Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-04

He Wns Not n Miscr, hut Gave Freely
to the Needy.


to the Needy.
From the Philadelphia Press.
The unsolved mystery OF a human life, in
which eccentricities and goodness were
curiously commingled. was revealed Sunday
morning by the forcible removal of old
Peter Hersleb from his house, at s6l West
College avenue. to the Philadelphia Hospital.
and his death there few hours later The
old man, only a skin full OF bones who had
lain on his back for fourteen days or his
miserable cot, fought the police and doc
tor and friends who insisted on his re-
mCval His crazy anger and Indignation at
the Intrusion into his castle probably
hasten cd his death.
He was a Dane. seventy-nine years old.
His father and brother were directors OF
police Of Copenhagen. He himself q
man OF education. Some fifty years ago he
went to Indiana, took up a quarter section
of land and became the pioneer of the town
of kokomo, built upon his possessions. He
toiled hard on his land to make IL what
IL was. Before that he had been ina whole
sale hat store on Market street. He gave a
tract Of land to found the Howard County
orphans Home AMI on coming east some
years ago he brought with him two small
mortgages amounting TO sio0. enough money
to buy the S2.Uto little house IN which he
lived like hermit. and enough to buy an
annuity from the Girard Life and Trust
Company, which brought him about $50 a
year. bank book shows that he has a
balance of $50 in the Girard Life and Trust
Company.
A Hcrmfrs Life.
1t was about four years ago that he took
up his residence at SOL West College
avenue. He purchased his eatables at the
little grocery of Charles Phillips, and Mr..
Phillips became the only person who knew
anything about his life since that time, for
the old man did all his own cooking wash
ing and scrubbing, keeping his house tight
shut. In the parlor Of the house he built a
little house of dry goods boxes, covered with
tent. In this little house within a house
he had an Oh stove. BY lacking all the
windows and stuffing the cracks tightly
with paper he managed to keep warm that
way even In winter He had the cellar
boarded up with the view, II was said, Of
staying down there in hot weather.
The cot the man slept on a thing
Mr.. Phillips said he would not give his own
Cog TO lie on. Ii was a contraptiCn Of Stats
covered with a canvas, and SO constructed
that the occupant could only lie in one
certain kinked up position. Mr.. Phillips got
him two air sleeping bags. which he was
induced TO use and during the last two or
three weeks went every day, ana at the end
four or five times a day to take him things
to eat-mik. eggs. beef extract and canned
goods.
Refused Medical Help.
Every entreaty 10 the old man TO have q
vas rejected He insisted that a doctor
could do him no good. At last when for
two weeks the OLD man could barely rise
from his bed. and Mr.. Phillips saw that he
did not eat as well, he called at the German
Hospital, but they would rot take the pa
tient. Then the police and DIR. Kirk the
district charity physician, were notified.
They took the old man away fighting and
moaning with al his strength at what he
considered an outrage. His death soon fol-
lowed
An old valise left in Mr.. Phillips care
contains a scrap OF paper on which he
wrote that his last will was in the hands
OF the legatee and executrix, Mary F. Iau-
her. for whom two addresses, 9D7 Vine ana
9l1 Callovhill streets. were given. Such a
person was unknown at either address,
Another will dated 1878. ana revoked TN
less he should outlive the executrix." pro-
vided requests for the Howard County Or
phan Home. Frank Barnard. Mrs. Stern,
Ellen A. Smileya and Je;ta Mas.
Kindness To "a Founding.
A letter from Je;ia Mas thanks him fer
$500. and his friend Phillips says that as
soon he received the interest On some
western mortgages he sent IL back TO Jetta
Mas. She is fifteen years II age. and was
a founding whom the old nan took up and
placed in the care of a Jewish family in
kokomo. Another letter TO the ,iii man
was from a Miss Reed, asking FOR mone,-,
and Mr. Phillips un lersto0i that the old
man had paid for ser niIsica, eluca ton as
n violinist. That was only Of many
cases in which he gave away his mo7ey
instead Of saving anything for himself his
idea having always been ;nat he would die
young and would not need maney. His dis
position TO give his money u others ap.
pears to have amouEtSd almost 20 i-san!ty
coupled, II was, with the belief in hia
own strength and seif-ltpsn lcnce.
The dread OF being old an poor that az
fects many seems TO hav. been reversed in
his case. This extended even 10 the last
meal he ate Sunday morning. wnen al
though too weak 10 rise. ne was anreref
at the thought of Mr Phillips holding the
cup to his lips. took II Dut If his hands and
drank himself. II was at first reported
around the neighbornood that the Old MAJ
had starved to DEATH nut Mr. Phillips said
that was ridiculous he had until very
recently eaten quite heartily. He was a
musician and left an old piano to his caie-
taker, Mr.. Phillips