The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1901-03-23
TRAMP MADE HER HIS HE|R
OMAHA WOMAN BEFRIENDS A
So KNIGHT OF THE ROAD AND
IS REWARDED
BENEFICIARY OF ORAL WILL
A Little Package Handed to Her
Proves to Contain
Number of $40
Bills.

Mrs. Emma Cargill. of Omaha, has en-
tertained an angel. unawares. Prompted
by sympathy, she gave food and shelter
tc supposed tramp the other day, and
when, week later, he died in her house
she found herself sole beneficiary Of mis-
oral will, which meant snug sum in
cashmere than she could have made by
keeping boarders in ten years
| An oral will is not valid under the Ne
pr aska statutes but thus far there has
teen no rival heirs to contest her claim,
and the present indication are that she
will be left in undisputed possession of
her windfall
Cne evening during the recent cold spell
| poor old WanGerer, bent under the bur-
den OF his years, called at Mrs Cargill's
home and asked for a bed. He was weak
and sick, and his voice trembled as he
said:
II have been trying all day to find she].
ter, and they all turn me away because
they think I've got the smallpox"
AS there was peculiar rash on the
strangers face Mrs. Cargill could easily
believe this.
"And I am ILL., he continued God will
reward you, my good woman
Having nothing but the strangers word
that his ailment was not smallpox, Mrs.
Cargin took him in, gave him bed on
the lounge and such light nourishment as
he was9 able to take. Then he handed
her a parcel wrapped in a soiled newspa-
FER and tied with a greasy string. 1t
looked much like a jackage of old let
ters.s 80 .a-~--.-- ....--z
Keep this until I get WELL" he said,
land if never get well--if should die
keep it always"
This was the strangers will.
Placing the package on a window sill
the incident, for the time being, passed
from her mind.
During the next few days the patient
spoke but little, but Mrs, Cargin managed
to CLEAN from him a few facts She
learned that his name was J. w. Myers,
and that he was seventy-six years old.
He had never married. From his broth
ers and sisters, Of whom he had six at
the time he left Connecticut, he had not
heard in the thirty-two years. and ne
believed they were dead. During his
carly manhood he had been wild nd later
had kept much to himself, having lived
for the last five years the life of a re-
cluse on his homestead near Lamar, To-
When sickness came he converted his
property into money and started for the,
city, intending to go to a hospital bu.
observing that his malady was likely to
be mistaken. for smallpox he altered his
plans. He dreaded the pest house. he
said. He wanted to Idle like a Chris
made house-to-house canvass in quest
Of a good Samaritan, whom he at last
found in the person of Mrs. Cargill
On the seventh day after his arrival
at the Cargill home J. w. Myers died.
Mrs. Cargill notified the coroner, and
while she was gathering his effects prep
aratory to removal of the body she
CHANGED upon the greasy package on the
window sill.
She tore cit open with languid interest,
which soon gave way to a thrill of ex-
citement, for the parcel contained $,0JQ
ir treasury notes-100 $40 bills.
Out of this sum she paid the old man :
doctor bills and funeral expenses and the
remainder she has deposited in a bank.
She says she hopes no heirs will present
themselves to claim it, as she wants to
use it in the education of her. little
daughter, eight years old, who has dis
played considerable talent in music.