The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-10-28
,,ow . Man May Lose a Fortune After
aLIfe Spent in it's Accumulation.

aI,Ife Spent In its Accumulation.
~ York Correspondence Boston Post.
The history Of the old man, Luther
p,rsnt whose home was robbed of
.Ij00oO while he was in Jail awaiting
nnon i charge of having purchased stolen
,.tsr- stamps, is u most remarkable one.
II. WIS born in Cummington, Hamp-
.bIre county, Mass, where his father
,,sc,iced medicine. At the age Of four
!asr he was graduated from Williams
C,iIage,' and ne was then travelled in
r,r,T. for over two wears. Returning, he
49,. soon given his physicians diploma,
and began work in his profession.
sn.r residence of many years in
Hnripston. VT, he changed his home, in
I.s 10 Charleston, 5. {. Then he
came 70 New York, and having II fancy
tr old coins. he opened a small stand on
en-. sidewalk near City Hall Park. He
sonn becap to do large business in
o,,ie; way in buying mutiated currency
a, thirty per cent. discount, which he had
-,j.emcd at itS full value at the United
,,ste, Treasury. He continued in his
;.,.iness Notwithstanding II legacy of
many thousand dollars left him by his
,-tier. 1t had been his habit for thir-
ten years past to leave his home at 8 A.
n walking To restaurant in Chatham
tree, eat breakfast, and then going
:, his stand begin the work of the day.
Subsequently, he moved his little
land to the railing in front of the old
pI,ch church, and here he became a
landmark. He WAS seldom missed from
ri. place He plodded on, minding his
own business, and constantly adding to
HI, little treasure. Recently, to his sur
nri.e. he was shown warrant for his ar
r,>t, and WAS taken from his stand to the |
ToombS police court. He had never
been in a court room in his life before,
md was terrified by the surroundings. |
Being unable to procure bail he /,
va, put in Il cell, and there remain
81 tor five days. Meanwhile |
IN. new friends were unaware
If hi, having been arrested, and his !
rooms. with their hidden treasure, re-
manned uCardrd. Late on Sunday night !
October nh, II resident in the house SAW !
front Of it, doors. Investigation showed |
that the premises had been ranSacked, |
and that the old mans hidden treasure
had all disappeared. The room where |
,nc treasure had been kept was hand
somey furnished and WAS fitted up with |
secret drawers, in which Bryant had
placed $4,000 in $40 gold pieces dur.
- l.
ealing the coin he would weigh it |
carefully, so as to be certain that it was Il
piece Of full weight, and then would
punch small hole in the head of the |
lioiIr,> of Liberty on the face of the
coin. lie would then incloSc one hundred
piece, Of the coin in silk paper, and store
away the rolls in the secret drawer. n |
shelf above the floor supported II large
tin case. This case was almost filled with
rar" coins, TOO. Gradually the box had
become heavier, and ut last he was un-
able 10 lift il up 10 the floor. Accord
iugIy h.. bought small ladder
and used it in ascending to the box to
put in COM The com in the box Bry-
ant estimated was worth $4,000. Hang
ing against the wall there was II large
morocro travelling bag. In this there
va $1,000 in mutilatcd currency and
$40 in the new currency; gold watch
valued at 500; gold chain weighing
IL" pnnywcight>; diamond ring; Il
p1ir of amethyst sleeve buttons, etc.
Near the bag was n trunk in which was
hh >2o,u0 worth of postage stamps. All
th, had Disappeared, and rs soon rs the
i,rI WIS discovered little girl went to
The cell where the poor old man was
confined. and told him the sad
story. Not one gold coin WAS
left, and some Of Bryant'S clothing had
been taken. The lock of ths trunk h4d
been torn open with II jimmy, and the
contents, ,trcwn over the floor. When
Sppri,rd of hi- misfortune he showed
great anguish. H. wrung his hands and
h, eyes were filled with tears, The po-
h"r obtained his release on his own re-
'"-nIlance to appear for trial, and then
i""k h.m to his house. "All gone, all
gone, hr said sadly. "Thcn,' he con-
unu"d, there was an engagement ring;
III" setting cost $225, and there was still
''''''' lIIS-buI IlNNti tooN
them all He, was confident that the
thieves had procured his arrest for no
other purpose than to plunder his home.
There seems 10 be no doubt among those
VIII" know Mr.. Bryant that his story is
strictly true. While he boarded money
and Jcwrlry. he lived well. His apart
lHrnts were mean, but none more richly |
furnished. He enjoyed good dinners,
and Was good to the poor, helping those
around him, but had little To say to them.
Ills money, he said, he kept in his room,
hrau>c he had no confidence in banks.
a lew wears gohe made will bequeath-
my m"n"y to various friends, and then
had added Codicil after codicil until the
paper was covered, and then wishing To
put IN another codicil, and not having
'"y r"oul TO put it in, he had burned the
Will. The story goes that disappointment
III love made him resolve to become a
'Sciu>", but when this is spoken Of he
shakes his head and says Its too bad,
q" had. that people will say such things.