Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-04-06
DYING AMID soUALOR.
How MIser Starved Herself With Plenty
of Money by Her Side.

New YORK, April 5.-For forty year:
Miss Catharine Roach has been known
as the Miser of James Street. During
all that time she has lived alone in two
little rooms, dirty and dark, on the
third floor of the house at 90. She has
paid her monthly rent Of 81 regularly
but always under protest. She has nc
relatives in this country, and her only
friend for many years has been Mrs.
Marr, formerly the housekeeper, who
provided her with meals three times a
day.
Mrs. Marr moved three months ago,
however, and since then Miss Roach has
been subSisting mostly on ale. She is IS
years old. Some of her neighbors fre-
Quently offered her food, but she always
refused il. She thought they wished to
poison her so as to get her money. How
much money she has nobody knew,
but she is generally supposed to be
wealthy.
Five days ago Miss Roach went into
Seclusion. She locked herself in her
rooms and refused TO open the door.
To-day Janitor 0'Toole got nervous
about her, aud he peeped through the
keyhole in the door. He saw bundle
of rags lying in front of The stove.
Rags were always associated with Miss
Roach, and he concluded that the bun
die was she. He went to the Oak Street
Police Station and reported the matter
to Sergeant Magan.
Policemen Walker and Drissler were
detailed 10 make an investigation.
They climbed the fire escape in the
rear, and entered the back room
through window The Miser OF
James street lay on the floor in front OF
the cold stove, with very little over her,
aud that little was Shreds and patches.
She could not talk, nor move so much
as finger, and was, to all appearances,
slowly dying Of starvation.
The two small rooms were in the
flthiest condition imaginable. A crust
of dirt covered the floor and heaps OF
rags, from which arose horrible
stencil, were Strewn about. A dirty
milk bowl, partly filled with bread and
water, stood on the hearth OF the stove
directly in front of the starving woman.
1t had not been touched.
While waiting for tn" ambulance
Policeman DriSSler picked up piece OF
quilted skirt which was lying at her
feet. 1t was suspiciously heavy, and a
haSty examination showed that money
was sewed up in it. The policemen
then turned over the rags with their
feet, and found gold pieces in the black,
dirty floor. The woman was taken TO
the Chambers street hospital, and liquid
food was administered TO her.
The policemen reported at the station
house their discovery OF money. Cap
tain G'Connor sent Sergeant Magan
back with them TO make thorough
search. They found some $4,000.
There were also two chests in the
room. One Of them was filled with fine
white underclothing, yellow with age.
Scattered about the rooms were at least
hundred silk handkerchiefs OF all
sizes and colorS and hammers and tools.
A quantity OF stove wood was piled up
I'm one corner of the room, although
the old woman was never known TO
have fire.
The police knew her well as miser,
a religious crank, and an inebriate.
The Board of Health knew her well,
too. They found her much in need OF
a bath several months ago, and gave
her one. At the hospital tonight 1t
was thought that she would not die.
She had recovered sufficiently to talk if
she had wished to, but she would not
say u word.