The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-01-10

Rich IN INTELLECT.
His Poverty Was So Great, However, That
He Ended His Life.

His Poverty Was So Great, However, That
He Ended His Life.
In ten beggars there are nine liars.
This is not Persian proverb; it is some-
thing I know to be true, declares a
writer in Kate Fields Washington. Ny
story-if record of actual fact can be
called q story-is about the tenth beg
gar.
met him one rainy afternoon as I
was hurrying along near Washing =
square, New York. OF course he ask
for something, and of course l refused.
I went on half block to the Office
was in search of, found no one in and
turned back The man was still stand
ing ON the corner. Several persons
passed him, but he did not offer to speak
to them. / fancied he had the air of one
new to his trade and not yet past feel
ing ashamed of it. He was man about
80. of medium height and slightly
stopped. He had an distracted look, as
of an absentminded person, but the ex-
preston of his face was not unpleasant.
Finally he wore glasses, and think
this was the real reason 1 stopped and
spoke to him.
Excuse me, sir, for speaking to you, -
he said in reply to my question, speak
ing with strong German accent, "bu6
have no money; 1 can get no work y
What was your work."
81 am a teacher of Latin, French,
German. -
Are you a graduate?''
He drew himself up with some pride.
Zach. yes. / am doctor of philosophy
of the University of Jena. -
Doctor or no doctor, he was getting
wet, and so was l. walked him over
to a little restaurant, and there he told
his story
He had been teacher in the gymna-
SUM at Potsdam, he said, and hearing
of the large salaries paid in America
came here in November. He applied as
Columbia and the University of the City
of New York and wrote some letters,
but of course at that time of year there
were no vacancies. He had tried to Sc
cure private pupils but without success.
Becoming discouraged and having no
friends TO turn to, he simply drifted
about the city week after week till his
money was gone. 'Tempora mutantur. .
he said. 81 did not like to beg, but
what could do?''
When l told him had studied Ger
man, he fairly glowed.
$50 you have read Heine-Schiller.
Are they not wonderful
For months, l suppose, he had heard
nothing but the slang of the streets. To
meet a person who knew his favorite
authors was rare pleasure and he sput-
tered away about them in his broken
English for some time. Finally he told
me that his name was Hoevel, and that
he was unmarried.
When he had finished his meal, he
said in Latin, ''Let US go.
Il have work TO do this afternoon, -
I said, land | cannot stay any longer.
Where can 1 see you? Where do you
liver
81 live anywhere have no home :"
''But where do you sleep?'
in big place 1t is 20 cents a
night. -
There are places where you can stay
for To-" / realized the heartlessness of
this as soon as l said it.
Eyes, but they are-you call it bum. =
| deliberated a moment "Can you
meet me at this corner at o'clock to-
morrow? 1 don't know that l can do
anything, but I'll see And if I'm not
here tomorrow come the next day at the
same time. I'll be there one day or the
other -
He promised to come and we parted.
That night told the story to crowd
of young fellows at the boarding house.
They seemed interested in the man, and
the upshot of it was that we decided to
form German conversation class and
engage my doctor Of philosophy as lead
er.
AS l half expected, business made it
impossible for me to keep my appoint
ment the next day. But the day after |
was at the appointed place ten minutes
ahead of time. l waited and loitered
about that corner till the policeman grew
suspicious. Till half past 8 l staid
there. but the man did not come. new
er saw him again.
All this happened nearly a year ago.
The other day picked up recent copy
of The Evening Post and read this item:
Emil Hoevel, German teacher of
languages, committed suicide on the
steps of the Yorkville police court in
East Fifty-seventh street, this city, by
stabbing himself in the heart. The man,
it is said, had received a university edu-
cation in Germany Dependency over
his poor success in securing pupils and
his poverty were the causes Of the act. y
Then l wished had kept my appoint
ment on the first day.
Hebrew, IsraeIfte and Jew.