Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1867-12-31
MISCELLANEOUS.
From the Troy Times.I
The Death Of a Rich Beggar The End
OF a Miser-He Dies Counting his
Wealth.

We learn from General Miller, one of the
most popular members of the Board of Super.
vIsOrS. Ut the particulars Of the death Of a
rich beggar i'll the village of Greenbush
named Frederick w. ROwhl which exceeds
IN dramatic interest anything We have read in
long time. ROwhl came to Greeubush "A
few weeks ago, clothed in rags, thin. rmacia-
ted, aud apparently half starved, looking the
very picture OF poverty and wrcIchcdness.-
Ills appearance was enough to excite the sym.
pathy and charity of every behOlder. He
was an old man bent with age, his hair whiten.
ed with the trOsts of many winters sorrow
poverty, aud misery had evidently been his
companions through life.
he miserable wretch secured a room in a
temcment-house in the village, and was there
attended for a time by a charitable lady, who
brought him food aud otherwise ministcrcd
to his wants. Almost every day the old man
would beg III the streets, uud with such good
fortune that often as he sought aims he
returned to his hOvel with we'll filed pockets.
Nothing was known by the vilIugers of the
history ot the old beggar, put it was supposed
by all that he was what he seemed, and TO
relieve the distress Of fellow creature was
believed to be their highest duty. But little
more than week ago the old man disap-
Peared, the door to his room was fastened.
and even the kind lady who had given him
food knew nothing Of his whereabouts.
Thus mattc;s went on until Sunday morn.
ing last, when the landlord who had allowed
ROwhl to occupy room in his tenement con.
cIudcd to burst open the door, little supposing,
however, that i'll doing so lie would come
upon the corpse Of the old bcggar. But such
was the case. Stretched at full length upon
little pallet of straw lay the dead body of
the old man. He had been dead apparently
more than week, and from the manner in
which bank notes, bonds, deeds aud bank
books were lying upon the floor about him
1t was evident the beggar and miser had died
in Il struggle counting his boarded wealth.
In his buny fingers he held bank book
showing deposit of 500 in banks nt North
Adams aud Pittsfeld, while two $50 bills
served as pillow for his head, aud deeds of
property in PIttsfeld and Government bonds
to considerable amount were lying upon the
floor beside him.
The scene could not have been more dra-
matte 1t presented upon the stage. The
ghastly. repulsive features the tuttered habit
nt the mIser, and the wealth for which he
bartered his soul lying around, formed pic.
turc which not even the mimic scenes of the
stage could rival in intense dramatic force
II exceeded anything the imagination almost
can conceive. The news of the discovery of
the dead man passed rapidly from mouth to
mouth, and large numbers visited the anart-
ment to gaze upon the dead miscr surrounded
by his wealth. But as if in mockerv of the
life he led, the money left by the old wretch
secured him u decent burial, and he went
down to the grave attired more respectfully
than he had ever known when alive. Kind
hands, forgetiul of the past, laid him tenderly
away in the tomb, there to sleep in oblivion
until the last great trump shall sound and
lie shall then learn whether tic treasures of
earth are counted among the treasures Of
Heaven.