A REMARKABLE BEGGAR WOMAN.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2695, 19 October 1889, Page 6 (Supplement)

A REMARKABLE BEGGAR WOMAN.

A curious scene was presented at the Dublin Police Court recently of a stalwart constable struggling to raise to the Bench a hamper wihch taxed his strength, for it contained 4? stone of silver and copper coin, and this was only a part of the treasure which the female searchers found in the tattered garments of a woman arrested the previous evening for begging. Among other unconsidered trifles stowed away among her rags were about Half a stone potatoes, a quart of peas, and a miscellaneous collection of other articles. But the hamper of coin was only a fraction of the medicant's wealth. There were found on her besides £283 in gold, £390 in notes, a Bank deposit receipt for £100, and two shares in the Monarch Building Society for £10 and £14. As she stood when arrested she carried monoy and securities to the amount of nearly £800. How she walked under such a weight is almost incomprehensible. Her name is Annie Cooley : she is about 45 years of age, but looks much older, with dishevelled iron grey hair. Her account of herself, confirmed by a brother, a respectable artisan, is that her father was a butcher, and grazed in Lucan, and tho money was left to her by him. At ono time Bho had most of it invested in United Statos bonds, but they were called in and paid off, and since then for fear of being robbed, she carried all her treasure about her, disposed of so ingeniously among her wretched clothing that it took the searchers aud police officors many hours to bring it to light. She occupied a room in Poolbeg-street, and, it was stated, had not undressed for six years. Sho denied the charge of bogging, but a constable deposed that he had seen her ask several persons for alms. A certain flightiness of demannur had for some time attracted the attention of the police to her, and when arrested she became very violent and hysterical. It was stated that she was about to go to America with a brother-in-law, now in Paris, and pending his arrival fhe was remanded in order that she might be under the surveillance of tho prison doctor, the police being directed to take charge of her room.