The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-09
MINETTA STREETS MISERS.
The Queer Old Couple Fall ut Last Into thu
Hands or the Police.

Dan McGuirran, 80 years old. and his wife
Mary, who is 80. are known as the 1.-TWO misers
of Minetta street" They have lived in tho
ctllarlike basement of the ramshackle shanty at
No. 5 as long as the oldest policeman in the pre-
cinct can remember, and neither Of them has
done any work for many years. 1t is true that
Dan has poked around garbage barrels for rags
and OLD junk, but as far as can be discovered all
that he did was to add these to the collection of
years in the squalid basement.
Tho McGuirrans commanded a certain re-
spect from some of the folk in the neighborhood,
who were imbucd with the idea that the old
couple had a store of gold boarded up some
where. The McGuirrans kept pretty much to
themselves, and the cans of beer which were
carried into their basement with clocklike
regularity were shared between them; the neigh
bors were never invited in to partake of them.
Occasionally they were visited by a sea Cap
tain and one or two others. but this seemed to
DO the limit of their acquaintance. There was
q tradition OF a rich nephew, who was q skilful
surgeon until he came into a legacy Of $4,000
and began a career of wild dissipation. In some
OF his bouts he visited the McGuirrans, and
then, would ensue a period Of hil9rity and fights;
the police were never called in. Finally the
young mans money gave out, and one day he
after this, and the next incident that caused
gossip in the vicinity was q visit OF the Health
Board officers. A sanitary inspector while in
yestigating the condition OF the basement found
a stocking containing 5000 in. gold. Tho Nc
Guirrans easily proved ownership of this, and
the news of the hidden treasure spread like Wild
fire. 1t was always a question In .Mlnetta street
and In the lane adjacent as to which Of the Nc
Guirrans was the miser" who owned the hoard,
but from facts that came to light on Thursday
It appears that Mrs. McGuirran ID the one, and
her fortune is yariously estimated at from
The old couple had ono of their regular beer
parties on that day. The sea Captain friend was
there, with another old crony named Malcolm
McSeill. The beer can made many trips to tho
corner saloon, all taking turns In filling It. They
drank until the four fell in a stupor. When the
sea Captain awoke he found all his money gone;
thirst, and not knowing whether he had spent
his money or not he reused Dan McGuirran and
accused him of taking 1t. A row ensued. which
awoke Mrs. McGuirran, and when she saw her
husband Clinched with the sea Captain she began
to hurl pots, fatirons, and kettles around until
tho Captain made his escape. Mcneil stayed
behind.
Dan felt thirsty. after the Captain left, and.
encouraged by Mcneil, who was also thirsty, he
tried TO Induce Mrs. McGuirran TO pay for an
other can of beer. She was angry, however, and
declined to do so. Threats and pleading were of
no avail, and Dan, In league with Mcneil. began
to beat the woman; She saw at oncc that she
and threw open the shutters, letting In tho day
light and Policeman Schnell. Mrs. McGuirran
had thrown Mcneil over the stove and was
bonbarding her husband with such missiles as
she could find.
The three sntiquated roisterers were taken to
the lookup IN Il patrol wagon, and in the Jefcr-
son Market Police Court yesterday the Magis-
frat "a sent Them IN the work hpuaa