The times., 1898-04-26
A GRATEFUL WOMAN.
She Leaves n Legacy of $4,000 to a
New Yorker


New Yorker.
New York, April 25-The $4,000 legacy
that John Farrell, well known on Broad
way. has just been notified of by Bal
timOre lawyer. is the crowning episode OF
strange romance in which the New
Yorker played a singuIarly happy part.
The money comes from Baltimore
widow who died on March % and who
never forgot the service that Farrell rem
dered in saving her and her child from
unmerited dishonor while at the same
time establishing her right 70 share in a
handsome estate.
When the old New York Hotel on
Broadway was doomed to make way for
a big office building John Farrell was in
charge of the cafe. and, on the night of
final abandonment. he entertained a
number of the old habitues of the place.
including Col. McGreggOr Stewart. the
weII-knOwn SOutherner; Col Cole since
chief of the governors staff; Tim Ken
nedy. of ex-inspectOr Thomas f.
Byrnes's staff; DR.. Samuel BiniOn. the
antiquarian: DR.. Manfred T. Bouraud.
and several others.
After a steamins punch bowl had been
emptied. speeches made and Aud Lang
Svne'' sung. McGreggOr Stewart suggest
ed that each one be supplied with me-
mento of the old place that was so dear
to them
The hotel effects had been auctiOned off
that morning. but Farrell remembered
lot of old Bibles that were in the rooms
of the hotel These were at once secured
and when the party broke up each man
carried off one of the books.
The event was published IN a New York
newspaper next day and two days later
Farrell received a telegram signed with
a wOman's name which read:
Keep track of all Bibles from the New
York Hotel Possible evidence in suit of
great Importance"
The following day. while Farrell was at
work in his new position on Clinton
place he was visited by young and
handsome woman, who was rather shah
billy dressed in black and intensely ex-
cited. She told a remarkable story.
She was. she said. the daughter of
Confederate officer, who lost all his prop
erty in the war. At the age of twenty
she became a gOverness in the wealthy
Longstreet family of Baltimore She and
Daniel LOnsstreet, heir to the Longstreet
estate, fell in love When the senior
Longstreet found this out he turned the
governess out of his house and threatened
his son with disinheritance if he COM
municated with her again.
The couple eIoped. came to New York
We're married by the late Rev. DR.. Deems
of the Church of the Strangers, and spent
the night in the New York Hotel. Next
day they sailed for Europe.
In Paris a son was born to them and
in that city the young husband died and
was buried The widow returned to
America to find that the Longstreets
would not recognize her as the widow
of their son.
She searched for her marriage certifi-
cate, but could not find it. She came TO
New York to find Dr. Deems He had
been dead four months. The church rec
ords contained no entry of the marriage
| The widow tried in vain to find the cab
man who had been a witness of the cere-
mOny.
While she was endeavoring 10 secure
| evidence of her wifehood the elder Long
street died suddenly. His will ignored
| the widow of his SON In order TO estab-
| lish the legitimacy of her son she con-
| tested the Will The case was in prog
| ress with the odds tremendously against
| her when in a New York paper she read
| of the episode of the Bible in the New
| York hotel. Then il flashed uDOn her
/ that before retiring on the wedding night
| she read from the Bible in the room
| chapter from St. John. She recalled the
/ very look of the book and family recol-
| lected laying the marriage certificate
| there TO keep it safe till morning
| She at once telegraphed to Farrell and
made the trip to New York
| When he heard the story Farrell went
| to closet and took out the Bible. which
| he had kept for his personal mementO,
| and inside it lay the lost certificate. The
| widow nearly swOoned from joy.
! All was plain sailing then. The widow
| later found the coachman who had wit
! messed the marriage ceremony, and armed
/ with all this evidence she had no difficult
/ ty in forcing the defendants in the will
| case TO a settlement on basis of SlGG. 600
i cash payment and a full admission of the
| widow and her child into the LOngstreet
| family.
| once a year since then. on the anniver-
| sary of the discovery of the certificate.
| Farrell has received present from the
| grateful woman. This year none came
| and Farrell wondered why, until the Bal
timore lawyers letter told him of the
widows death and his handsome legacy.