The Republican journal., 1872-06-20
A Cure for Heartache.

Some ten days ago there died in San
Francisco one OF the most singular resi-
dents of the Pacific slope His name was
William Hewer, and was English by birth
and surgeon by profession. The tiolden
City has long been known as a kind OF
Mecca for eccentric people; but of all the
oddities who ever found their way thither,
Dr. Hewer was perhaps the most remark
able. He was Timon and Shylock and
kotzebue's Stranger rolled into one. For
| fourteen years no living soul had been al
lowed to enter the room he occupied In
it he apparently lived a life Of abiect
poverty; and in it were found, after his
death, cash and securities to the extent of
thousands, besides rich store of precious
gems.
This strange man was born at Exeter.
England, 1888. He studied medicine and
cot his degree from the Roval College ot
Surgery, Edinburgh, in 1910. Soon after,
he obtained a commission in an artillery
regiment. He was a man t fine powers,
delicate imagination, warm Svmpathita
and Keen sensitiveness endowed him witt,
the susceptibility both to pleasure and
| pain, common to the possessors Of such
qualities, and which makes the issue OF
fell in love with u beautiful girl, who At
first returned his passion, but who seemed
| TO have been us capricious rs she was fair
A few years of happiness followed, and
then came bitter sorrow Mrs Iewer
went off with a ''lriend" of her husbands,
an officer i'll the same regiment. and the
husband was never thereafter the same
| man. lie became misanthrope and It
wanderer on the face OF the earth With
| drawing from society, he lived for the
most part in gloomy secluSion, enlivened
at times by outbreaks of furious revelry.
Only one thing besides drink alone APP
| peared to have charms for him; and that
was to ship as surgeon on vessels bound
! for long passages. 1t was in this way
! that he came to San Francisco. lie an
rived there in the Agincourt Just after the
| time Of Capt. Suffers memorable dis
cOverv, an when the whole Western
world was aglow with the rage for gold.
/ The current passion Of the hour took
| possession Of IleWer, and thencei0rth
never lett him. The vacant place in his
heart was ever after filled by an almost
| insane aVerice. He began to lend money
| for uSury on diamonds, watches, and other
valuables, and he boarded up his treasures
with the Jealous cunning OF magpic
| Virtually he became II pawnhroker, al
though he distaincd the appellatjon, and
| would haughtly resent its being applied.
! When stray EngliShmen of education
| turned up IN san Francisco, the reclusr
would sometimes emerge from his den,
| and embark with them in frantic orgies
| that neither age nor shame ever restrain
ed. When thus excited, he would oc-
casionallv exhibit hugh diamonds and
pearls, 1erba river gold OF the finest
! quality, and strange old-taShioned Jewels
| In these acrnmulatons he took the great
! est pride, although it was notorious that
/ he possessed them, oddly enough he was
never robbed. Probably he took unusual
precaution to guard his property, and, in
truth quite amagazine of arms was found
in his room ut the last.
| The scene in that room when Hewer's
body was discovered would make terri
Bile and impressive subject for It painter
\ The oil mans body, clothed III quaint,
parti-coored rags, was found bent back
ward over an old chair-thc dead ewes
open and staring upward, the white halr
sweeping the ground. He had been gioat-
ng over II box OF trinkpts, and there was
Il burnt-out lamp by his side All arOund
was Il strange medley Of filth and fiuerv
Broken spittopus and rich bit. Of clrprts.
dried hcrrlmr' and diamonds pieces ol
(! oId brass dnd mon, and silver Plate embla-
Ioned with 1rmorial bearings strings OF
onIouS and pf pearls, beer bottles and
| EtruScan vases, paWntickctS, commits
@lonS, uniforms, and foul platter4 Werr aIl
mingled in wild confusion. Besides all
these there was one oil picture that of a
Young and lovely WOman-Shp no tlouht