Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-04-05
Masbingtn1r gsntinel.
Death OF a nIiscr.

On Saturday, Hannah Hall, spinner, aged
G6, distinguished by her misery habits, closed
her miserable career, at Sheffield, leaving to
the Girls Charity School of that town between
$4,000 and $4,000, amassed by life of pen
ury. In 1872, about which time her father
died, she received legacy of flO0 under her
grandfaihers will. 1t was Immediately after
the acquisition of this sum of money that Miss
Hall first manifested those penurious habits for
which her subsequent life was remarkable. Her
penury led her thus early in her career to dis
card soap as an unnecessary appendage Of her
toilet and she boasted that she had not used
any for 30 years. Her only income was the
interest on fl00, and her own earnings by
making farm laborers' ock-frocks, but she
contrived not only to live out Of this but to
save money. In connection with another wo-
man she commenced system offending money
out at interest, through the medium of Guinea
Clubs, and this proved so profitable, that in five
or six years she was able to commence lending
on mortgage Of small lots of cottage property.
The shutters of the lower rooms of her house
were barricaded and she lived alone in the
garret miserable and wretched life, but every
year increasing her habits of penury and hoard
of wealth. Goals she never bought, and fire.
quently she sat for days together in the depth
of winter without fire. Miss Hall, although she
would literally starve herself to death rather
than part with her money, had no objection to
good dinner at any other persons expense
and during the last ten or fifteen years of her
life she followed out system by which she Sc
cured herself good dinner and tea every day
in the week, except Sunday, free of charge.
This class of friends she propitiated by pro-
mise to remember them in her will. To none
Of these persons, however, has she left more
than fl0.
Her attire was "thing of shreds and patch
es." On her feet she usually wore pair of
castoff mems boots, which were tied round her
ancles with strings. She had worn one bonnet
for more than thirty years. Summer or winter
she wore pattens and carried an umbrella. Her
habits were very filthy. On a search being
made the house of the deceased three wills
were discovered, all in her own handwriting,
and another drawn up by solicitor in l549, in
all Of which she left her property to the charity
school. There we're also found mortgage
deeds, Midland Railway shares; debeuture
bonds of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincoln
shire Railway, and bankers deposit notes; in
all amounting to E4,400. 1t is believed by
those who knew her, that it will ultimately be
found that she died worth from $4,000 to
e7 600. These securities were found secreted
iu bundles of rags, tied up in old Shirts and
some of the more portable ones, such as the
bank deposite notes, were packed away in pieces
of rags, inside Of old shoes, &c. In one box
she had accumulated between fifty and sixty
pieces of soap of different kinds, evidently the
contributions of friends anxious for her sanitary
improvement. The interment took place at st.
Phillips Church, and drew together some thou
sands of peup,e London Times, February 10.