Year: 1875

Among the passengers who arrived on
the train from Louisville last Saturday
morning. Was we'll dressed woman, wh0
proceeded at once to the Maxwell House
and registered as "Mrs. D. Wallingford,
Washington, D. e." She partook Of a
slight repast. and was conducted to a room.
During the day she requested that some
claim agents be sent to her, as she had
several claims against the Government
which she desired to place in the hands of
SOM person or firm for collection. Sew
eral waited upon her in obedience to her
summons, and to them she exhibited quite
number Of claims. passes over about a
dozen railroads, aud miscellaneous lot
Of army documents, countersigned by
several distinguished military men, among
them Gems. W. 7. Sherman, Philip
Sheridan and others. She seemed anxious
to sell lot Of claims, and stated that she
was a niece of Hon. Thomas A. Scott.
the great railroad magnate, daughter of
resident Of Dalton, Ga, the sister Of a
member of Congress from Georgia, and
widow of Capt. D. Wallingford, who lost
his life while fighting the Modoc Indians.
But with all her winsom ways and smooth
tongue, the only impression which she
seems to have made upon her visitors was
that she was sharper, with whom she less
dealing they had the better.


Saturday night, taking advantage Of
the presence of the bell>boy in her room
to which he had gone in obedience to q
summons from her, she took him into her
confidence and told him that she was a
widow, felt lonely, and would like to
have companion for the night, one whose
manner was prepossessing and whose porte.
monnaie was full. But the untutored
mind OF the African was not so dull of
comprehension but that he knew the
widow was not as she might be, and &C.
ting upon this reasonable conclusion, he
hied away from the presence of that
female, and like faithful servant in>
formed the clerk at the Office Of tbe con-
versation. The clerk was amazed, and de,
termined to preserVe the good reputation
of the hotel by all means. rrr 90


The night watcbman, Samuel P.
Plummer, was accordingly directed to
keep a watchful eye upon the room con.
tanning the widow of the late lamented
Walliugford. He accordingly did so, and
observed that she left the light burning
in her room until about half.past II
o'clock, and the key on the ouside of the
door, as if to belle the commandant
"knock and it shall ba opened unto
you.' But the bell'boy having proved
recsant to the trust imposed in him by
the lonely widow, she did not have com.
panion that night, as air- ..


The night waned slowly away and
although the unprotected female may have
recalled to mind various instances of acsi.
dents happening to woman a lone at hight
she did not remove the key from the
door OF her room. The morning came,
and with 1t came new watchman, to
when was given the injunction to "beware
of the vidder." The day passed away, and
when supper time came, the form Of a
young man, the member Of very res
pectable family, might have been seen
stealthily proceeding to certain room
whose occupant was absent from the table
and on the other side Of which was KEY
The clock struck seven as be entered. and
as the minute hand pointed to twelve and
the hour hand to ten when he emerged.
it is to be supposed that he must have
found the widow very good company.
He was just on the point of bidding a
hasty farewell to that neighborhood.
wien Plummer tapped him on the
shoulder and told him be guessed he
would take him in. He was taken to the
Office Of the hotel, when be was asked
what he was doing in the private apart,
ment of Mrs. Wallingford. He stated
in reply that the spirit was strong, but
the flesh weak; that the temptation was
too great to be resisted. He was COM
manded to go bis way and sin no more,
and especially to keep sharp look out
for fascinating yet lonely widows. The
clerk was directed to make out her bill
and send il to her, with a request that she
Would immediafaiv forsaka a.. kot.I -