The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-02-24
DEATH IN A MTSER'S DEN.
Tho Strange History and sudden End Of .
Rich RnEpicker In Jersey CITY.

writers of fiction have not imagined and
pictured more perfect mscr than was, In fact.
David Leach. who died alone. an old man of 10.
ON his pile " rag pckings In the tenement
house at 2G4 Wayne street Jersey City, on
Friday last Mr. James Harper. one of the
Jersey CITY Frcchoders owns the tenement
and has known Leach for twcnty years. He
said. yesterday. that ho found the old rag
picker on Thursday morning lying on the pave
mcnt near his room, the centre Of "a circle Of
curious women and children and nearly un-
cons 'ious. Mr.. Harper picked him up. and. carry
ing the old mans insoparable rag bag, baskct
and rag nook. Ld him to his room. Leach said
that he WIS subject to fain,ing fits. and added
IA he tott'rcd to the solitary camp stool: Leave
mo now. james, Mr. Harper went away. and
returned twenty four hours aftcrward. The old
died. '' ''''' '"' ""'' ''o'' '"' s'oo' anu
The room IL about twelve feet square. and nj
irst glan"c APPEARS to contain only rags and rub
Dish three feet deep all over the floor. A second
amid the irumpcry. and two plain wooden Ia
mnss and piled with stun What is Al the bot,
tom OF the pile IL not known. but on the surface
are bales " rags. wash boilers, crockcry, bot
TIES. cigar boxes. riekcty baskets. Come rat
traps. machinists' broken tools and all sorts Of
iron scraps, two fire bellows. old boots and
shoes. and burned out stove CRATES. Every old
tran that could hold anything held worthless
trash.
One old boiler the mleer had used for n pam
try There were in II "A few spoOnfuls Of flour.
Indian meal and tea. soma rice in u bottle n
spcek Of ham on thu string by which II formerly
hunG and lot of broken, unWHshrd dishes.
lnr many years Leach ate only what he picked
heuind tho stove hor" a handsomely pictured
vase and some broken lamps Two oil cloth
Jh"krta hung from nail in u corner and across
u" roam was stretched n cord holding n biun
II nnrl shirt and u towel NJ though hung uu to
dry The rngpirknr's hook and hng Inv whrr,
. non Dsftt ht had a for
five airs. The two windowa were nailed 80
tnai the - she's could not hr moved. In u small
dark closet was an iron framed cot pil"d high
ia rass. whercon the nlsrr has slcpt. The
stpv" had evidently contained no fire in many
months.
Mr. Harper snid that Leach came from south
ern Ireland How much property the oli man
had accumulated no one knew, Tor h. WIS not
communicative; hut there IL no doubt that hr
had many Thousand doilurs = altered around
IN say ngs BANKS both IN N,'w York and in J"r-
sly City. No trace Of the bank hooks or ui any
other thing OF valu" can hr found. Coroner
Cannon took the body on Friday to Brndys city
NOR ne and had his oat. pantaloons. and boots
concealed his money on his person. but without
result. The clothing was patched and course.
MIR. Harper saws that ten y'nrs ago Leach
bought two lots 30 feet front and 100 feet deep
and sik tenement houses standing thereon. ut
Railroad avenue and Crueiblc alley. Tho pur-
chase was IN this wise: Tn" old man lived in
onr of the rooms and his n"ighbors conn planned
that Ia. was nuisance, and wanted i'm TO move
out. H. would not, AMI Dnnohue, the agent for
the owner, Mr.. Frank Gautier, was taking steps
to turn him out, when Leach learning what was
going on. went Ia Mr. Gauti"r and bought the
whole proprty. paying the landlords price,
$4,000 So h" remained in his room unmolrst-
nd for Ave years. About Ave years ago. Ii" sold
the property To the Dixon Crucible Manulac-
turing Company Tor 5000.
lie has had two wives and snn and daughter.
All ARE dead The daughter worked ia a pri-
waite family ~ servant. Be .omlng lame. she
ask Il hcr father Tor help aud he tonk horto the
Charity Hospital. whrr, shr dird. aud WAS
buried In ~ scrabble coffin IN the Potrr'- Field
81" WIS an amiabl" giri and highly res pr''t'si.
The boy WIS. SAYS Mr.. Harper. made half crazy
10y the beat nls that h father gave him. He
WIS plying q lap frog IN soma boys one
day and h" fell on his head and broke his neck.
Leach read the Bih" assiduously and ar ID
siOutly for tur Protestant Episc,r,d form OF re-
lislun, hut ne never went To chur 10. Ii has been
his habit Tor years to dcclar" that he would 20
To England To live. and that after he died he
wou 4 h"purth his money Ia Queen victoria.
h"'au~r sn" would know how IN u-e II carefully
II" was tar from being crazy. and talkod ably On
financial SUBJECTS He WIS strictly honest and
would not arrpta git without Offering some
thing IN + turn Of equal value.
Coroner Cannon impdnried n Jury yesterday
and discharged them until the tTumprry in the
mls''r's room shall have been cleaned ont t.
see whether any property of value is concealed
uut..r