Of the giants
on the force, was behind the rail. He bear
the little piping voice and the sad message
it conveyed. He glanced at the shverin.
Child in the doorway OF Cherry Prison >
as No. is called, and asked the name OF
the dying woman and where shelived
'0h, you knows her, Mister Henry. IL is
Effie Wood, and She lives over on f street
between Second and Third Streets
Yes, know her. Tell her I'll be there
in a few minutes"
Tie officer completed the entry of n run.
away accident on the "incidcntaI book. -
and then, buttoning his blue great coat
well up to his neck, went out into the icy
atmosphere. 1t was but a few minutes
brisk walk To reach the rickety. looking
tenement, and then Policeman Henry stood
by the bedside or the woman, who believed
her sinfullife was ebbing fast away
What a picture of the wages of sin was
presented to Il man OF the law, who had
seen crime and misery in its every phase
Lying on "A sOiled, ill-smelling bed was
Effie Wood, not many years ago a beautiful
woman. Now consumption and dssipation
have reduced her to living skeleton Her
sUnken cheeks, large. glistening eyes and
dishe vcled hair gave the woman a CHASTITY
appearance. Her hands, once shapelv.
were cracked and begrimcd, and she was
scarcely able to speak, owing to extrcrne G
weakness
The big policeman bad know Effie in her
early days, when she was young and gay
and had just started downward. twasno
wonder therefore, he was surprised to
find her dying, rs he thought. in the lily
ventilated teuemc mt, with Suualor on every
side.
When hc asked her what she was doing
there, the woman hesitated moment and
then said she was living with a colored la
borer, to whom she was not married
Il have had Some terrible hemorrhag ges ,
Mr. Henry she added. in hoarse whis-
per, which caused an ominous rafting in
her thin, almost transparent throat. ''1he
colored people III the house. told me Il was
dying, and but her weak voice Was
choked with sobs.
And what? Go on. Effie.'''
And sent for you 10 tell YOU q secret
In all my wild and reckless life here no
one has ever heard nae mention my family
name. / assumed the name Of fEffic Woods.
1t is wrong. But now that am dying |
will tell you all and ask you 70 write tony
father W hom have disgraced. so that he
Will give this poor body of mine Christian
burial. Tell hiIn ! would not disgrace him
further by mentioning his name while |
was alive and in the midst of my sin.
and that only told you on my death bed.
Another of those hem hoTr ages and will be
gone"
"What is your fathers name, and where
does he live? ! will carry out your dying
wish" said the policeman.
Whisper" replied the sick woman. mo
one but you must know my secret. And If
live, promise me that you will not repeat
it, even TO yourself
The officer promised and bending with
his ear close to Effie Woods head she
whispered name that startled him.
WHAT he exclaimed. 1t cannot be
possible"
1t Is, and was once his favorite daugh-
ter, But you know the life | have led here
and / dared not write to him or visit his
home"
The name she mentioned to the officer
was that OF one OF the leading real estate
men In Baltimore, millionaire, whose name
is d familiar one in the commercial! circles
of the Southern and Middle States.
Policeman Henry kept his promise He
has not repeated the name. He has, how
ever, written the father a letter telling
him OF his daughters conditioner her re-
quest for a Christian burial and the tene-
ment she is dying in by inches, surrounded
by poverty and misery. And every hour the
policeman watches for the postman, whom
he hopes will soon bring a reply telling
him that a the last OF his daughters mis-
spent life he has forgiven her and will take
her home to die in peace.
Effie Wood is now about thirty five years
Of age. Fifteen years ago she was belle
in Baltimore. She was as pretty as
picture, winSome and bIithe, courted and
admired by the beaux OF the Monumental
City. But hers was the Old sad story.
She fell, and came to Washington, where,
in the mad swirl, the pretty Maryland girl
forgot her home and its ties. She went
down rapidly, until last year she occupied
a hoyel in Willow Tree court, the home
OF thugs and dsreputableS. Now the
daughter is dying, an ema
ciated, shivering creature, in negro
tenement house on E street southwest.