The Savannah morning news., 1904-08-05
SHIPPED A WOMAN IN WHITE.
KroOnIand Got Her at Antwerp in
Evening Dress.
From the New York Sun.

The appariuOn OF a, woman in white,
with waxlike complexion and eyes of
preternatural brightness, startled the
officers of the Red Star liner Kroon-
land just as the ship was about to
leave Antwerp for this port on the
evening of Saturday, JULY %. The
woman, who is young and pretty, wore
no hat, and her glossy brown hair,
done up in loosely-howing fashion, add
ed to her unearthliness. Her little feet
were encased in white slippers. She
might have come from a ballroom,
from an evening dinner, or from the
land of spookS.
But she had a ticket for a cabin pas
sage to this port, and as she appeared
TO know where she was going, and why,
her eccentricity of evening dress for
a sea voyage and the weirdness of her
general aspect were not looked upon
as reasons for putting her back on
shore. So she got here on Monday.
On the voyage Capt. DoXrud, PurSer
Chrisstoffels, and the ships surgeon, DR..
G. E. Van Dazzle, discovered things
that convinced them that she might
have been left behind with profit to
the line. In the first place her bag
gage, on examination, was found to
consist of a case of mineral water;
then she had no other dress with her
than that which she wore, and finally
her manner was hardly that of
normal young woman of the world. But
she was as quiet as mouse and as
polite as possible. She certainly did
look queer, however, holding up her
long train whenever she moved or
went about the liner.
The ships surgeon called her &C.
centric. She conversed fuently and
with intelligence in French, Flemish
and English, and there seemed to be
only one subject that she was lit
tie daft about, and that was bath
ing. She said that she did not drink
the mineral water she had brought
aboard, but used it to battle in. She
incidentally used a pony of cognac in
every bath. Her mineral water was
soon exhausted and she obtained more
from the ships steward. She said
she was going to the hot springs
of North Carolina" She showed a let
ter from kin & Crowther of Lincolns
Inn Fields, London, saying that this
woman has an annuity of $1,000 and
any debts contracted by her." would
be paid by the solicitors aforemen-
toned.
A young inspector of the Immigra-
ton Bureau who boarded the Kroon-
land at Quarantine heard, about and
also noticed the young woman, who
was down on the passenger list as
Mrs. c.. Phalen. She did not OBJ
ject to being interviewed by the in
spector. This is the story she told
him:
My name is Constantine Phalen.
Ny husband is dead; that is, he is
dead to me, as we separated two years
ago He has our two children. l
am of English birth. but my grand
mother, Sarah Price. was an Ameri-
can. My mother. Laura Price, mar
RED James Hunter of Aberdeen,
noted chemist. The marriage took
place at the American Embassy at
Paris. Mr.. Hunter died four years
ago. I remember Cheltenham as my
last residence in England When 1
was a little child | was sent to my
grandmother in Paris. where 1 re-
ceived most Of my education The
estate Of my father is in Chancery
Ny original allowance from it was
$4,000, but it has been reduced one
third through litigation that l do
not understand. There has been much
trouble over the matter
Il have not been very well of late
years and | have tried many baths to
help me. lust before I sailed | had
been taking the waters at Spa. in Bel
gum. ! had heard the springs of South
Africa highly recommended and l had
been thinking of going there. Then
some one told me that the hot springs
OF North Carolina were better and 1
decided to come here. 1 thought that
had paid for passage from Antwerp
TO the springs. | do not remember
Where | came from when l went aboard
the snip. ! think that | must have
been at dinner somewhere or would
not have been wearing this dress
They tell me that | cannot get down
10 North Carolina with only 81, which
Is all the money I have with me. and
with no change of dress. l do not re-
member what happened to me after
mat dinner. When I found myself
ABOARD the Kroonland decided to keep
on until | got to the North Carolina
hot springs"
Inc boarding inspector called the at
tehuon of Marine Hospital Surgeons
Farker and Tappan to the young wom-
an. DR.. Parker examined her on Mon
day and DR.. Tappan questioned her
Yesterday. Their conclusion is that she
IS not mentally sound, although APP
IdIehtly harmless. DIR. Parker said
That she showed indica tions Of having
peen IN some institution in Europe
one was either unable to give, or did
not want to give, any information
doout the way in which she happened
70 take passage aboard the Kroonland.
she had letter which showed that
she had asked for information about
Inc ines rates to New York last De-
Sember. She said that she had paid
ler passage money to a man who said
ne was the Antwerp representative of
Lne ked Star Line. She said that her
husband, who is an Irishman, lives in
D9olln. She recalled indistinctly, she
eald TO a reporter who saw her aboard
me kroonland last evening, that after
eallhg dinner-she felt sure that she
vas at dinner in a public place-she
expected to go to the theater but she
was sure she did not get there.
insane persons are not received at
LulS island. so Mrs. Phalen is kept
ABOARD the Kroonland at the expense
OF me line. She is being well cared
aor by the stewardess and steward,
qq 5 VIII sail for Antwerp on Saturday.
Ier chief regret, she said, was that
S Sne would not be able to stay here
ing enough to try those famous hot
springs of North Carolina.
Athens Corner Stone Laid.