Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-07-10
A MILLIONAIRE'S FATE.
The Rise, the Fall, the Wander
ing and Romantic Death OF
James III. Wheatley.

Condensed from Yesterdays Brooklyn Eagle.
James III. Wheatley left Tennessee for
BROOKLYN over twenty-five years ago,
when a lad of sixteen years. being
penniless he pitched in with will, and
at the AGE of thirty-eight found himself
a millionaire. He married an estimable
BROOKLYN lady and turned his attention
10 the doing Of good works. lie was
chief mover i'm many charitable schemes,
presented rectory to st. Peters Epls-
copal parish and founded much-needed
home for consumptives. lie lived IN
magnificent house. lie did not drink,
chew or smoke. The panic OF 1873 came,
and Mr.. Whetley found himselfcrippled.
He left the sugar business and went To
Philadelphia TO manufacture waterproof
cloth. Later he went into the SHIRT
business in New York. On the night
of August %, 1873, Officer Cannon, oil
the New York police, found Mr.. Wheat
lev living on the sidewalk at the corner
of Charles and Morton streets. lie was
moaning piteOusly for help. His vest
was unbuttoned and his rufiled shirt
and collar betoKened a struggle. lie
seemed ueder the influence OF power
ful drug. To the officer the PROSTATE
man said he had been robbed and near
lv murdered by highway men. He
painfully told the story OF the assault up
on him. As he was walking along Sixth
avenue, lust at dark, he said, he was
suddenly assaulted by three men, who
threw him down and began to beat him.
They then tore open his vest and rob
bed him of $4,000 in money and bonds.
On the person OF the victim were found
securities valued at $4,000, together
with a small sum of money, valuable
cold watch and a set OF diamond studs.
The police did not credit the story of
Mr.. Wheatley, but his friends TO this
day express the opinion that he was
robbed. He was taken to a hospital and
leaving it the next day without good
bye to his wife, disappeared. Then 1t was
discovered that he was deiaulter to a
large amount. Detectives, who were
putupon his track, found him in Hender-
sonville, a small mountain town OF
North Carolina, but found him on his
death bed. He had entered Henderson
vile last winter, ragged, tootsore and
sick. He worked through and stayed
in the town, where he made the ac-
quaintance OF woman named Joseph
inc Bond. Her relative were in good
circumstances. 4 warm attachment
quickly sprang up between Mr.. Wheat
lev and Miss Bond. Although the
former was somewhat eccentric in his
behavior his acquaintance attributed
it to his illness, and had no idea that he
was demented. Mr.. Wheatley's illness
grew upon him. He suffered from
Bright's disease of the kidneys. Miss
Bond frequently visited the house
where ne boarded and tenderly nurSed
him. Her attentions gave rise to some
scandal. and in order to stop the gossip
Miss Bond proposed to Mr.. Whcatley
that he should be taken to her house
The insane fugitive readily assented,
and when he was in dying condition a
clergyman wdS summoned and the cerc-
monv was solemnized. Mr.. Wheatley
was then borne 10 Miss Bonds house
on bed, from which he never stirred
until his death. The woman he had
welded tendcrly nursed him until his
demise, and then his remains were
Lrried i'm the village churchyard. An
int. rate personal friend of the former
millionaire hearing of his sad end has
lust brought the body to Brooklyn and
Inferred it in Greenwood Cemetery.