Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1855-03-14

DEATH OF MIsER.-On Saturday, Ham ali
Hall, spinster, aged 66, distinguished BY her
misery habits, closed her miserable career
at Sheffield, leaving to the Girls Charitable
School Of that town, between $4,000, and
$4,000 amassed by life of perjury. III 1872,
about which time her father died, she received
a legacy of El00 under her grandfather will.
1t was Immediately after the acquisition of this
sum of money that Miss Hall first manifested
those penurious habits, for which her subse-
quent life was remarkable. Her penury led
her thus early in her career to discard soap as
an unnecessary appendage of her toilet, and
she boosted that she had not used any for 80
years. Her only income was the intereston
El00, and her own earnings by making farm
laborers smockfrockS, but she contriyed not
only to live out of this, but to save money!
In connection with another woman she com
meneed system Of lending money out at in.
terest, 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
garrett a miserable and wretched life but
every year increasing her habits of penury and
her hoard of wealth. Goals she never bought,
and frequently she sat for days together in the
depth OF winter without fire. Miss Hall, al
though she would literally starye herself to
death rather than part with her money, had no
objection to good dinner at any other Der-
sons expense, and during the last ten or If
teen years Of her life, she followed out sys.
tenn by which she secured herself good din
ner and tea every day i'll the week, except
Sunday, free OF charge. This class of friends
she propltlated by promises to remember them
iii her will. To none of these persons, how
ever, has she lett more than fl0. Her attire
was a "thing of shreds aud patches" On her
feet she usually wore pair oil cast off mans
boots, which were tied round her ankles with
strings. She had not worn bonnet for over
thirty years. Summer or winter, she wore
pattens and carried an umbrella. Her habits
were very filthy On search being made at
the house of the deceased three wills were
discovered, all in her own hand writing and
another drawn up by solicitor in lS49 in all
of which she left her property to the charity
school. There were also found mortgage deeds
Midland Railway shares, debenture bonds Of
the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire
Railway, and bankers deposit notes, in all
amounting to "a, 800. IL is believed by those /,
who knew her, thatit viii ultimately be found
that she died worth from $4,000 to 81 900.
These securities were found secreted in bum
dies of rags, tied up in old shirts, and some of
the more portable ones, such as the bank de.
posite notes, were packed away in pieces Of
rags, inside old shoes, Sc. In one box she had
accumulated between fifty and sixty pieces Of
soap Of different kinds, evidently the oontri-
buttons Of friends anxious for her sanitary inn
proyement. The interment took place at st.
Phillips church, and drew toge her some
thousands OF people.-Loadoa Times, Fec. IS.