The Washington times., 1908-10-20
Mrs. Rebecca E. Mitchell
Found Helpless in Subur-
ban District.
GIVES HER MONEY
TO SETTLE DEBTS
Private Fortune Spent on Ac-
counts of Unfortunate
Husband.

Sergeant Murphy, swinging his night
stick. walked through the streets OF
Brightwood AT midnight whistling-
Its sure one good night" he mute
tered, and every one IS due 10 be hap
py a ght Ike this"
From down an alley. behind a piI8
Of refuse. the policeman heard a wailins
moan
Think Of anyone being soused a night
like this exclaimed the policeman
Hes tiUe for a good Gaming from ne
getting drunk III fix him
haSing bis stick, the policeman
sho ltei- Come you, get out OF this
Help. I'm starving Sergeant MUIR
ply hea I'd a voice speaking from q heap
OF ash,s-
Found a Woman.
Striking a match he found the hUddIed
1 form Of a woman. Gently the big police
man raised the slight figure in his arms
and marched away 20 the police station
carrying the wasted form Of Mrs Re-
/ becca z Mitchell, and disclosing a
story OF want and privation-the story
I Of a woman who once possessed riches
I and position.
Her husband vas once a weIl-knOWn
/ merchant in Washington. one day his
nrn failed and ne. the head OF the
/ house, died q few months later. leaving
/ his widow Mrs Mitchell. thousands OF
/ dollars in debt
Mrs. Mitcreu had a goOdly fortune IL
her own name. but she declared sna
| would pay All the creditCrs Of her hus-
band before she used any OF the money
| Tor her own benefit. and this she Clds
I until she had but Sl.-JJ LETT. which she
| turned over 70 sister living IN VIZ
L gIuia- Then Mrs Mitchell sought a
l position She was student OF Italian
/ and French and tWenIy-tnree years ago
/ entered the Patent Office, taking UP the
| work Of translating French and Italian
/ patent claims
Her Voice Was Gone
/ The Government abolished the posi-
I ton a number Of years ago. and Mrs.
/ Mitchell. with an invalid daughter 70
1 support tried 20 secure another posi-
/ ton once she had been an accom-
] plished musician but the charm 81 -ner
/ had % secure position as scrub WO-
| man Ia the Patent Onice, but age was
/ creeping on and she had 10 make way
for Younger and stronger women
! Mrs Mitchell IS the daughter OF Dr.
1 Richard 8 Nathan, the second president
/ OF Hobart College. New York State
/ Friends Of the educator heard Of tha
Z condition OF the daughter and tried %
. md home for her
i I belong to one OF the first families
I OF washington have gone n tbs
/ best Of social circles, and I viii never
enter an institution or nome, Mrs.
/ Mitchell told her friends "An 1 wanC
is a chance TO work
Wandered About Streets
The friends lost track OF the woman
and for the last ten days she has
been wandering the city's streets SEEK
Ing work. until she fell exhausted in
Il Brtzhtwood, and crawled up an alleys
where she thought she could die.
The police turned Mrs. Mitchell over
70 friends Her condition is said TO
have been greatly improved since sne
yyss found last Wednesday night
II is said Mrs Mitchell has a sister
living in Virginia and a number OF
attempts have been made TO nnd her
and learn il any Of the $1,000 turned
over 70 her care is left. 1t is said
p the sister has sent but SO during the
; past year for the support OF MIS-
2 Mitchell