The Saint Paul globe., 1905-03-29
STRANGE old WOMAN
PUZZLES THE POLICE
Comes to City From West and
FOrgetS Name and Oes.
tination

somebody's grandmother slept in a
ceH IN the women's ward at the police
station last night, though she was not
there Tor any wrong done by her to the
law or the land; she was there for her
own protection, because there seemed
~ tto other place for the lone old woman
10 go under the circumstances. Friend
iesS as IL was, 1t was the only haven
oi rest offered 10 a grandmother lost in
Sreat city and apparently demented
men Great Northern train ar
liNeu yesterday morning the little.
' aiiort' plump, wrinkled faced old
woman alighted. She was soon no
sne lceu oy the depot officials, and an eff
t toiI MADE TO ascertain her destination,
Dut without success. 1t was Thought
SiIe cdine from Glendive Mont. though
no explanation of her lonely condition
could be found
Matron Tries and Fails
The matron, long used to sucb
cases, trled to cheer the old woman
ana TO learn something of her INT =
sehseless' hollow laugh was all the ex-
planatlon the childish old soul offered
M. l.; hutcnlnS agent of the Asso-
clated CHARITIES, was communicated
with, and he undertook to care for ber
A comfortable lodging place was
found Tor her at the G o b e hotel
While apparently without means
the manager of the hotel thinks she
mas money slowed away in LONG
piack Dag which she carries, but which
she SteadfaStly refuses to let anyone
touch. The housekeeper engaged the
OLD woman in conversation and it
seemed for time as though she was
going to tell something that would lead
to her identity.
What have you in the bag?" asked
the housekeeper pleasantly
a. M
cried the old woman with delight
About dusk the old woman became
restless. She insisted that she must
be going and demanded the way to the
| depot.
L had no right to keep her here"
SAID the manager. L told her that
We would care for her and that her
bill was paid, but she insisted that she
must be going, so l took her to the
depot"
The night travel was just at the
rushlnS period when the old woman
arrived once more at the crowded sta
ton Depot Master Farrell noticed
her. He detailed man to keep watch
over her for awhile
AS near as 1 could make out she is
bound for some point in Michigan
called Grinding Stone l don't know
the place. She may be mixed up on
where she wants to go. There used to
be place between here and Duluth
years ago that was Grindstone Per-
haps she left there when she was
girl and is now trying to find her
way back to her old home. The town
has long since passed away"
So there was nothing left at the late
hour but to send the old woman to the
care of the police. She was placed in
room and made as comfortable as
possible. When an officer entered the
room she was up on chair blowing
with all her might at the electric
light bulb. AS soon as she saw the
officer she cried gleefully:
Pretty light, pretty light, but
can't blow it out. 1t hurts my eyes.
Blow 1T out" And then she laughed
a cold, hollow laugh.
The strange old woman is appar-
emily about 80 years old, but is hearty
and able to get about quite Well She
was comfortably dressed, entirely in
black. Her nationality is doubtful
but she appeared to be a Norwegian.
An effort will be made this morning to
identify her.