Batavia, Genesee County, NY Batavia Paper (unknown name) July 12, 1898 GOODS WITHOUT END What Officer PLATO Found in the House of an Ex-Circus Performer Mrs. Mildred SMITH appeared before Police-Justice WOODWARD about 10 o'clock this morning and asked that a search warrant be issued against Mrs. Rose WHITCHER of No. 5 Mill street to recover a silk dress waist alleged to have been taken by Mrs. WHITCHER about June 30th. Mrs. SMITH is a daughter of Richard MAYNE, who conducts the West End motel with Barney OWENS as manager. The license is in Mrs. SMITH'S name. Mrs. WITCHER is an ex-circus performer and fortune teller, and during the races stayed in the West End motel and told fortunes. It is alleged that while there she took the waist. The warrant was given to Officer PLATO, who, accompanied by OWENS, went to the house and after searching some time found the waist. Mrs. WHITCHER claims that the waist was given to her by a girl at the hotel for telling her fortune. No arrests were made, as Mrs. SMITH declined to prosecute. While Officer PLATO was prosecuting his search he met with a surprising discovery. Before he found the waist he brought to light new drygoods and clothing which he thinks are worth between $1,000 and $1,500. These were packed away in trunks, boxes and closets and consisted of wearing apparel of nearly every description. One trunk was found which was said by the officer to be worth about $100. Among the articles were about thirty bedspreads and quilts, 15 sacks, men and women's clothing of every description and several dozen pairs of women's gloves, all of which were new. Mrs. WHITCHER told a reporter for THE NEWS this afternoon that the clothing found by the officer had been bought by her or by her husband when he was alive. "Both of us were formerly in the circus business," she said, "and had a great deal of clothing. I haven't any new clothing at all," she added, "and what I have is all mine. It is all old fashioned and has been in my possession for a number of years." ******************* Submitted by Joan Falcone Arnold - Jma8763@aol.com Copied from Obit books at Genesee County History Department