New-York tribune., 1902-03-16
WHY MISERS ARE MISERS
A POLICEMAN's PHILOSOPHY on THE


SUBJECT-AN OLD WoMAN-s HOARD.
An old woman was found dead in her bed in
. little tenement house room ou the West Side
few weeks ago. and there was excitement
from one end of old Greenwich Village 10 the
other. The ncishbor women stood on the curb
and gossiped and wondered about it, Even the
policeman on the beat was Interested Yet II
is not entirely strange for ola women to die in
this particular quarter. and there was not the
slightest Indication that there had been any,
thing unnatural about her death. There was a
reason for the unusual interest. however-the
Old woman was a miser.
All the women for blocks around knew he
fact. ana their ideas Of The sum ~ money She
had concealed somewhere about her miserable
room varied widely. Some said she had 81 Up1
which was a fortune 10 most of The poor people,
while others We're sure she had S1uuun The
policeman heard the stories and decided 10
search the rooms. Carefully hidden under a
loose board in the floor. h- r.rsI >7,' .r -reen-
backs. He counted il before a crowd or women.
and as The sum grew Ly tens arI tveut..- their
mouths dropped With amaz-m-nL
"Sha amt had sGllr, meal c.- o. uoa,hr'
exclaimed one
And look at her Clothes cried another.
THAT t4ttereI skirt was given 90 her ty
woman whose husband makes SIo week"
"She oU-ht to have been ASHAMED -. take it,
said the third. knowing aI tb. time she had
"a fortuu, hijt-. away
Then th. tried q, .ilur- oIr what reason she
could I"~~.u.. have ha5 t.r I-.re . misses The
general verdict na~ tl.t -r. Was .r..r Just
plum dairy ou ta. ~.ajr.. oE money. ua- The
way one woman IUt IT,
I'ut this did NOT suit the ..rar ea. vas
"a man Of parts ami ~.i.. ..u..r..u. 3d.. mad a
theory ou the motives - r.--r~ .r.. -.. aI-
digr,r Was ready to I---u
IF wl~,rS We're ,r.zy.' -... h- .rE.. ..u'I
not ur able o. k,.-. from stealing r..r.. -.s-d
hy other people. Iu.y v..ll rl. ...... - a- The
sight uf tliH-~ dis .at.I Iu --.r- .,l.....- and
We would arrest tH-iH--
'N.I. it Ui>,r~ a.n-r ,u.r.. uiI t.. .-- me
Why they don't nUy c.rh-- trI .e.. ..I ire
with their money r' demanded ..- ot -f. women.
They know they ,tut takr the r..... with
them W hen they -" into tI- NEXT u..t
You S... ~tlt t-. it.-a tl r.l.".r Ike
this. ,,,u!NIU- tv tb. H.y IE. H-.... no. OUT
You've I".ri OF s.it.r- -l..-.r- r...-. les
for trtr they Mere -.I-- O.. .. shot .. . .-.-
NuuN. known .r"V.- Goo poison r....- ..~
cause they vc'r afraid they N-r. ....- -. ie
OF some poisonous c,t,-rr or rur... Iris ..-
same nay with the mi-rr- Bic ~-.r..- himself
for fear he viii StITye tu t.arl .- -... lu-
drtuit, time i'm the fulur-- for t..r .- .r..z..S
he permits himself to freeze. The -r.- ...r- te
knows he's dead. and the sui-rru- NH..r 1e mas
endured Is all IN vain There's ur.. ... u.uS
To du. ami that's To spend Your u....r While
You have 10, and let the future take ..... ut IL
self
Then the policeman walked off tr tH. station
house with the old WomIu'S SAVINGS SOME II
which used later on To- pay ..- th- eX-
penSeS Of a decent burial The women followed
his big uniformed figure with adui.ln= eyes
My. but he knows a lot fora cop they ex'
claimed