Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-08-30
4 1iiser Dies Infes;afc.

London Daily Irlegraph.l
There was buried in the cemetery at
Chester last week On Old man namcu Abra-
ham Price. better known by the surname
OF Hodge. He had kept for many years
hOok->tall on a vacant space in Eastgatc
row. and j. described rs having been dirty
in his appearance and miserable IN his
habits. Formerly, it was stated, Hodge
had been member OF the Chester police
force. He appears to have had neither kith
nor kin. and Of his early life nothing wa,
known. He had been in i'll health for some
time prior TO his decease. and when
pressed 10 make some testamentary dispO-
sition OF the property which he was sup
posed to possess his inyariable reply
was: "No. no; the Crown shall make my
will" ii is added that when the ancient
mscr died, the Chester police took posses
sion, on behalf OF the Crown, OF Mr..
Hodges property, the value OF which. it is
said, amounts TO $4,000. so, il the esti-
mate Of the ancient miser's property be
genuine. the Solicitor OF the Treasury will
make the customary inquiries rs 10 whether
there are any next OF KIN TO Abraham
Price. and. in default Of any person coming
forward 10 prove, or strive 10 prove, Their
relationship TO the dead man. his wealth
will be swept into the Golfers OF the State, on
which it can confer only an infinitesimal
advantage. Except for the circumstance
that the old hoOk-stall keeper OF Eastgate
row. Chester, died intestate, he would
have but a very feeble claim 10 rcmem-
brance in the annals OF parsimony. The
most notable mscIs have been, rs a rule.
very careful rs to the making OF their wills.
The "old rich Audley," celebrated by
-, tssitI al Of
and, bv dint Of half a eentury'S
scraping and moneymongering. died
worth bali million, made, by his
death. according to the diarist, "a great
many poor families rich" and i0rgave.
moreover, q debt OF 10000 owing to
him from scriyener IN Fleet street.
Augustine Pontheny, the famous Irish
Il iscr. who lived TIL eighty-three bache-
lor, declaring that his only vile was the
bubble FUNDS and his children dividends.
declined To leave his vast fortune 10 his
numerous and impoverished relatives. As
scIting lha. they were wholly unqualified
by incXperencc to manage money.
80 he bcquesthcd his whole fortune 10 an
already wealthy family in the West Indies,
sadding his bequcst with the not very
onerou> legacy Of 81 to q servant who had
been with him for twcnty-ionr years. The
Rev. Morgan Jones, OF Blewberry. COM
monty known - the "Berkshire Miser,"
wlO lived on bread and tea, picked up his
fuel in thickets, and borrowed his hats
from the scarCcrows. was a munitcent
bcneiactor 10 the Bible and mission
ary societies. John Elves, who en-
couraged no art, wrought no improve
ment, diflused no blessings, and be-
slowed no bencvolence on the poor and
needy, bequeathed the greater part OF his
disposable property his estates were en-
tailed-cn his Legitimate children. Dir.
John Camden Neild. who in 1852 left his
huge fortune 10 the Queen, was able to
crafty bis vanity by making his sOve-
reign personally his legatee, instead
Of allowing his money to drift by
ntesiacy into the public eXchequer,
while the old maiden lady, the posjessor
o! 80 many grimy and ruinous tenemenis
in the metropolis, who by her will so sur
rri.ingly enriched the Consumption Hos
pital at Brompton. shovel at all events
sympathy with human suffering. But IN
the case OF the Chester bOOk-stall Keeper
who might have remembered that Guys
Hospital was founded by misery book
seIler-thcre is a complete disregard OF the
claim OF charity and compassion, and as
the act Of intestacy was deliberate, 1t may
be reasonably assumed that Abraham Price
alias Hodge, was one OF those very rare
characters, a complete and perfect mlsan-
thrope.