The Portland daily press., 1898-02-23
MISS RICHARDSON'S VAULT.
hold and Finds a Trapdoor and Stognr
Box.
New York Times. }


subterranean vault, and q rusty iron
strong box were appropriately among the
discoveries. Miss Richardson yesterday
made sortie and a counter foray on the
Sheriff's office, but was unsuccessful and
retired in good order, maintaining a
heavy and well-sustained fire of inoisiye
words, nodded into pungent criticism.
Miss Richardson is the daughter of the
famous "Spite House" Richardson, who
built one of the most curious dwelling
houses in the world, and was supposed to
be worth $4,000, ,0O0 The mysterious
shrinkage of his estate and disappearance
of many hundreds of thousands of dollars
of his assets has caused much inquiry and
has put the ponderous machinery of the
courts in motion. Miss Richardson has
long insisted on living in the old brick
house at 110 East Houston street, where
her father lived years ago when he was
comparatively a poor man and East Hous-
ton street was residence street. Now,
there is a pawn shop on one side of her
and cigar shop on the other, but she
has kept the hallway door between the
two locked and barred, has carefully re-
mained inside, with a garrison composed
of two other women, and has def1ed at
tmpts of officers to serve her with sub
poenas and other papers intended to get
her before the courts to tell something
of her fathers estate. Pinkerton men,
armed with these papers have lurked
about her front dooor for weeks. Last
Tuesday she made a dash, reached Surro-
gate Fitzgerald in his own court, deliv-
cred the contents of her mind to him with
energy and emphasis, and got back behind
her doors safely.
Francis J. Burnes was sent to seek her,
having levy for little matter of $392,
600, the amount of a judgment secured
against her by the administrator of her
fathers estate. There was evidence to
show that she had 165 first mortgage
bonds of the Houston, East and West
Texas Railroad, valued at 14S, 500; 120
per cent bonds Of the State Of Tennessee,
valued at $685. 600; 108 bonds of the Hous-
ton (Texas) Water Works, valued at $lO4,-
760; Fl second mortgage bonds of the
Northern Central Railroad, valued at $24,
$50, and 10 first mortgage bonds of the
Mexican Central Railroad, valued at
S3, 400. Ali these were in the schedule of
her fathers estate.
AS Mr.. Burnes stood his watch, dag
onally across the street from Miss Rich
ardson's house, ne suddenly noticed that
the front door was ajar. He made rapid
and noiseless approach and pushed his
way in. Miss Richardson was sitting on
the bottom step of the stairway leading
to the upper floor with her work basket
at her side, sewing busily. like any nor
NAL woman. The entrance of the officer
reused her instantly, however. She
sprang to her feet, advanced on him, and
demanded to know who he was. When
he showed his badge and explained his
business she called him a thief and a
loafer and picked up theiheavy iron bar
of the door and swung it with the evident
purpose of caving in the top of his head.
The Deputy Sheriff is strong, cool
headed, and fearless. Also he is man of
experience, and some of his ancestors
kissed the Blarney stone and transmitted
to him the resulting capacities. Miss
Richardson is small, but wiry. AS the
officer held her two wrists he explained to
her that he had come against his WILL
because he had to, and appreciated fully
her courage, good sense, and other fine
qualities. and besought her to make the
performance of his duty easy.
First she said Miss Richardson was out.
Whenathe officer sighed and said how
sorry he was that his orders compelled
him to explore the premises to make his
report, and how deeply he regretted that
he was forced to even appear to doubt the
her identity. Then she listened to the
paper he read and denied that she had
any of the property it called for. Burnes
explainedsthat he would haveIto examine
the house, and if he could not find the
specific property, levy on anything else he
could find to satisfy the Judgment.
"Will you search the drawers and
trunks of my guests and take the furni-
ture?" Miss Richardson inquired. "The
furniture, she added, 'thas been here
sixty years. There is nothing more ex-
cept my own little bric-a-brac. My in
come is only $50 month. and have to
count every five cent piece"
"My papers call for S392. .0o0," said
wouldn't mind letting me look in this
vault I'm standing over. ;"
The knowledge of the secrets of the
house conquered the Ewoman. She lifted
the oilcloth on the hall floor and showed
q large trap door. This was lifted, and
Burnes found ladder descending into %
brick vault about ten feet deep and square
In the bottom of the vault he found an
iron box weighing some twenty-five
fastened with a Yale lock. Miss
Richardson sat on the head of the ladder
and opened the lock for him with kew
she had and then opened the lock of an
other iron. box inside the first one.
The inner box contained a number of
insurance policies anu mortgages, and a
nile of gold bondsssof the State of Louis
lana, due in 1910, with many coupons at
tached.
was no sgood,'' said Miss Richardson,
sullenly.
The Deputy Sheriff climbed out of the
vault made Miss Richardson lock the
boxes and keep the keys, and, after a
cursory examination of the upper floor.
departed, taking the box with him. He
noted as he left(that the front door had
heavy equipment of iron bars and locks.
which would defy siege. He also noted
as he was slipping out that the two other
women, for. whose convenience the door
had doubtless heensrleft ajar, slipped in,
1T didn't stop to have any talk he
said in desert bing the adventure. Zone
of them was a pretty big, strong looking
lady. and I didn't care to take any
chances. 1 got out. -
HEARING ON THE POACHER CUES.
TION.
Augusta, February 22.-The board of
inland fish and game commissioners met