The Washington times., 1902-09-10
ALEXANDRIA ITEMS
|. OF GENERAL INTEREST
Strange Claims of Woman
Supposed to Be Insane.
Says She Is Widow of Late John p.
Clarke and Desires to Secure
Estate.

ALEXANDRIA, va, sept. 9.-Fact3
brought to light today, leading up to
the appearance in this city yesterday
of woman giving her name as Mrs.
Roberta Beach Clarke, who claimed to
Chief of Police James F. Webster .iat
she was the widow OF the late John p.
Clarke. who died several days ago. con-
cl:,sively show that the woman is suf-
fering from mental trouble.
The woman told the chief that she
lived in Washington on Fourteenth
Street, near H. and was married to Mr..
Clarke in 1853, and that son was born
to them, vino died upon reaching the age
of manhood
Afterward she went to the residence
OF Mr.. Wallace Evans, 607 South Lee
Street, former employe OF Mr.. Clarke,
and wanted to get the keys of Mr..
Clarke's store so she could take pos
session.
Mr.. Evans stated that the woman told
him that she was married to Mr.. Clarke
twenty years ago, and son was born
TO them. and were he living today he
would be forty years of age. She also
said she had been living in Pennsyl-
vania and that Mr.. Clarke visited her
two days before his DEATH
Among other strange things she told
was that her niece had nursed Mr..
that she was unaware of his death until
Friday last. and that she and her SON
were employed in the Bureau OF En-
craving and Printing, Washington. She
also said that Mr.. Clarke had two stores
in Washington. which were opposite
each other.
Since her appearance here yesterday
she has not been seen or heard of, and
it Is presumed that she returned to
Washington. Her principal mission here
seemed to be to get possession of the
estate of Mr.. Clarke. Mr. Clarke died
without having made will, and has no
relatives living here.
The registration in the First ward
yesterday numbered twenty, of which
seventeen were white and three coll
ored. A very small number registered
in that ward today. Tine work Of regis
1
at noon today, and will be continued
for fifteen days. AS heretofore stated
the registrars will sit for period of
fifteen days, from noon until o'clock
at night.
The funeral of Mrs. Sibby A. Padgett,
widow of John ". Padgett, who died
last Sunday night, took place at 4
o'clock this afternoon from her late
residence. 212 North Fairfax Street. The
funeral services were conducted by Rev.
j. p Stump, of the Methodist Episcopal
Church South. and the interment was
made in the Union Cemetery.
The following were the pallbearers:
Messrs. E. E. Downham, E. Fl. Smith,
lanes L. Adams, John L. Smith, jr.,
lanes E Alexander. and Samuel E.
Lindsay. Mrs. Padgett made the Con-
'ederate flag which was placed on the
Marshall house, which resulted in the
ieath of Jackson and Ellsworth
A musical and literary entertainment
was held in the Railroad Reading
Rooms, corner of Henry and Wilkes
Streets. tonight, under the auspices Of
Nary Washington Council, No. 4.
veil attended. and proved successful.
\
reshments were served.
Mrs. Anne E. Knight has purchased
rom Mrs. Catherine E. Bradley house
md lot on the south side of Gibbon
,treet. between Lee and Fairfax Streets,
or the sum OF s725. Mrs. Catherine E.
Bradley has purchased from the CO.
umbia Building and Loan Association.
# Richmond. house and lot on the
outh side OF Duke Street, between West
nd Peyton-
Cards are out for the marriage OF
Iiss Purifee Walker, of Lignum. Gull
'eper county. Va, to Mr. Louis T.
Ianey. OF Alexandria county. The cere-
nony will take place at the Baptist
'hurch, at Lignum, September "a.
Marguerite O'Meara. the fifteen
daughter of Mr.. James
,'Meara. died this morning at its par
nt's residence, 1905 Prince Street.
John Robinson's circus will perform
ere tomorrow. The children OF the
ublic schools will be given holiday
n order that they may have an op-
ortunity of attending.