The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1872-05-15
San Francisco.
. MrsEH's DEATH-THE CLOSE OF DIR.
uEwER'S EVENTFUL CAREER-THE
ROMANTIC sToRT OF HIS LIFE
AND IT'S REVOLVING REvE-
La f ONSs

HPSJ6Euay D'e w LIZ |
uswer was found dead in his room in
the clearinghouse of j. Foa, in the
Mexican Quarters, corner of Dupont
and Washington street. The old gen.
t,eman was one of the most eccentric
If the many peculiar and noted char
.octers that have found their way to
San Francisco from the various quar-
ters of the globe. He was born in 1888
at Exeter, England, and educated as a
physician and surg con, received his de-
gree from the Royal College of Surge
~. Edinburg, in 1910, and shortly af- |
forward obtained a commission as sur
econ of artillery in British Artillery
Regiment. He was man of great
educational attachments, gentleman
By instinct, and one who made warm
friends wherever he went. During his
Young days his character was tarnish
ed by two or three terrible bouts of de-
bauchery, that could only be explained
nv his friends on suspicion of a touch
of insanity; but his reason attained the
mastery, and be at once became tee
totaler in the strictest sense of the
word, and for many years drank
nothing but water.
The doctor married an English girl.
For few years everything went ser
enely, but the match was an unequal one
and terminated disastrously. The NO.
man failed to appreciate him and her
love took wings. Though his official
duties compelled him to be absent from
home much OF the time, his strong af-
fiction for her never lessened, and her
increasing GOODNESS weighed so heavily
on his heart that he threw up his COM
mission, abandoned his official duties
ct length and retired to private life.
The final blow came when the wife
eloped with dashing young officer;
and from that moment Hewer became
misanthroIe and q lonely wanderer
on the face of the earth, keeping aloof
from all society, and only at long in
tervals accepting the position CT some
vessel, and then retiring again from all
connection with the active duties of
life. He first came to San Francisco
surgeon of the steamer Agincourt, VIM
Cumberland commander, from Adel-
1 aide, Austral" in 1860. He began the
i practice of medicine, but met with in
different success, his growing eccen-
tricities and offensive misery propen-
sity, which began to exhibit itself, pre-
4 venting his making friends. He was
at times quiet and gentlemanly, but as
arule morose and offensiye-an eng
ma to everybody. He began to mani.
a fest the most strange and unaccounta-
bic pecuIiarities. He began to lend
money for usury on every conceivable
trnket, as a pawnbroker, getting into
his possession many articles of rare
and peculiar character, and some of the
most worthless description, o goot
many of which were never redeemed
but kept slowed up in his room, bidder
away among old rubbish, which h
gathered and slowed away with thu
ayidity of maybe. In 1858 he rented
room in Foa's lodging house, which
he converted into a miser's den of tn
most squalid and filthy description
where he was allowed to remain with
out having his room once cleaned TO
fourteen long wears. Occasional effort
we're made to penetrate the mystery Q
his life, but so peculiar was his insanl
ty, or monomania, that those effort
we're always bafled. The rent OF tn
"a apartment was always paid, and h
would occasionally astonish some
his former acqnaintances in the BIRTHS
army by exhibiting articles of niue
value, such as rough diamonds fror
Mexico. pearls, Yuha river gold OF til
finest quality, valuable jewels, etc
and it is supposed that'the room con
tains an accumulation of such article
now. Some two or three years az
Detective Lees, fearing that rumo1
81 Of the miser's possessions would excit
the cupidity of some rufian, who wonl
cut the old mans throat to obtain pos
session of them, presented the case
the British Consul; but that offici'
could not see his way to interfere
the matter, and he was let alone IN Ii
aualor. Yesterday Mr. Foa informe
Coroner Stillman that the old man ha
not been seen for two or three day
that his room was locked on the insid
and that he feared he was dead. Abo'
l0o'elock a. H., Deputy Coroner Ii
eombaccompanied by Jacob Benjami
Public Administrator, went with NJ
FOa to the miser's den. The door W;
found locked on the inside, and ii
porter was ordered to ascend to Il
Window from the roof of an adJoinlr
building and open the door. II
aene was revolving in the extrem
The lifeless body of the wretched mise
till bearing the semblance of human
Il II, clothed in rans hound together