Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-14
HE Dotted ON COL0RS.
Painted His House in All Sorts Of
Tints Both Inside and Out.
AN ENTIRELY ORIGINAL RAINBOW.
He Finished Snowlakes With Borders Of
Red, Green and Yellow.
SUICIDE ENDS A PATHETIC CAREER

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE prsPArcH.1
NEW YORK, June 13-John Van Cott, OF
Oyster Bay, was born in 1910 and he always
lived in the old frame cottage which his
grandfather built long, long ago. Forty
years ago his wife died childless Ever
since he has lived alone. His fortune may
be said to be about $4,000. Mr.. Van Cott
didn't know the first thing about painting,
but, with an almost child-like pleasure in
bright colors he had covered his house, in
side and outside, with fantastic figures.
First he painted the outside red, white
and blue. Then he covered the red with
circles and crosses and big dots of blue,
with similar designs in red and white. He
tried to paint an eagle on the white, but
when he found that was beyond his skill he
contented himself with big, queer flourish
and spiral. The work of ornamenting the
interior covered period of over 20 years.
First he painted the walls all one color,
then he painted borders of another color
and afterward filled in the borders with
what he thought was fancy designs.
The Old Mans Wonderful Rainbow.
But the temptation to paint on the rest of
the wall we too strong to be resisted, so he
started to figure a beautiful scene on each.
The first was a rainbow, of which ever after
ward he was exceedingly proud and well he
might, for it was a truly wonderful rain
bow, containing at least 20 different colors
arranged in unusual order. On another wall
he painted a snowstorm, but when he had
finished it he did not like the color of
the snow. So he painted beautiful
red and green and yellow borders around
every fake and was delighted with the
result.
The other walls were covered with scenes
from animal life, but his animals were
mighty queer. Whenever they had a tail
it was carried through spirals, circles and
hourishes, and ended perhaps in geometri-
cal figure. When the walls were covered
he took to the ceilings, and after several
years they were in the same condition.
Then every bit of household furniture was
painted gay.
So it continued until very recently, and
every available inch of space was painted
and decorated. About two years ago Mr..
Van Colts health began to fail, and he took
man named Lamberton and his wife to
live in the house and take care of him.
Finally Drifted Into Suicide.
After that he did nothing bnt sit around
the house and listen to a music cabinet that
the Lambertons bought for him. Gradually
his mind failed and he began to talk more
and more about his wife who died and his
hopes of seeing her again. The day before
yesterday he seemed little brighter and
more cheerful than usual, and surveyed his
life's work with huge satisfaction. Then
they missed him, and when supper was
ready at o'clock he was not on hand, a
most unusual thing. They called his name
again and again, but he did not answer.
They searched through the house and finally
they found him in the attic, hanging to
rafter stone dead.
He had tied a piece of twisted cotton yarn
around the beam, made the loose end into
moose, adjusted it around his neck and then
fell forward with his feet on the floor. A
doctor was summoned, but death had come.
To-day Coroner Cooley, of Glencove, held an
inquest, and the jury found "death was
caused by strangulation with suicidal mo-
tive in a moment Of temporary insanity"
Mr.. VanGott has eight nephews and nieces,
who live in the neighborhood.