News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-04-27
AN Ex.MILLIosAIRE's STORY.
How he Dropped From Affiuence to
the Grade Of Ragpicker.

former new IOIA IshHonalre, VINO now
earns a livelihood by gathering rags.
H. He appears to be about 60 years of age.
. and is very reticent as to his past life.
5 Recently he was recognized by friend,
g. vino impaired the story of his career to
a reporter.
Something like tFenty-fve or thirty
- years ago." said he friend, "Joseph
". Rathbone was one of the most prom
10 inent young men in New York. He was
the elder of two soas. his brother being
about three years younger. His father
'' was at one time sea captain, and made
. several voyages TO China, on one of
which the youngessslon accompanied
: him, but never F6TSSned. During a
storm he was swept overheard and lost,
thus leaving joseph the sole heir to the
). old mans money, his mother having
died while he was quite young. At this
time Joseph, I think, was about 18
;, years old and was at Yale College. On
his return from his last voyage his
father decided to give up his seafaring
life and settle down in New York, He
purchased dwelling on Twenty third
: street, near Sixth avenue, which was
then fashionable residence portion of
the city, and probably feeling lonely in
his old age, took his son out of college
and purchased for him On interest in a
large wholesale dry goods house. The
young man showed remarkable tact. and
for two or three years worked faithfully
and energetically, much to his fathers
pride and satisfaction. Then he began
to mingle in society, and as he always
had plenty of money. he was welcomed
everywhere by the young bloods OF the
town and by the fortnne-hunting bellies
and their manmas. although he did not
actually neglect his business, he did not
seem as deeply epgressed in it as for
merly, and much of his income was
spent in wine suppers and other kinds
of dissipation followed by rapid young
men of the metropolis.
"Finally, he made the acquaintance of
a young lady who moved in the upper
circles of society, the daughter of
widow who was reported to be very
wealthy. How she obtained her money.
if she had any, was never known. and
there was an air of mystery about her
history which caused considerable talk |
in society, but as she and her daughter |
appeared to be refined, educated people, |
they were recognized by the better |
classes. The daughter was an exceed
ingly handsome girl, very vivacious and
coquettish in her manner, and always
| had at least dozen ardent admirers at
her heels. She affected the strongest
attachment for young Rathbone, who,
In turn, seemed perfectly devoted to
her. It wag finally .ersvtad tsat- thcy
were engaged to b. married, and the
gossiplng spinsters whispered that if
| there was any love in the match it was
all on his side, that she was simply after
his money, or the money that would be
his when his father died. Tt was known
that the latter was strongly opposed to
the match, and that he cid every thing
in his power TO break it ZIP. He might
have succeeded, perhaps, but one day
stroke of apoplexy laid him out on the
sidewalk in front of his own residence,
and the young man became the owner
of something like half million.
''All opposition now being removed,
the wedding, as a natural result, fol-
lowed, and it was one of the SWEETEST af
fairs New York had ever known. It
took place at the residence of the brides
mother, on Twentieth street near Fifth
avenue, and was attended by some of
the most prominent people of the city.
The supper, which was gotten up by
Delmonlco, was perfection. Wine flowed
as freely as water, and at midnight it
was said that the festivities began to
assume the appearance OF a Jardin Ma
bile ball rather than the moderate
pleasure of well-conducted wedding
n upper tendon. Before 2 o'clock the
quieter portion of the guests had be-
come disgusted and left for their homes,
and by o'clock there was hardly any
one present. About this time the groom
succumbed to the influence of the wine
and was carried helplessly drunk to one
of the upper rooms, where he was left
to sleep off the effects of his overdose.
'At about 9 o'clock he awoke, and,
gathering his scattered senses, he
started for the room which had been set
apart for the use of himself and bride,
deeply humiliated and prepared to
make most abject apology to her for
his conduct. He found the door un-
locked, and entering, discovered that a
rival suitor was in her company. For
a moment he stood as though suddenly
transformed into stone, and then he
quietly closed the daor, walked down
the stairs, donned his hat and overcoat,
and left the house.
"About week afterward having con-
verted all his property into cash, he dis
appeared from New York and was alb
sent for nearly two years. In the mean
time his wife had entered suit for di-
vorce on the ground of desertion, had
obtained a decree and was married to
the man who had taken her husbands
place. When Rathbone returned he
was a complete wreck. He was found
one day in Union Square suffering from
delirium tremens, and was sent by sew
eral of his friends to Bellevue Hospital,
where he remained for more than
month. He had spent every dollar of
his fortune, and one of his friends, after
clothing him respectfully, secured him
position in retail dry goods store
but he remained there less than six
months. He gave himself up entirely to
drink, and for several years frequented
the lowest drinking houses in the city,
one of the most disgusting specimens o
fallen humanity imaginable. He was
sent to Blackwell's Islnnd twice on the
charge of vagrancy, and upon his re-
lease the last time again disappeared
from New York.
How or why Rathbone came to st.
Louis is not known, as he refuses fatty
to talk about himself, and sometimes
flies into an uncomfortable fit of rage
when the subject is forced upon him.
He lives in a little shanty in the vicin-
ity of Broadway and North Market
street. and has no companions but his
wretched looking horse and NANCY
dog. who has an irrepressible inclination