New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-04
Bv SAMUEL HOPKINS ADAMS.

part Mary Murphy, and duly quallhed lawyer u ''
correct And if back of there is history OF catastrophe anu
-, ,,.s,ronbe TO be sure and eckoned in 1gures
co small as to be of practical to any but the VG'
i s nevertheless eassung realize that it was all entirety anu
strictly legal IT,. ~.
NJ Mby and Adoph Wiechers Mary Murphy is an old
~ of fortv.two She lives a rather grim tenement Ion
has broken her Adoph Wiechers man sti young al "
considerably greater than Mary MurPhys he lives on W
49, and has country place at Ronkonkoma, l. tie is
oresdent of the Adoph Wiechers Realty Co., wherein Ills sun
hf WIKI. u is associated with him. Fat living has kept
then. sleek Mary Murphy Of the contributors to the hVhs'
She contributed $500 She didn't know that she was 00
= Sb ,bouobt that she was buying home for herself ana
the little destitute adopted niece who lives with he ""''
she was really buying contract 1t is a strictly ega
a. will be seen presently No touch it That is why
am going quite beyond the ordinary scope OF he roun
Of Investigations describe and its workings IN ohe nope
publicity may inform others concerning the Weche metnooS anu
incidentally nete out to them slight measure OF exuaesa'
justice w., Ill
When Mary Murphy first encountered the WecherS She W
in soamonth 10Th avenue and 18th street FROM
childhood she has grubber Her father was Parayzeo anu
Hind Her mother was factory hand Later there was the
it'll. relative to care for Mary did the caring one was
working where could jobs; in factories IN pack
ing houses in the cellar departments OF the big stores Iy
the asbb claimed and chained her Through all she kept
decent and-sonder of wondehopefu The manstay OF her
hone was $500 left after her mothers DEATH saved out OF
~ avino in carpet factory Mary put in the bank there
= drew interest until one day Mary read in the Evening telegram
an investment advertisement in the classified columns
(And incidentally believe in my heart that If the amount
Of bes own done by those Evening telegram columns
could be James Gordon Bennett would accept the
money ung by them from the cheated hopes OF the Poor)
"A Working Mans Grand Opportunity the advertisement
was headed and that private party "ou'o sell
on easy delightful and cheap home IN the country ne
vsokngman with little could spend his declining years
comfort and peace In response Mary called at the Wech
crs West End Avenue house suPpong IN her simple ah III
print that she dealing with private person ohe knew noun
inc Of the character Of the Evening leegram moneyaP col
ns Why should she? And she knew nothing OF the character
q A. Watchers business How could she2 To her the two
Uecbes appeared as suave obgng and courteous gentlemen
who were ready sell her desirable lot IN Smithtown l. L. OF
the most obliging They assured her that Smhown fay
hed with OPPORTUNITIES for a washerwoman to get work al
cood price-oh much better than city Prce-and that she
d h. saving all her city rentals and putting the into
her own propery establishing heahfu happy home Tor he
old age etc. Only after she had drawn from the bank he
~ $500 and the interest did she discover that she dealing
with real estate company. Whatever msevngs developed were
soohed by persuasive Wehe They assured her that the,
he-s would give her plenty of work; that washing enough
keep her busy days the wee she were wiling to &c
a-oud be waiting for her As for the moving that woulo
cos, he. only SI2 If they would the difference
So Mary paid her $500 account OF So|o the Dial
.. J.. Maid 81 monthly and received in rerna contract
What really worked the undoing OF Mary Murphy was
clause in that perfectly legal in itself and which prop
% understood by the parties making 1t and justly avaed
MIGHT work no Injustice has been another case
The use of this though unsupported clause Blu
Nar Murphy did not know that there and would not have
understood its legal effect if she had
To state it in non-ega provided that Mary MurPh,
failed to make any monthly payment by the first OF the mex
month the Adoph Wechers Realty Company got her $500 pu
what instruments she had already paid Mary got nothing AS
point of interest may be noted that the Weches were selling
Nav M,rnbv lot with house on Yet there mention
Of that house the sell Mary read the agree
mental all Probably she would have understood she had
And anyway she trusted the gentlemen with whom sh
dealt
The rest of the story short The moving cos
$40 40 She reminded the Wiechers of their OF help
Thew smiled away The house ramshacke building
d unfit for occupancy because of eaky roof Also the ceiling
had fallen Ceilings will when the roof lets IN the rain Mar
ed 70 have the roof mended The Wiechers said she
Tor H. 500 All quite right and legal But Mary hadn't the 500
The roof continued to leak
The Wiechers did give her their washing promised heav
washing which took her three days the week to do Ihe
y.ckoned as days work at $5O day When the b