New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-01
ANOTHER FOOLISH WOMAN.
George In dead. what shall dor SARAH

4 Ten. VINO was OWneT Hnu Captain vi Noh"'"""'
Tho message was dated from Watorton In tho IN
| terror OF this State.
| Brother George n member OF my lodge and
chapter. and was at that time Master OF the ono
and secretary Of the other | Immediately telc-
graphed back: SHOW this to any Mason In town
and tell his lodge to take charge OF your affairs
! In the mean time I looked over my transactions
/ OF the Grand Lodge" and found the name Of the
Master OF the lodge In Waterton and telegraphed
| to him TO take charge Of the body-ether TO send
II here bury the dead brother In their town with
Masonic rites and send bill Of expenses to us. The
| latter plan was carried out and lodge and chap
ter there turned out do honor to this dead
stranger among them
II Is in instances like the above that the beauties
OF Freemasonry are fully illustrated Here
man. total stranger In town on the line OF the
great canal, suddenly stricken down by the fell
destroyer. hundreds Of miles away from brothers
and kindred and his body his widow and all his
affairs taken In charge by the fraternity his body
Inferred with the same honors and rites that would
have been accorded him had he died In his
home while the poor bereaved woman was taken
to the best hotel In the place. and the women
wives and relatives Of the brethren We'd with each
other to soothe and comfort her In her troubles
and afiiction
The correspondence which | at once began with
Mrs. Van Welten and the w Master OF Blank
Lodge. OF Waterton. revealed the fact that there
was suspicion of foul play. Brother George had
a large sum Of money with him board his boat
Of which he the sole owner none OF which
found after his death
The brother was found dead in his cabin on board
OF his boat with heavy mark the back Of his
head. which he might have received by fall
which might have been inflicted by stcathy as
sassin. who may have approached him from behind
coroners inquest was held autopsy Of his
body was made. but nothing definite was elected
The hands on the boat were arrested and examined
but nothing found that could possibly impi-
cate them or any one Of them. or In any way be
construed to point TO their guilt
The one theory was that Brother Van Welten fell
backward. striking his head against iron BEAM
and thus met his death. or that a stranger proba-
bly, some tramp. stole board the boat and
either the money something to tempt him. struck
the captain terrific blow and felled him to the
ground and then robbed him OF his money and
escaped unobserved.
There not much OF any real value In the
cabin or the body OF Brother George. An old
silver watch. suspended by a common fob. plain
gold ring on his finger about all OF any worth
he had about him. except the heavy roll OF bank
bills which the brother carried in an inside vest
learned from Mrs. Van weltcn. partly from the W;
also from local papers which they both sent me
widow come on to the city, after giving the boat
In charge Of some responsible party and take out
he up there have ' bfoaS 10 's to tho city
and have II sold here At any rate, desired 10
have much acquaintance with the lady: had only
Van Welien; whom knew very we'll and with
whom | had been quite Intimate and. though
somewhat shy about this as knew there would
be considerable money coming to her BY the sale
very well. and quite satisfactorily all concerned
but when you are expected TO manage both wild
Gw bpd hsr s It HecomSs and
perlcnce. and | have had change N
S Spd by the experience had with this widow
house, where. after engaging her in extended
cSsnyersaaton she told me that she was widow
pected to realize several thousand dollars from the
sale Of the boat: that her husband had his life
insured IN different companies and societies. that
she expected considerable money from all this
her she thought abo a ' ha ' the re lSr
estate OF New-York could be purchased with her
HE, that her first husband was a drunkard her
second yran and that now she going to
ana wealthy widow. asked her If she had any
To n bn1 she said she had but did not wish
all farmers in New-Jersey: and while she might
ucS Of Of Ss iRe or Of ty
Here my first to 5a 'Ha She v wa hsFS to go
to frst-class hotel while ! advised her to 60 10
or 80. until she would be ready to go back to
VA Waer s and attend to the sale OF her effects
perceive that she never had much money in her
possession. ana that she thought the amount
Ing to her was enormous sum. and would yield
her n princely income If fairly invested Now. all
to about $4,000 at most and with her extravaganza
notions and total Ignorance as 10 business matters.
| feared there would be trouble all around.
In due time. and through the great Kindness Of
the brethren in the country the boat was sold. all
policies settled up. and Mrs. Var. welten was the
ever dreamed of.
Then began a series. Of experiments. First she
wanted TO buy diamonds. as some one told her that
these precious stones steadily increasing III
value and while she could wear them al the Time
them again at an advanced rate. This plan dis,
suaded her from by impressing her win the Tear OIL
robbers and by showing her that no income can app pe
derived from diamonds. had taken her TO ABOUT
a dozen different savings banks ana maze ne, IL I
post such sums as would yield her the arsest
ierest but she retained some ready cash wnlcn
seemed to burn In hIr Sans she had about in
vcsting her money: which by the way was S'oou 70
smnIshng .b 5iea could 10 ye much Cheaper there
and her money would accordlnsS ISI i III rs
n" yerv anxious TO get rid Of her. she would NOT
do anything to help herself DID NOT Im,hh o. Do for for
~ nd was constantly expecting me 70 40 -. Ia
nor What she would not do herset-tha' H. "'''"'
TO her business. - .- o,o,,t three months
o more when my lady began to realize tha, ar sbe
all her fortune would not las into some business
7 suggested a small fancy store or cahoy Scr nor
something she ex Sou so that she would be able
ia psen what money she had for rainy DAY. ms
seemed 10 SUIT arv h GOOD store Witch he willing 70
sell stock and all and she eoulh 'hsr S' Would get
onc ~ the brothers who was In that business ~ ~
wth her and whether II was worth i III pr ,c
,nd yor Il. whether the stock was deslranle elc.'
hui apparently my good woman was as SIGN ~ ~;
nv advice and my constant lectures, as 49, me-
~ ard she bought the store without ashiis nv
any more about IT, did not see her ip S , lonG
,t,1o af,or that and when Inquired NJ the store
INA ,hat she only owned the establishment ABOUT
two months and then sold gu, AGAIN nj spec
,n,pon ror her or not. but I strongly suspectsu
maj she must have had considerable loss py the
venture. ~. v-o,,o, che informed
me that she had again changed her name nhu ei,
ia r,sed for the third time upon the inatiiIlo'ti
80 and "a Is the in nine out or every Yen
women Of her calbre. she married a neie .h ~
ahnut half her own age. and one VINO was tnfr
irdustrously helping her to get rid OF the mohepS,
g. u,hfch nirpcse she seemed TO help hinl LOT me
nI y In all In about two wears