University of Virginia Library

Police Clear Diggers
From Marguerite's

By DOROTHY YOUNG

Yesterday city police cleared
away fortune seekers from the
area around the former site of
Marguerite's, a "house of ill
repute" until 1949. The action
was taken as a safety
precaution. Construction
workers needed to move in
heavy grading machinery and
wanted people to be kept out
of danger.

Police Chief John Dek.
Bowen said that yesterday was
the only day the area was to be
closed off. He expects the
crowds to return, seeking
money left from days of the
house's operation.

Any permanent closing of
the area would be the decision
of the owners of the property,
but the Charlottesville
Redevelopment and Housing
authority, owners, apparently
have no objection to the
diggers, said Mr. Bowen.

Enforcement of "no
trespassing" would be highly
difficult on a vacant lot and
would require a 24-hour
guard, he added.

'Good-Natured Crowd'

Police have found this
generally an orderly,
good-natured crowd. Mr.
Bowen remarked, "Everybody
is happy when they're finding
money." Until yesterday the
police have had to do nothing
except remind people to
extinguish fires which they
have built for light and
warmth.

It was reported yesterday
that firemen were called for a
small fire in a house also
owned by Marguerite's and
adjacent to the vacant lot.

$8000 Not Found

The story of an $8,000 find
by a 16-year old girl reported
by The Daily Progress is false.
The girl's mother claims that
her daughter only found $30
or $40 worth of old coins, said
the article.

Mrs. Rita Bartlet Bartelt,
owner of the Sycamore House,
dealers in old coins said, "I
have seen $8,000 to $10,000
different people have brought
in, most of it isn't worth more
than the face value" but "it's
good spending money."

People Still Digging

Both the bills and silver,
dating from the 1930's and
1940's, are neither old or rare.
Nevertheless, people keep
digging.

Tuesday 100 people were
still searching, and a Scottsville
truck driver had brought a
home-made metal detector.