The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-02-20
Miss Kitching, Rejecting Rip
ley's $4,000, Says Money
is Tainted.

NEW york. Feb. 19.-Eyes snap
ping angrily, straight thin lips more
than limiting Of her infiexible deter
minatlon, Miss Edith Kitching sal. In
the one room she occupies at "a Bank
street, in old Greenwich village, and
explained to a reporter why she had
refused to accept $4,000 at least and
perhaps a great deal more OF the eS-
tate left by her uncle, Francis +. RIP
ley, who was an eccentric money lend
er of Brooklyn.
Miss Kitching is notSwell to do
far from 1t. Her one room must do
her fora parlor, bedroom and kltch-
en-. Every small economy is familiar
to her Every cent must be watched.
It is not simple matter to get along
on 5000 a year. and that is all Miss
KitchIng has. But much as she needs
money, her principles and convictions
prevent her from taking the thous-
ands left by the old money lender.
She says the money is tainted and
will have none OF 1t.
Little, but Inaexible.
Surely there are fewer more In
teresting people in New York than
that little slip Of woman OF indie
terminate age, somewhere between 40
and so. Her features are delicate, but
offer suggestion Of nnshakable firm
ness-the features Of a woman who
knows her mind and would go to any
length for an idea. She wears ordl-
narily q dress Of no curves or grace
full lines or frills or furbelows or any
Of the decorative touches that woni-
en- like. It is as II Miss Kitching put
her head through q hole in the center
Of great square Of gray cloth and
then draped the folds carelessly
around her. One is not surprised To-
hear her say that she used to wear
sandals instead OF shoes; that she
loves to walk barefooted in the grass
when she goes to the country; that
she abOminates corsets, wears only
hygienlc clothing and is tremendous
ly interested in ways and means OF
uplifting the masses.
did you ever hear OF Thomas Day.
idson, young man?' asked Miss Kitch-
ing at the opening Of the CONVERSE
ton. mo? Well, you don't know
what you missed. Tie was great
man---worked and wrote right here In
New York-and had noble ideas Of
how humanity was to be bettered.
Here, now, you can read for yourself
what he says about one thing: 1t Is
a sin to pursue power or position or
wealth. To him the sources OF every
thing had to be pure.
Now, the source Of my Uncle Rip.
leys money was not pure. II there
ever was skinhlnt on earth, that was
Uncle Ripley. I'm no hypocrite. Why
shouldn't I speak out as / feel? He
was mIser from childhood and the
only pleasure he took In living at all
was in plling up stacks Of gold, grin
ming over his mortgages, thinking up
new ways to grind out interest pay
ments.
.MOu1u hhultI otaIECs slgl
az would rather starye than take a
cent Of that money. Me take the
money ground out Of unfortunate
ueople? / guess not!
al was informed by the. Hamilton
Trust Company that while my uncle
had neglected to make will he had
plainly slgnified his intention Of leay.
irig $4,000 to me, $4,000 to the Long
island College hospital, $4,000 to the
Wayside Home, $4,000 to Miss Annie
ingalls,. $l2, 900 to the Brooklyn hos.
pifal and $40, 900 to the Children's AID
Society q Brooklyn That makes
$li5,0oo and believe there is con,
siderable more besides. Since my
uncle had never done anything more
I'd carry out these plans except to as
sign mortgages for $650Oo to five In
situations, the lawyers say that the
benuests are probably Illegal. 'uncorn-
pleted gifts. In that case most Of
Inc property would naturally come "a
me, / don't want It. X $50 Z; ~
';My uncle was too cowardiy "a
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