The Sun.
London, England, 1821-11-08 00:00:00

DEATH OF A MISER.

Yesterday afternoon an Inquisition was taken
at the sign of the Northumberland Arms, corner of Charlotte_
street and Goodge-street, Tottenham-court-road, before ;Vie
STIRLING, jun. (who officiated fur his father, who was unable
to attend on account of the injury he sustained by the accident
the preceding day,) on view of the body of 31r. William liar-
riSon, aged 118. The 'Jury being sworn, proceeded to take a
view of the body, which lay in a room on the attic story of the
house, No. 8, Ben nemstreet, Rathbone-place, where the de-
ceased had lodged for 29 years. The room presented a most
wretched appearance ; the furniture consisted of one old chair;
a table, a trunk or two, ar.d an old stump bedstead and a bed of
straw on which tie deceased lied laid; in one curer was a heap
of ashes, :led the cupboard contained a few potatoe peelines
and a stale roll. The body of the deceased, which lay in a coffin,
presented a picture of the extremest misery and starvation, al-
though he had no family, and had property in the funds to the
whoa nt of 1 ":1101.-s!rs. A. 'Jordon deposed that she was house-
keeper to Mrs. C. St. Paull, at the Vicarage. Ilouge, Putney; she
knew the deceased, !did was in the habit of canine; on him when
she came to town; he possessed considerable property, although
he lived in the greatest obscurity, and would let no person but
witness enter his room, which he always kept padlocked inside
for fear of being robbed ; `he laid-on his bed in the day time and
sat up atnight without any fire and burning a lamp. On Satur-
day evening, about seven o'clock, witness called on the deceased,
who was then very indisposed ' • he said that many people would
be very glad to finger his cash, but they should riot; on witness
leaving him, she said she would call again the following day ;
he then desired hei to lock him in, and take the key with her;
she for some time objected, but he persisted in it; she did
hick him in and put the key in her pocket, and on
her going next day, at about two o'clock, she found the de-
ceased lying on his bed with clothes on, quite dead. He had
made his will about six months ago, • wherein he had appointed
her executrix to his property, which was divided between witness
and the nephew and niece of the deceeased. He had been
married, and had a daughter, but his wife-and she were dead.
The house he lived in was his own freehold.—Mary Frow,
the niece of the deceased, deposedz, that her uncle for the last
l ',years never took his clothes oft, in which he carried large
sums of money, sewn up in different- parts ; and when he di.al
she had been informed that upwards of 1:100 had been found
about him, which, together wide other property, was in the pos-
session of the executrix. Ile tier the last four years was quite
childish, and never admitted any person but the last witness
into his room. On the night previous to his death he sent for
one oyster, half a pint of beer, and a pennyworth of figs;
which he ate, and utter drinking the porter, laid himself down
on the straw, where he was found dead—The Coroner brieil3
summed up the evidence, and the Jury, after a short delihera.
lion, returned a verdict, that the deceased " Died by the Vie
tation of Gad."