The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-09-05
A $4,000 SHIRT.
Zenas Martin Came Near to
Losing a Fortune.
Pasted His Money on the Inside
of His Shirt.
SENT IT TO LAUNDRY.
Then Forgot at What Wash
House He Left 1t.
SENT IT TO LAUNDRY.
Two Months Later He Remem-
bered and Got His Money.

ST. Louis, Sept. 5.-One of the hap
piest men that has been in St. Louis
for many a day is Zenas Martin He
left for Texas yesterday morning with
a nice roll that contained over $4,000
The story of that same bunch of money
is a most remarkable one.
About three months ago Martin sold
out his business in a small Texas town
for $4,000 cash and came to this city.
He had three 1000 bills and nearly
$1,000 more in green backs of other de-
nominations. After taking in the sights
for a few days, he proceeded to load up
E. on st. Louis tanglefOOt, and do the city
in the true Texas style. Cab rides, cold
bottles and all their accomplishments
were right in his line.
He had not heard how safe and sub
stantial our banks are, but the news
papers told thrilling tales of good
men" who make a profession of laying
for gentlemen from Texas or any old
state, who had the long green in big
bundles Mr.. Martin conceived the not
very brilliant scheme of pasting the
three 81 600 bills to the inside of his
shirt front one night when he started
out to smear the carmine over those
parts of the city where sporty men and
women are wont to meet, mingle and
make merry. He chuckled at the
thought of these precious pieces of pa
per backing up the spark that Sc1ntll-
lated on his immaculate shirt front.
The merry gO-rOund lasted until dawn,
and when he reached his room, on
Easton avenue, the shirt was consider
ably soiled. After changing his shirt,
he rolled up the sOiled garment with
other things and proceeded to laun-
dry, taking bottle or two on the way
to brace up on. These 81, 000 bills were
entirely forgotten, so they went into
the laundry to be done up with shirts,
collars and cuffs.
1t was not until the next day that the
Martins
and then a species of insanity seized
the unfortunate man. He could remem-
Der everything but the name and loca-
ton of the laundry where he left that
shirt. He was sure it was a Chin
csc washee house, but where he could
not recall. In a frenzy, he hit the
booze again, just to drown his sorrow.
The harder he tried to locate the Chin
csc laundry the more muddled he got,
for he was taking copious draughts of
plain old Bourbon. Wine was too rich
after he once discovered the great loss.
For two or three days he wandered
about, until he landed at Union station
one night, got a ticket for Baltimore,
where he had had relatives, and left
the town, without notifying the police
or anybody else. He was taken ser
iOusly i'll in the Monumental City, and
fingered for two months in an almost
hopeless condition.
Finally, he recovered, when like a
flash came the memory of the laundry
where he had left his linen IN St. Louis
and it wasn't a Chinese laundry either.
1t was on EaStOn avenue, near Web
ster. AS soon as he could get there he
came. On Saturday he quietly walked
into the Home Laundry and made him
self known.
so you're Mr.. Martin, are you?''
said Theodore KIages, one of the pro-
prietors of the laundry. well, I'm
glad to see you, for I have been wait
ing a long time for the man who pa
pers the inside of shirt front with 81, 900
bills"
Poor Martin nearly tainted when
Klages referred to those long lost bank
notes 80 you found them,' he
gaSped.
Yes; I found three 81, 900 bills pasted
. on your shirt bosom by the merest
chance on earth. 1 consider you the
was thrown in a pile with other things,
room 1 caught sight of your fortune
shirt. I steamed the bills loose and
put them away, expecting you to call
any moment. But as you did not put
in an appearance, nor leave any ad-
dress, was greatly puzzled. Last week
my partner and 1 had determined to
advertise for the man with the So, 600
shirt, if something was not heard of
him by September /. Now you are
here, and 1 guess we can fix you up all
right. You must remember this laun-
dry does not make a business of wash
ing 81, 900 bills, so we will have to re-
turn them to you just as they came in,
except that they are detached from the
shirt