Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1873-02-05
Whole No. 294O

From the Germantown Telegraph, Goth
A Strange Story Of Two Female Nj.
sers-Riehes in Rags-A Siekening
Sight.
If there is such a thing as "giIded
poverty an exemplifieation of IL was
strikingly manifested in Camden dur
ing the past week. From infancy to
the ripe old age of eighty years, two
twin sisters, named Grace and Chari-
ty Kaighn, have resided in that efty.
They owned in their own right prop
erty said to be worth at least one hun
dred thousand dollars in very eligible
locations, and were possessed of other
property of value. Yet these two fe-
males (they never married) lived to-
gether in almost perfect seelusiOn, in
the most eccentric manner. Their
house on Kaighn's avenue was almost
kept closed, and no one admitted ex-
eept such as came TO aid them IL their
business transactions and they were
few. Their. apartments were kept
almost as gloomy as prison dungeons,
and day after day, week after week,
month, and year after year, they
groped about in the darkness of their
own created prison, dedying them
selves even the comforts and-necessa-
ries Of life. For many years this was
their way of living, and those who
knew them best believed that at any
time they might be found dead in
their house from self-denial and neg
leet. Some time last summer they
purchased fine new dwelling house
on Market street, above Fourth, and
moved into it early in the fall. What
articles of furniture they had wers set
in the parlor, but were never put in
their proper places From that time
up to Thursday week they lived In
their old way, without comforts or
anything that would contribute to
comfort. From the Thursday alluded
to nothing had been seen of them, and
no noise was made in the house to in
dictate that they were alive. This ere
ated a suspicion that something was
wrong, and Officer Hofhnger was in
structed to force an entrance. This
was accomplished, when he found, to
his horror, the most siekening sight
be ever met with. The room was
bare of furniture, dark and dirty no
fire had been in the stove for three
days, and there on q settee, with no
thing over her but an old, ragged and
dirty quilt, lay Grace Kaighn, cold
and stiff in death. Her sister, Chari-
ty, was found in a corner Of the room,
almost doubled up, and in perishing
condition. She was Immediately tax
en- care of, and, under the direction of
DR.. Armstrong, Coroner, she is doing
well. She did not know that Grace
was dead. On table near by was a
loaf of bread and some butter that had
not been touched. The Coroner took
charge of the body, and had it appro-
priately disposed of. He found some
thirteen dollars on the person of de-
ceased, and took possession Of such
papers and valuables as were found
until rightful parties to them appear,
Among the papers are several tax bills
for real estate, one of which calls for
$500, which, at the rate Of taxation,
$3.50 on the 500, would be for an as
sessed property Of $4,000. This was
/ for one square of ground, facing
| Broadway, between Line and Pine
streets. They owned large amounts
of real estate in other parts Of Cam
den. Notwithstanding all this, they
were in the most abjeet state of desti-
| tuition and exposure. The circum-
stance has created universal comment,
aud the wonder is how people with
the abundant means of which they
were possessed could consent to live
in such a miserly and forlOrn way.
They were peculiar in their eccentric
tiles almost to lunaey. They had in
herited and possessed in their own
right very large estate, but preferred
to live as if they never had a dollar.
Such are some OF the freaks of human
nature