Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-05-05
Death IL, a Misc1.'s Den.

Writers of fiction nave not imagined
and pictured more perfect miser than
was, in fact, David Leach, who died
alone. an old man of seventy three, on his
pile Of rag pickirgs, in the tenement
house at 2G4 Wayne street, Jersy City, on
Friday last Mr.. James Harper, one of
the Jersy City freeholders, owns the ten
ement, and has known Leach for twenty
years. He said yesterday that he found
the old rag picker on Thursday morning
lying on the pavement near his room, the
center of circle of curious women and
children, and nearly unconscious. Mr.
Harper picked him up, and, carrying the
man S inseperable rag. bag, basket and
rag-hook, led him into his room Leach
said he was subject to fainting-fits, and
added, as he tottered to the solitary
camp stool: Leave me now, james,
Mr. Harper went away, aud returned
twenty-four hours afterwald The Old
man had fallen backward from the stool
and died
The room is about twelve feet square
and. at first glance, appears to contain
only rags and rubbish three feet deep all
over the floor. A second look discovers
the top OF a little cook-stove amid the
trumpcry, and two plain wooden tables,
whose tops are level with the cnveloping,
mass and piled with stuff What is at the
bottom of the pile is not known, but On
the surface are bales ofraes, wash boilers,
baskets, some rat-traps, machinists' broken
t ols, and al sorts of iron scraps, two fire
bellows, old boots and shoes aud burned.
out stove-grates. Every old trap that
I,rll I, l y
One old boiler the miser had used for
pantry. There were in it a few spoon
| fuls of flour, Indian meal and tea, some
rice in bottle, speck of ham on the
string by which it formerly hung, anda
lot of broken, unwashed dishes. For
many years Leach ate only what he pick
ed from the garbage boxes. A narrow
mantel behind the stove bore a hand
somely pictured vase and some broken
| lamps. Two oil cloth jackets hug from
wall in corner, and across tie room
was stretched cord holding blue fan
mel shirt and q towel, as though hung up
to dry. The rac-pickcrs hook and bag
lag where he had dropped them. Here he
had lived for five years. The two win
dows were nailed 50 that the sashes could
not be moved. In a small dark closet
was an ron-framed cot piled high up
with rags. whcrcon the miser has slept
The stove had evidenely contained no fire
in many months.
Mr.. Harper said that Leach came from
Southern Ireland. How much property
4le Old man had accumulated no one
knew, for he was not communicative;
but there is no doubt that he had MANY
| ICl1 Il
! ings banks both in New York and IN
Jersey City. No trace of tho bank books
or of any other thing Of value can be
found. Coroner Cannon took the body
on Friday to Brady's city morguc and
had his coat, pantaloons and boots cut
in shrcds to see wheather the miscr
had concealed his money On bis person,
but without result The clothing WAS
patched and coarse.
Mr. Harper says that ten years ago
Leach bought two lots, fifty feet front and
100 feet deep, and six tenement houses
standing thereon, at Railroad avenue and
Cruciblc alley. The purchase was in this
wise: The old man lived in one Of the
rooms, and his neighbors complained
that he was a nuisance, and wanted him
to move out. He would not, and Donohue,
the agent for the owner, Mr.. Frank eau
tier, was taking steps to turn him out,
when Leach, learniog what was going on
went to Mr.. Gautler and bought the
whole property, paying the landlords
price, $4,000. SO he remained il his
room unmoiested for five years. About
five years ago he sold the property to the
Dixon Cruciblc Manufacturing Company
for $500.
He has had two wives and son and
daughter. All are dead. The daughter
worked in a private family as q servant.
Becoming lame, she asked her father ios
help, and he took her to the Charity Hos
! pital, where she died, and was buried in
a miserable coffin in the Potters Field.
She was an amiable girl, and and highly
respected. The bog was, says Mr.. Har-
per, made half crazy by the beatirgs
that bis father gave lin. He was play
ing at leap frog with some boys orc day,
and he fell on his head and broke his
neck.
1t has been Leach'a habit for years to
declare that he would 90 to England to
live, and that after he died he would be
queath his money to Queen Victoria,
because she would know how to use it
carefully. He was far from being crazy,
and talked ably on financial subjects,
He was strictly honest and would not
accept a gift without Offering something
in return of equal value.-N. y. Sun
| A learned and eloquent bishop was very
anxious 10 convert Parsee who was max
ing some stay in London. ~ cannot
think, said he, show any man of INTEL
gence and education, whose mind has
been enlarged by travel and association
with men OF different opinions. can wor-
ship created object, such as the sun
20, my lord bishep," returned the Parsee
who had not been fortunate in the wealth
er since his arriual in England, 'yoa
should see it; you have no idea what a
glorious object it ISL
The ACREAGE of grain in Morrison county