Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-08-15

Poughkeepsie, n. Y, August IA
ragged, rough looking man drifted into
Pawling yesterday morning and applied
for something to eat TO Mrs. sarah
Brill, who lives in the dynamite
house." so called because it was once
blown up with dynamite by mountain
eers ana its occupants were killed. The
man gave his name as William McGree,
and spoke of Troy as his home. He
looked so woe-begone and dispirited
mat Mrs. brllfs neart was touched,
and she invited him in and set him be-
fore a good meal.
After McGree had partaken Of food
and had drawn his chair back from the
table Mrs. Brill engaged him in conver-
satiOn and took few minutes to study
him. He appeared to be 60 years OF
age, had gray hair reaching to his
shoulders, and was the picture of hard
luck.
The kindly interest taken by Mrs.
Brill in his case seemed to inspire in
McGree a desire to conyice her of his
gratitude. Hitching his chair closer to
her he said, assuming a manner Of i'm
portance and speaking in a confidential
way: Madam, l am not what l seem
TO be.
Waiting a moment for his words to
make an impression, he resumed: You
have been kind to me, and as 1 am get
ting OLD and feel that l have not much
lorger to live, l want TO repay you"
After another pause the old man
murmured: win you marry me?"
A. Elri1
chair, flushed with Indignation, the old
man put in his hand in a deprecatory
way and pleaded: Nay, nay, madam;
do not get angry. Believe me l am
speaking for your good l may look
old and seedy, but have property val
ued at thousands of dollars in the city
Of Troy. l own a grocery store and Ii
quor saloon there, and l want you to
have both. l have no one to leave my
property TO, and if you will take care Of
me the few years yet have to live it is
all yours"
Mrs. Brill is "a years of age and is
divorced from her husband. She didn't
want to get married again, and al
though the old mans story had made
an impression on her she told him that
she couldn't consider his proposition
with the condition attached.
McGree was not discouraged He
was determined that Mrs. Brill should
have his property anyway, ana told
her that he had made up his mind to
sign it over to her absolutely and let
her manage it for him. Where is
there a good lawyer" he asked, and
l will have him draw up the papers
right away"
Mrs. Brill gave the name of Attorney
Charles Morschauser as a good man.
McGree was so anxious to see him and
have the transfer arranged that he
insisted that there should be no de-
lay. He made Mrs. Brill get ready
right away and come with him to Mr..
Morschauser's Office in this city. In
order that he should present a neat
appearance Mrs. Brill supplied him
with a new suit of clothes and new
underwear and gave him $40 for eX-
penses.
Phoebe Miller, a sister of Mrs. Brill,
drove the two TO this city. McGree
left the ladies at Owens Hoted, in
East POughkeepsie, and came on ahead
to see the lawyer. After waiting a
reasonable time Mrs. Brill followed
him. AT Lawyer Morschauser's office
she was surprised to learn that Nc
Gree had not been there. She waited
and waited and still he did not come.
Finally the police were called in and
they searched the town. At midnight
Sergeant Welton found McGree on
Main street gloriously drunk. He was
too full to talk and put in a cell. A
search of his clothes revealed a bal
ance of 80 cents from the $40 given
him by Mrs. Brill.
When McGree awoke he was asked
about the story he told Mrs. Brill. He
laughed and said that he remembered
nothing about it