The Topeka state journal., 1902-01-30
TRAMP WEEDS $4,000.
Wealthy TonganOxie Widow a
Victim of a Smooth " HObo.9

Leavenworth, Jan. so.-The Times
says:
ago. He had fine knowledge of the
Scriptures and this enabled the tramp
to wed a Leavenworth county widow
worth $4,000.
"When Curtis met Mrs Emily Loomis,
the widow, he had not a cent in his
pocket and was a typical looking hobo.
Some four or five years ago, man
named Loornis, living south of Tonga
estate valued at about 100000. 1t con-
sisted principally of four fine farms,
each containing about 720 acres. One
is near TonganOxie, one near st. Joseph,
No, one near Olathe, Kansas, and one
in the western part of the state.
''Loomis left as his heirs a widow and
difficulty in taking care of the four
farms. Each farm required the con-
stant presence of some one to oversee
and manage it. And Mrs. Loomis and
the two boys could only look after three
farms. Hence they had to secure man
to take care of the other.
sOne day there applied to Mrs. Loom
is ragged tramp. He had heard that
the Ioomises wanted a manager and
he asked for the place. Tho hobo made
a great hit with Mrs. Loomis by his
fluent quotations from the Bible She
was a devout woman and was much
prepossessed in the tramp's favor. But
she had a manager and she didn't have
any excuse for turning him off Mrs
Loomis told the tramp she could do
nothing for him at that time. She ad-
vised him to come to LeaVenworth and
stay around for time when something
might turn up.
Mr. Tramp followed her advice. Some
ten days later, the manager of the farm
quit. Mrs. LoomiS at once wrote to the
tramp at LeavenWOrth- The letter fall
ed to reach him. Then Mrs Loomis
put little notice in a paper saying that
if Eli Curtis dhe name the tramp had
given) would come to the Loomis farm,
he would get a position.
Mr.. Curtis saw the notice. He
pawned all the clothes he could dis
pense with and not violate the rules of
decency and raised one dollar. He
bought ticket as far as 75 cents would
carry him and footed it the rest of the
way to the Loomis farm. When he
arrived there he had 13 cents.
Mrs. Loornis gave him dollar to get
| his clothes from the pawnshop and he
| assumed his duties as the farms over
| seer. Mrs. Loomis found him perfect
jewel The farm never had been man
| aged so well before. Mr.. Curtis was
found to be sober, thrifty, economical
| and fine nan.
| "One day it struck Mrs. Loonis that
some day her treasure might leave ner.
! She concluded it would be the Wisest
| way to bind him to his place as man.
| ager by indissoluble ties She deter
| mined to wed Eli Curtis. Accordingly
| she gave him 800 to buy some clothes
and make himself presentable. Then
they went to Savannah, Mo-, and were
| married. This was in 1899.
Mrs. Curtis was shrewd enough to
make Curtis sign an ante-nuptial con-
| tract. Curtis rehnquished all his mar
| itaI rights and interest to the LOOMS
estate He was merely to receive his
| board and clothes.
s'Just one week after the wedding
| Mr.. Curtis showed a surprising reversal
of form. He became too i'll to look after
the farm. He never recovered from
the illness. Mr.. Curtis also displayed =
sudden and great prediction for Ha-
vana cigars and enijohns of Kentucky
Bourbon. He always had both at hand
and in a considerable quantity.
Mrs Curtis says the next step in
this DR. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde drama was tht
manner in which her husband manageC
the finances of the farm He sold of
stock and grain and failed to turn tbs
proceeds over to Mrs. Curtis. Wher
she wanted to come to tn Getty, he gave
her a nickel, sometimes as much as {
dime as pin money.
"A few months had worked a won