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Homeless Man Turns In Wallet Filled With Cash

BOSTON (CBS) -- While walking on Court Street, something on the sidewalk caught Brian Christopher's eye.

"I see this object on the ground," said Christopher. "And then I see this is a wallet. How interesting. And then I opened it and there was a substantial amount of money in there."

So he walked... in a daze... as the object that grabbed his eye seized his conscience. "I was thinking how I had no money, how $172 would go a long way to buying three nice presents for my kids for Christmas."

Brian Christopher has very little of anything. He lives at the New England Center for Homeless Veterans.

The cash was tempting-- especially because the wallet contained no ID. "My stomach was flipping over. And I was thinking 'this is some kid's Christmas money.'"

WBZ-TV's Peg Rusconi reports.

"I realized it was missing probably within an hour," said Meghan Schultz from a sidewalk in the Back Bay. "But in that hour I was in three different places."

Schultz is a bicycle courier, who needs every dollar she makes. "I don't make much in this job and I have to hustle for what I do make, and that was a big chunk of what I was going to spend on bike parts and groceries."

She figured the wallet and all that cash were gone for good.

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WBZ News Radio's Kim Tunnicliffe reports.

Christopher, however, called a friend, went to his caseworker, and then walked a few blocks to the nearest police station.

A receipt in the wallet led police to Meghan Schultz. "I just thought it was really noble of (Christopher) to do that."

She wants to take him to lunch.

It turns out what goes around. In this case good will, comes around. The veterans' center has been flooded with calls from people wanting to help Brian.

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