Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-08
KERNELL'S VAGARIES.
All Of His Friends Remember Some
Of His Little Peculiarities.
MEETING WITH BILLY sCGNLAN.
The Afflicted Comedian Hid His Money in
0ut-of.ths-Way Places
A SEARCH FOR. HIS SCATTERED CASH
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH.

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE pIsPATcH.l
| AsBURY PARK, N. j., Oct. 1.-THE
| friends of Harry Kerhell, the Irish coined.
ian, who was taken to the Bloomingdale
Asylum for treatment yesterday afternoon,
| are making close search Of the cottage
and barn on his property at West Asbury
Park for the money he has secreted some
where upon the place since his mind began
| to fail.
Exactly how much money he has hidden
| no one knows He himself has told SC
many different stories about the amounts
that he has drawn from the banks in PhIla.
| delphia that it is great puzzle to tell how
much he had. It is known, however, that
he had several thousand dollars there, and
that he drew all out but $24O This was as
certained by his brother, John, few days
before he started on the road last month
with his "Hustler" comp@y.
Several persons who would not say any
thing before Harry was committed to the
asylum said to-day that they had seen him
have three 81, 900 bills, and also huge roll
OF greenbacka Where the bills went to is
. mystery.
During the last three days bills, aggre-
eating, according to the various reports,
from % to 81, 900, have been found secreted
in Harry's house. All day to-day they have
been busily engaged at their work, but up
to tonight found only small amount
Peculiaritles of the Afflicted Man.
The people who saw Kernell every
day and knew of his .peculiarities
began telling to-day of his actions
He had perfect mania for all sorts
of bottled waters and purchased large
quantities every day. One night this week
he bought a big bottle of Saratoga Spring
water at drug store. He insisted upon
having the clerk draw the cork, when he
was about starting for his cottage, and place
it in the neck of the bottle, SO that he
could easily draw 1t with his fingers His
path home was marked with water that es-
capped from the bottle, and when he reached
home the bottle was dry. Another time he
purchased a lot of baby powder and some
bunion plasters which he did not need.
Tuesday morning he met farmer with a
load of hay. He bought it, but insisted on
paying $40 for it, although the farmer only
wanted $15. When the load was delivered
Harry had no room in his barn for 1T, 80 he
sold It to one of his neighbors for $40.
"
mind was desire to bathe himself several
times day with witch hazel. He frequent
ly purchased six and eight bottles of witch
hazel day. He had in his house large
quantity of bric-a-brac of all kinds that he
purchased last year, after he became the
owner of the summer home here. This he
offered to give to several of his friends, but
Mrs. John Kernell was told of his actions,
and she induced him to give it to her for
safe keeping, and she now has it at her cot
tage.
The First Signs of Failing Mind.
The first sign that Kernelrs mind was
weakening was the wonderful fancy he ex-
hibited for animals of all kinds. He pur-
chased, in addition to two fine horses, two
teams of pretty little ponies and full
blooded milch Jersey COW, monkey, a
goat, several dogs, lot Of fine chickens, a
parrot and an opossum.
After he came here, few weeks ago, he
spent the greater portion Of his time in
taking the horses and ponies to and from
he paid their board. He took them to the
farm one day and then would bring them
back to his cottage early the next morning.
After his wife, "Queenie Vassar," took
Baby Willie to New York, Harry became
angry about the COW one day and sold the
valuable animal for $25. No one knows
what he did with some of the other ami
mails He has given away number of
costly articles of all kinds.
His appetite was enormous and he would
eat 10 to 20 times day, and he would go to
of food. He would arise before daylight
almost every day and sit at the table several
hours waiting for his breakfast to be
served He went to the city several times
and created scenes in the dressing room of
his wife at Hoyt's Madison Square Theater,
where she is playing in "a Trip to China
town."
Several times Kernell awakened his 4-year-
old son, Harry, Jr., at 3 o'clock in the
morning and forced the child to wash and
dress for school.
Harry Kernen Not a Drinking Man.
In spite of all reports, Kernell has never
drank anything except an occasional glass
of ale. He was taken to the asylum by
Mrs. John Kernell, who told him her hus-
band was i'll and she wanted him to 60 to
the hospital with her. All the way, Curl
Gus to relate, Harry talked abont Billy
Scanlan. although no one had spoken Of
him. He insisted that he had seen Mrs
him to 60 and see her demented husband.
When he reached the asylum he refused to
enter the building until told that Bloom
ingdale was the name of the man who lived
there. and he had his name placed over the
gate.
As soon as Kernell entered the asylum
the physicians sent for Scaulan. When he
came into the Office, with great emotion he
said: "My God, Harry, what has brought
you here to this placer" Harry shook
hands with Scanlan and began telling about
the alleged theatrical engagements he had
secured at heavy salaries.
This afternoon Harry's ponies were taken
boarded for the present. The trotter Peter,
which was 20 badly injured last Saturday
by being partly forced through barb wire
fence by one of the ponies, could not be
taken to the farm, and 1t is a question If il