The New York herald., 1879-02-01

LONGER and certain of he male boarders started out
to hnd him. but although they stayed stayed out until t
old man, who evidently making night OF it. The
next day after breakfast Miss Ruckels went her
self and there sat the old gentleman calm and placid
his desk. She asked him where he had been. He
said he had been to Albany. She argued that he
couldn't have gone and got back. and insisted upon
knowing where he had spent the night With per.
versity Characteristic of insanity the old gentleman
stuck to his Albany story. and all his landlady 5
ingenuity failed to make him own up that he had
passed the night in any place except where he, in
the full maturity of life. had right to be.
Any boardcr who would deliberately tell his land
lady that he had been to Albany when he hadn't
obviously insane
Continuing. Miss Ruckel says that her naughty
boarder constantly refers to daily visits he is com
PEELED to make to the Office of certain New York
testament drawn up and that these lawyers have pos
session OF his books for that purpose
Mr.. Wells, according to Miss Ruckel. is seventy
nine or eighty years Of age and possessed of large
wealth. that his having last will and testament
drawn is another evidence of insanity.
1t appears also that Mr.. Wells, who seems to have
rich vein of humor, is given to tantalizng. One day
he denies the relationship OF his cousins and his
aunts the nextday he accepts them; and this. in view
or his possible will and testament, keeps the
whole family in an uproar. Now and then MIR.
Wells surprises the landlady and boarders by
Ruckel also says that. although the old gentle
man is very rich, he keeps Every indecent and
negligent OF his dress to offend his fellow board
ers." In this the HERALD representative confirms
the lady, and, indeed, the old gentleman himself ad
mits that no made his money by saving it. 1t ap-
pears however, that he uses old rags never new
one-for handkerchiefs. and accumulates many old
pairs Of pants unfit for wear in his closet and each
day he binds tattered and begrimed tippet about
his waist, omitting to wear his overcoat when the
weather is biting cold.
Within the last four weeks Mr.. Wells, according to
Miss Ruckle, has forgotten the location Of the bath
room and wanders up stairs and down stairs in
search OF it, His endeavor to unlock bureau draw
with his door key keeps the whole household in
state of anxiety and his insisting that he ought to
pay her and his washerwoman double what he
owed them. is regarded evidence that he
is utterly unfit to manage his own affairs
In conclusion Miss Ruckel reiterates her assertion
that the poor old man is and has been ''for more
than two years of unsound mind and Understandings
and is utterly unfit to govern himself and manage his
affairs svith intelligence and reason and understand
ing and that her household recognize it a noto
rious fact"
There has not been in years a more profound ex-
element than exists concerning the OF Mr.
Wells. and the session Of the Lunacy Commission on
Wednesday next will be regarded with widespread
interest by thousands who know the party TO be in
vestigated and by thousands of the public who are
interested in the fate Of rich old whose rela
t1ves dead and whose eccentrcities notorious