The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-12-20
FATE AT CITY Hall
- = vi ~ r =
Russian Girl Tells the
Mayors Fortune and
Those of His Clerks.
ALL SILENT AS FAGAN
They Refuse to Say What
Was Predicted About
Their Jobs.


The Mayors Office for while this
morning looked like the stage setting rol
Russian or Siberian drama. The Mayor
was seated at his desk at work when
Messenger Peter Golden emerged from the
wooden screen of the inner sanctum and
said
Mr. Mayor there are two wild-eyed
looking men outside who want to see
you.',
The Mayor looked intently at Messenger
Golden a moment and then smiled. II
they are not absolutely dangerous look
ing, he said, show them in
When the two men entered the room
their appearance made His Honor at
least look askance. Both the strangers
were attired alike and looked ideals OF
not only anarchists, but Russian Mill
lists, such as we see on the stage. The
elder man was over sixty years old, but
his thick hair was raven black and fierce
black whiskers covered the lower part
of his face and hung in 2 great bunch
from his chin. He had but one eye. A
grey socket was all that remained of the
other one.
He politely removed fur cap. and bow
dressed in native costume and from be-
meath the flaps of q great coat tied at
the waist by a worsted cord there peeped
forth the polish of which seemed TO be a
metal casket, that suggested unpleasantly
ideas associated with the mans appearn-
ance of either bombs or an internal ma
chine. He wore heavy Russian boots that
fitted tightly and were strapped to his
thighs.
The other man was but little more than
youth and his appearance was about
that of a. young half-breed Indian. He.
too, had heavy jet black hair and promi-
nent check bones. He remained in the
background while the elder man told his
mission. He spoke to the Mayor in Ger
man and the Mayor had but little diff
Guilty in understanding him. He asked
that his family be admitted. Permission
was granted and a comely Russian ma
tron and five blooming grown daughters
in somewhat frayed but still picturesque
attire entered the room. They approached
Mayor in single file and each bowed low
and kissed His Honor's hand.
The group occasioned considerable Curl
osity and clerks and stenographers from
other departments crowded into the May
or's office The ferocious looking elder
man explained to the Mayor that he and
his family came to this country eight
months ago to better their condition. but
after those eight months experience had
decided that they would be better off in
their native land. He showed credentials
from Newark, showing that his family
was honest and asked for the privilege of
fal rf, OF f17a 10 Of
and five cents" per fortune, until they
their fare back to Russia One of the
credentials was the card of Detective
Farrell, assigned as Mayors detective to
Mayor Seymour of Newark, who visited
this city in the recent Guberna torial CAM
paign in company with the Democratic
Gubernatorial candidate and made many
friends. On the back of the card was
g, note to the effect that the Russian fam
lily was composed of honest people.
Some amusement was caused by the
answer to the Mayors inquiry as to
the sliding scale OF the price Of telling
fortunes. to the effect that nationality
was considered. The Irish people were
asked five cents because they We're more
generous.
The Mayor was favorably impressed by
the story of the father of the family and
his credentials and ne decided to ask
act as fortune tellers. Then a happy
thought struck him.
Probably Bernstein is looking for a
Mr. Collins"-this to his private secre-
tary-caH up Bernstein.
Mr.. Bernstein was called up and told
would consider the matter While de-
velopments were awaited the prettiest one