The Topeka state journal., 1899-12-20
FOUND NEARLY AMILLION.
rFrom the Washington Post.I

LFrom the Washington Post.1
In 1852 Sophie Holmes was employed
by Gen. Spinner, the treasurer of the
United States, as a temporary char
woman She was assigned to the rooms
of the issue division to sweep and dust
One afternoon, in April of that year,
Aunt Sophie was hard at work sweep
ing and scrubbing the floors when she
came across a large bundle, which she
supposed was waste paper, and was IN
the act of throwing it in the basket to
be burned, when she decided to invest
igate it. She was amazed and almost
frightened almost out of her wits to
discover several dozen rolls of one
thousand dollar bills, S7o0 600 in all BY
some unexplainable mistake this pack
age of money was overlooked, and even
when the accounts were balanced in the
evening, it was not missed, and General
Spinner, believing all to be secure, had
locked the safe, and gone out with an
easy conscience.
Aunt Sophie, on finding all of this
wealth unguarded, decided to remain in
the room until some one with authority
to accept the money should arrive. So,
to allay all suspicion, she pretended to
be working very hard, but always Ie-
mained near the money. She was afraid
to leave the bundle to seek Cen SPIN
ner, and not knowing the guard, she
thought 1T best not to trust him with
her secret. She thought of going out
and carrying the bundle Of money with
her; then it occurred to her that the
guard, not knowing her, might e2amIne
the package, and on finding its valua-
ble contents, either kill her and es-
cape with the wealth, or suspect her of
theft. There seemed but one thing for
her to do, to stay and guard the for
tune with her life if necessary.
About 6 o'clock on the guards enter
ed the room and on finding Aunt So
phie still there asked:
'Stiu at wOrk2''
Aunt Sophie began to sweep with all
OF her might and main Yes" she an
swered, but I'll soon be through" and
she made such a dust that the watch
man was only too glad to escape She
swept the dust and dirt into a pile and
then scattered it over the floor again,
in an effort to appear to be very busy.
NO more Watchmen disturbed her, and
finally, out of sheer exhaustion, she sat
down to rest, and soon dropped asleep.
About midnight she awOke. hearing
a noise in the hall. She was frightened
and rising, she gTOped her way to the
spot where she had hidden the money,
Wedging it in between two desks. Then
she seated herself on it, determined to
stay there till Gen. Spinner, who slept
in the building, should arrive In this
cramped position she slept until 4 o'clock
in the morning, when she heard a soft
football in the hall, and listening, she
thought she recognized the step of Gen.
Spinner. In a trembling voice she call
ed his name.
Gen. Spinner was known as the
watchdog of the treasury" a name
given him from the fact that he had a
hab1t OF wandering through the build
ing at all hours of the night to see that
everything was all right. In the silence
and darkness of the night this low,
trembling voice of a woman frightened
the general, although he was not an ac-
knOWledged believer in ghosts. On dis
covering Aunt Sophie wedged in be
/ tween two desks, his fright was turned
| into surprise The relief from the re-
| sponsibility almost unnerved Aunt So
| phie, and she began to cry. She could
| not explain the situation, only murmur-
| ing, "Oh, Gen. Spinner, don't go, don
CO.
Finally, when she had become quiet
ed and could tell her story. and invest
/ igatiOn proved il to be correct the trut h
| dawned upon the general, and it is said
| that he swore black and blue at every
| thing in, about. and near the treasury.
/ Not until he had relieved himself in this
| manner for nearly an hour did he al
i low Aunt Sophie to go home. The mon
/ ey was finally locked up in his private
/ safe, to await the next days inYestiga-
/ ton Several days later Aunt Sophie
/ was sent for and cOmplimented for he1
I faithfulness, and as a token of graft
| tude was given a life appointment
Ordinary household accidents have NJ
| terrors when there's a bottle of DR.
! Thomas Electric Oil in the medicine
I chest Heals burns, cuts, bruises
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