The evening times., 1899-01-06
TRAMPED TWO MONTHS.
FootsOre Quartette i'm NashinstO On
After a. Painful Journey.


Four footsore persons were the guests OF
Mrs. S. R. Pennifl, the matron OF the First
precinct police station. last night They
were the remnants of a broken family
which lived in New Castle, Pa. They made
the long journey 10 this city on foot. COM
pieting the trip in about two months. en-
during the miserable winter weather.
The party consists of grandmother, who
gave her name as Mary Basine; her daugh-
ter. Edith Gray. and two grandchildren,
each about twelve years old Mrs. Basine
is about siXty-five years old and OF slender
build She was first noticed by Policeman
Cochran crossing Tenth Street in front of
The Times Building about 9 o'clock last
night, his attention having been attracted
By the heavy load of queer looking pack
ages which she was carrying. II was rain
ing and the woman was drenched. She
managed TO make her way along the open
space in which the Franklin statue is erect
ed and toward Eleventh Street Not far
behind was the younger woman with bum
dies and several brass kettles. boy and
girl. each about twelve years old, trudged
behind carrying baskets.
The younger woman accosted the police
man and inquired the way to the Mount
Vernon cars Policeman Cochran asked if
she was a stranger in the city. She replied
in the affirmative telling him that the
party were bound for some warmer place
in the South but wanted TO go to Alexan-
dria first. He directed them to the Mount
Vernon electric cars.
The strangers. looking like a band OF
gypses, stopped on the Avenue east Of
Eleventh Street. The aged woman went
TO the store of Nathan Sickle and asked
! permission to get warm. Receiving an af-
firmative answer she beckoned the remain
! der OF the party and all entered the store.
The aged woman became i'll and the
children fell asleep in their chairs. The
younger woman recited a woefui story to
Mr.. Sickle. Policeman Cochran, who was
passing, caught a glimpse of the luggage.
entered and, learning that the visitors
were without means. informed them that
they might find lodging at the Central
Union Mission. One of the women said
that they had already applied at the mis-
sion. but had been refused adInitttance.
| The policeman then made arrangements
with Station Keeper Stenhouse at the First
| precinct, and the party were escorted TO
the station and given into .he charge of
the matron, Mrs. Pennifl.
Before they were shown to their quar-
ters, Mrs. Basine told a reporter for The
| Times of the strange trip of the party TO
this cit. I'VE are from New Castle. about
| fifty miles from PittsbuTg, Pa. My hus
| band Alexander Basine was killed in the
4 tlNll war, ana L am trying get a PEN
| sion. My daughters name is Edith Gray
! She has been married twice. The little
| boy. Francis Rossiter. is child of my
| daughter by her second husband, who was
| named Charles. He was from Homer
| Mich. He left his wife about eight years
! ago. He was canemaker and we have
| seen little of him since he left. We want
! to go South. We expect to go to Alex
| andria tomorrow. My brother, Daniel
| Rigby, painter. used to live in Alex
| andria. He is now in the Soldiers Home
i at Dayton, Ohio, and wrote us that he
! would come on and help us as soon as we
| get settled. We have plenty of relatives
! in Mercer County, Pa"
| None of the members of the party would
explain why they left New Castle. The
| strangers were cared for at the station
| house until this morning when they left,
! stating that they were going South for
| the winter.