New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-09-11
N Lizzie DefecffOe Jork. Hosoex,er. Cen
orally ReUeaLs Comm onpfacc
.Sordfdness

"docket' on the train? The docket" a
little printed card, read thus: Il have just
left the hospital, where l was treated for
hip disease. Unable to earn living any
longer as salesWoalan. since am Grip
, pied for life, / desire TO enter business
school and become a stenographer.'
You look at her; her{left foot is incased
| in some orthopedic apparatus, and she
! lmps about painfully while handing out
| her "dockets." Her black skirt and shirt
| waist show much wear; her eyes have a
wistful expression behind the spec;acles,
! which make hor look more forlorn; you
| wish you could spare s. instead Of 30 cents
/ Follow the poor, deformed woman after
the train arrives in Buffalo or Pittsburs.
A dressy youth jumps from the smoking
car and assists her They take d cab.
About II o'clock that night you Will find
them disporting themselves in some dan
| cling hall of the Tenderloin district; She
wears jewels and aaudy dresses, and her
left foot could kick off anybody's hat on
the floor. You gave 30 cents TO high
heel
a woman calling herself Mrs. Livingston
Hunter lived life of comfortable leisure
for several years i'll this city by appealing
to the long suffering and much exploited
Wall Street men. Mrs. Hunter and her
daughter. two striking looking women,
most refined IN carriage and manners,
wearing a slightly exaggerated Garh of
mourning, called on prominent bankers ana
brokers. They presented themselves as the
widow and ia tighter Of a California banker
who Lad come TO grief and left them with
out any resources They had come East TO
earn q living in some capacity which would
not entail too much degrading, menial
work Could not both find employment in
an Office at ANYTHING? Moderate we're
their pretensions, for they realized that
they lacked practical training: but, with
perseyerance--
NO: there Is no position open just now"
Later. perhaps? May we not come back
some time? We can, of course, give the
best of references.
And the courageous widow started 20
display letter from an Episcopal rector
in San Francisco, which the banker was
too courteous 10 read. Three or four days
afterWard the widow came back alone and
asked neither there would not he some
opening very soon. for her funds wero very
low; unless she found work at any price
And the majesty OF her repressed grief
Was too much for the banker; he made out
4 check.
7 take It, sir. as an advance, because
my daughter and l must live; as an adj
vance on the salary which, etc.
Half q dozen calls like that every week
kept the two women in alluring mourning
hats and wells. Every victim was naturally
pledged TO secrecy. She could not let
Frisco people know.
When she was arrested. in company with
the Frisco clergyman whose Endorsement
OPENED 10 her the pocket books of Wall
Street "easies," her past proved a source
Of delight for the investigators. Before
age compelled her to play motherly parts
she had blackmailed many a financier in
the West and Middle West After leading
the gay life for years. she had settled down
into responsibility; charitable institutions
knew her as a ready patron. and one in
teresttnS incident of her life was the oc-
casion on which this high class swindler
vas put dJwn as q possible victim by an
other masquerader.
A certain individual. who adopted the
name Sister Theresa" driven out OF en-
ployrnent by the investigation of the I.exow
committee, donned the garb of the iittle
Sisters OF the Poor and opened IN S4th
street q fake refuge for repenfing Magda-
lens MIS-. Hunter, who at that time was
trying 10 find a young woman who, phys
icaIIy and otherwise. could make suitable
Miss Hunter" visited the refuge" one
evening and showed much interest in the
work Sister Theresa had dreams OF the
gifts the wealthy patron would shower
Upon her institution" Sister Theresa had
been initiated into the mysteries OF re-
iieious taking by woman called Celeste
Pacheteau. This Mime. Pacheteau lived IN
a pretentioIs apartment house ia " est