The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-12-14
MORTGAGED HISBODY
In Return For a Home An
Old Man Gave a Life
Insurance Policy.
THE AGREEMENT BROKEN.
Turned Adrift and Now About to Be
Eyicted from His Little Store
The Lady Still Holds
the Policy.
THE AGREEMENT BROKEN.

Ii Struggle Oh tne ueSUlCuUo IOf Une neceS-
saries of life no doubt often presents many
pitiable sights, but no more pitiable case was
ever brought to the attention Of the resi-
dents of this city than that of Richard H.
Carpenter, who tends a small cigar store at
No. 1877 Thirteenth street. Carpenter not
only is penniless, but has his very body
mortgaged, inasmuch as he is apparently the
victim Of a conspiracy to rob him of a 81, ZOO
life insurance policy.
CARPENTERS SAD STORY,
The story Of Carpenters life is such a
strange one that it seems like fiction. Car
penter is well known in the vicinity of the
Erie Railroad yards, where he has labored as
a skilled mechanic for over twenty-one years.
During the blizzard of 1888, while exposed to
the cold, he became afflicted with q
disease which developed in to a chronic
diarrhaa. Although this disease crippled
him SO that work became a burden, he con-
tinued his labors at the yard until November
OF last year when he was forced to lay down
his tools, never to pick them up again.
While in the employ of the Erie Company
he became a friend of George Kirk, who
was employed in the same shop with him
who two years ago left his position to
open a saloon at Coles nj Seventh streets.
HIS AGREEMENT WITH MRS. KIRK.
Mrs. Kirk kept a boarding house at Grove
and Tenth streets, and when Carpenter be-
came helpless he took up his residence with
her, Upon entering into an agreement to as
sign a policy On his life for $4,000 to her.
The conditions OF the agreement were that
Mrs. Kirk was to provide Carpenter with
ChnITnr f1v0 Cr5Ik1 ~ a1@4I@- - 10On
on the LIST of April, 1893, and to pay
the assessments on the policy. The policy
was issued by the Jersey City Lodge No. So,
Knights and Ladies of the Golden Star, of
which Carpenter was a member. The assess
ments are $40 a month, and amount to
about $25 annually.
A LIKE A DOG.
Carpenter took up his residence with Mrs.
klrk a few days prior to the
shortly after Mrs. Kirk began to
abuse him. She furnished him with
meals that were composed of dscayed edi-
bles, and made him sleep in Q room that was
not ut for dogs to live in. SUIT Carpenter,
realizing that he had made a bad bargain,
knew that he could secure no better treat
ment, and tried to bear his hard lot.
CARPENTER LEFT ALONE.
In the early part of last February, how
ever, Mrs. Kirk moved. She left C2rpen-
ter's trunk and belongings in her old apart
ments, and went to parts then unknown to
the sick man. Finding himself thus thrown
out of house and home, Carpenter appealed to
his old foreman in the Erie yard, Mr.. Samuel
ID. Pine, who interested himself in the case
and fitted up the store on Thirteenth street
to give him a place of shelter as well as an
opportunity to exc out a living. At first
business was fair, but it became worse
month after month until now the place is for
sale.
EXPECTS EVICTION.
Carpenter daily expects to be thrown upon
the charity of the world, for as soon as the
store is sold be will be without a dollar and
without q roof to cover his head. Mr.. Pine
deeply regrets that he will have to take such
harsh measures with his old friend, but cir
cumstances makes this step necessary. Mr..
Pine is but a workman himself, and is unable
to provide for poor Carpenter any longer.
He expected that the store would at least
pay expenses, but as it was conducted at a
loss to him he had to place it on sale.
Carpenter, however, has learned that Mrs.
Kirk is now residing at Cole and Sixth
streets and will make al effort to secure his
policy.
CARPENTER INTERVIEWED.
When / called at the store ON Thirteenth
street last evening to interview Mr.. Carpen-
ter found the store apparently uncared for
when I entered the door. A few seconds
later, however, o thin sharp-featured face
began to appear above the show case. The
cheeks were SO hollow and the eyes so
sunken that I was at first startled. The
face seemed like that of a dead man, and
this sudden impression was heightened by
the dim light Of the store. But the figure to
which it belonged soon Strengthened up and
l saw before me a slim man of medium
height. 1t was Mr.. Carpenter. When l
stated the object of my visit he hobbled out
from behind the show case. =
HAS INTERESTED SHERIFF. ToFFEY.
eyes" said he, in reply to a query, 81 am
Mr. Carpenter, and the facts of my dealings
with Mrs. Kirk are exactly as you nave
them. l hope to again secure my policy, and
If l am fortunate enough to succeed I will
place it in the hands of some institution, or
some true friend, on the same conditions that
| gave it to Mrs. Kirk. l nave notified
Sheriff Toffey of Mrs. Kinks actions, and he
has very kindly offered to help me. He told
me that he was quite certain chat I could get
back my policy, and said he would make
every endeavor to have it returned to me-"
Carpenter has two step sons and a daughter
who are residing with relatives. His wife is
dead. Carpenter said that he was married
t~wenty-four years ago, and that his wife
left him two years g because he protested
home from work every evening in a drunken
condition and abused him. When his wife
left him the children went with her.
R KIRK's DENIAL.
I also called upon Mr.. and Mrs. Kirk last
evening and they admitted that they have
Carpenters policy. Carpenter" said Mrs.
Kirk, assigned the policy to me and Iprom-
ised to give him board and clothes. I did
not leave him stranded in vacant apartments.
He left my house of his own free will and if
he desires to return [ will
furnish him with board and
clothes as I agreed to. 1t is now nearly a
year since he left my board, and since then,
as well as previously, 1 have paid the assess
ments on the policy regularly as they be-
came due, and in order to keep Carpenter in
good standing in the order l lave expended
over thirty dollars. All this money
was my own and Carpenter did not
contribute one cent towards his lodge dues.
His story of receiving unfit food n bad
sleeping quarters is not true. He received
the same consideration that my other board
ers did. His illness made him a not over
choice boarder, but l sympathized with him
and treated him a little better than the
other boarders on this account"
WHAT H DOCTORS SAY.
Carpenter has been attended by Doctors
McGill, Varick, Gilman and Hornblower,
and all nave declared that his disease is in
durable. The residents in the neighborhood
Of Aha c4ora IN Thirtaan+b ct,.oat o1I eooo1-