KinSource - Tale of the Week - Fearing End of World, Woman Burns Her Money

KinSource

Minnesota Tales

Minneapolis Journal, March 9, 1913, p. 1

FEARING END OF WORLD, WOMAN BURNS HER MONEY

Housewife Starts Getting Ready for Day of Doom by Giving Delivery Boy $71.

Then Begins Feeding Bills to Coal Stove.

When Claude Parlo, 16-year-old delivery boy, delivered a $3 bill of groceries at the residence of John Patros, 313 River road, late yesterday, Mrs. Patros, who received the groceries, handed him $71 in $1 bills and insisted that he keep them.

When three detectives, to whom Claude Parlo had told the story of the strange gift, went to the Patros residence to investigate they found Mrs. Patros sitting in front of a coal stove calmly feeding $1 bills into the fire. Her husband sat beside her and stoically watched the money go up in smoke.

Predicts World's End.

"The world is coming to an end March 19," said Mrs. Patros as she peeled off the greenbacks and put them on the coals. "There is no use in having any money."

The case is one of the most unusual in the history of the police department, according to Night Captain James Merrick, who sent the detectives to the Patros home and who decided that there was nothing the police could do to prevent the woman from burning the money. Last night the $71 given the delivery boy reposed in the safe at police headquarters and the night captain said he would report the case to the Humane society next Monday.

It was 6 p.m. when Claude Parlo delivered the groceries and received the $71. He at first refused to take the money and he says that Mrs. Patros then shoved the bills in his pocket and told him to leave the house. He reported to his employer and they went to the police department and told the story of the woman who was giving away small fortunes.

Detectives Visit House.

Captain Merrick sent Detectives Frank Regan, Fritz Ohman and Thomas P. Gleason to the Patros home. When they arrived they were cordially greeted, but Mrs. Patros, who was busy at the stove, did not rise. They say that she was placing one bill after another on the fire. The detectives say they tried to convince her that she should keep the money, but that she insisted that the world would end March 19 and that she and her husband would have no use for the currency.

"It was a terrible sight," said Gleason last night. "I never hope to see good money burned up like that again."