The Express.
London, England, 1865-03-20 00:00:00

ZITAAORDINARY AFFAIR.

A Preston correspondent tells a remarkable story.
He says :—" For some time past there have been rumours
in the town to the effect that a young man named Thomas
Wylie, whoa few years ego occupied a highly nopectabie
position in Preston. and was engaged in the cotton trade.
was flatted up is as old graiehouse behind the pada
church in St. John's-place ; that be had sever bean out of
the building for some years; sod that he wee secretly fed
through some mysterious hole or doer. The real facie of the
case have just been made known, mid it appears that the re-
ports have some foundation. A few years ago, Wylie, attic
having been employed as a lawyer's clerk in Preston, nom'
mend business as a reed maker and cotton masufscturer.
He had four eatablishmests—one at Preston. two &IBMS"
and one at Manchester. His usual piece of midair* was
Preston, where his parses; lived, and where he set up Ms
father in insignia. Wylie prospered in his trade for souse
time ; he employed many operatives ; he regularly asso-
ciated with gentlemen connected with the cotton trade
and, like other parties sugared in manufactunag pursuits,
he went regularly to the principal machete in the coanty—
I Manchester, Liverpool, sad Blackburn. In 1837, however,
when the monetary panic set in he lad a deal of money
and fortune ever afterwards seemed to rends from view.
Three years ago, whilst battling meet misfortues. • Fres-
ton solicitor, who was the agent et the establishment he
occupied, in St. John's-place, in that town, distressed'
him for a small sneer of rect. Wylie begged for time to
come mod, bat the meat was relentless, and the goods.
which had cost a good deal of money, and were still worth
a considerable sum, were sold by auction for a sum whisk
scarcely amounted to a twentieth part of their valwa.
Wylie held the premises on a lease, and after the sale he
swore to the agent that be would remelts in them =Ail the
complete expiration of the period of his tenancy. That
etraage oath be has so far kept, and for three years be bee
stayed in the establishment aloes, and determined
to avenge what he conceived to be the if:dimities in-
itiated upon him by the sgeot. The building is sow •
strange weird looking old pleas' inside of it there is
nothing hut an old loom end a filthy old bed ; the floes
are &sty, and worm-eaten, and mildewed ; outside, the
windows are smashed. the walls cracked, and the sige-
board., which used to refer to a prosperous males busi-
ness, are paintlesa and pleos. in fact, looks
jest like one of those haunted buildings which grim,
imaginative writers love to dwell ne. But Wylie stems to
have cared nothing for all this. Par three years he has
been the sole occupier of the lonely rooms which used te
ieverberate with the woods of busy machinery; for mouths
together be has never coma out of them ; far • year at thee
he has had no (ire The people living is the neighbourhood
knew that he was weaseled in this building, but this wagon
they did know. They *ever saw him come into the street ;
and nobody except oue of his old workmen, who now sad
then visited him by stealth, seemed to have any idea as to
how be exists'. The teighbours, oat of curiosity, oar-
siosally km:irked at the doors bat the only reopen sea
a dull echo borough the empty rooms. Foe the Bret year
of his voluntary imprisonment no person appears to have
visited Wylie, and • man residing next doer never owe
new him. Since then Wylie bee crept out at isterran
alter dark and rise Ma house adjoising. where be has get
morsels of food rod a few coals. Whets be first showed
himself to the inmates of the house in question they were
perfectly horrified at his condition. They bad Meows him
in his better days, and to see him as they did, when be
quitted his ladies pleas for a few minutes, shirtless, shoe-
ing, ragged. and with a pale tam, the very pieture et
etanstiou, they were naturally much shocked. Within
the past few swaths he has improved a good deal in ap-
pears:me, nut he is still a most wretched pitiableic v ob)set.
and very uelike the smart, well-divesed,, energetoesg
mash* use a few years ago. A few weeks age his father
died. sad efforts were made to get the immured eon to at-
teed the funeral ; bat neither the eetrwhies of his mother,
nor the solicitations of his fused', weld induce nits te
stir. It is supposed that be was enema of his apolog-
etic* ; at any rate he had some streets objection to leave
his old dilapidated biding-place. He washed (out of a
window) the funeral cortege pus aloe( the reed wijoinisg
to the crearatery, iainsediately afterwards bs darted eat
of eight sad was seats by no offar several days. He b
mesa of considerable menial ability. ad his long period
voluntary otedissateut has 'either &sated bis intellect see
'named his powers el ocannatios. It is said that dabs
the greater portion of the time be has been shut up is the
old baking referred le be has hen sepia in
mirth chemical eabjgete. The Imes el the premises
be bold, will expire la May seat, and he is detertuned
remain all aloe* in his misery ' said that time, emi
longer if peable."