The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-03-25
A Sad End.

niece of President Tyler, was one of
the reigning bellies in Washington. She
possessed also a comfortable fortune, and
had many admirers in the first circles of
the capital. Yesterday her dead body
lay stretched on table in a rckety and
squalid tenement of Brooklyn, her hus-
band being too poor to Gefray the ex-
penses Of burial.
The history of this unfortunate woman
reads like romance, and the fact that
she has wealthy relatives in this city is
striking commentary on the social life
of New York. Jennie Tyler was born
in Richmond, Va, in 1913, and until
the late war she lived on the plantation
with her father, William w. Tyler. At
the commencement of the rebellion Dir.
Tyler owned hundreds of acres of land
in Mississippi, and employed many
slaves to work his cotton fields. He
became a Colonel on Gen. Lees staff,
and fought against the Union, in COM
pany with many Others, until his prop
erty was contiscated, and he was COM
paratively poor man. His daughter
Jennie had been educated to music,
drawing and the languages, and had, in
fact, received every educational advan-
tage that wealth could give to
the Southern girl Of that day
Added to an intelligent and re-
ceptive mind were remarkable graces
of person. Her beauty and wit gave
promise of a brilliant social career. AT
ter Richmond was occupied by the Un
ion troops, Col. Tyler came North to re-
tlieve his wasted fortunes His daugh-
ter at that time became heiress to a
large sum of money through the death
of a relative in California She was
sent to Washington under the protection
of Gen. Custer. Through the agency of
the General and Senator John w. Stew.
enson, her cousin, she obtained an en-
tree in the most exclusive circles of
Washington society, where her pretty
face and vivacious manners made her q
general favorite She excelled as con-
versationalist, and could hold her own
in discussion of the events of the day.
Years passed, and in 1862 Jennie Tyler
came to Brooklyn to live. There she
became acquainted with dashing young
fellow in fashionable boarding house,
whom she married. One day he per-
suaded her to sign over to him the re-
mainder OF her fortune, about $4,000,
and soon after she found she had been
deluded by mock marriage, and that
her supposed husband had another wife
in Buffalo. Her father brought suit to
recover the money for his daughter, and
the fellow was temporarily lodged
in Jail. He soon got cut how
ever, on straw bail, and through
legal technicalities escaped his just
deserts. The poor girl was thrown
on her own resources, and being es
tranged from her relatives, she wandered
about the streets, from door to door, in
search of all, and sometimes begged
a nights shelter in the station house.
In 1873 she met William Collins, an in
ttl,igent, hard working man, who had
for years been trusted employee in the
service of a Brooklyn gas company. He
was attracted by her fue womanly quail,
tiles, and on July 18th of that year they
were married at st. Peters Church in
Barclay street. They lived happily to
cether until a misfortune overlook them
a year ago. Collins was thrown out of
work, and during the past year has had
oaly odd jobs from the company. The
contrast with her former social position
was too much for the high spirited girl.
Naturally frail, she began to drop, and
contracting a cold, she sank into de-
cline On Monday afternoon she died
OF consumption.
A Star reporter visited the tenement
at No 76 Hudson avenue, Brook Ign, yes
terday, in which the remains lie. The
building is two story wooden structure
in an advanced stage of decay, and the
staircase is rickety and rotten. On the
top floor in rear room, destitute of
carpet and used jointly rs n kitchen and
bedroom, were the remains of the once ia
nous Washington belle, or the kitchen
table A sheet covered her person, and
cloth was over her face, while her
long black hair hung down and reached
the floor. The paper GA the walls had
peeled off in spots. The ceiling was
smoky, and the furniture Of rude pat
tern. The little room was crowded by
the bed, stove and table, and, while