New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-19

A RECORD IN A POLICE BLOTTER AND THE
STORY BEHIND 1T.

STORY BEHIND 1T.
On the blotter Of the West Sixty-eightn-s'' poeo
station yesterday an entry was MADE that uou'
had been taken from tho North River az EisnS
ATHEIST and that the body was evidently tna' Vi
n tramp" The clothing on the body was almost
threadbarc. which was cause enough 'he p
thought for their entry.
The dead man was Herman Rodeck, Ithog-
rapher OF a high order a musician and ingu'st
Fifty-seven years ago he was born III frle''
and early in life. after graduating from "e,
university. he went to Puerto RICO III INC "e..
Indies. &c seek his fortune The fortune came "
him. and soon he began TO send glowing accounts
home OF the great lithographing business ne oo"-
Quoted For twenty years he prospered' dur''e
which time he accumulated a fortune and married
Eight wears ago the mans wife died. From that
moment fortune seemed to desert HIM his o"s
ness plans no longer succeeded. ana. ai'no"e" "
worked day and night, refusing 10 give up !" ' ~,
face OF encouragement. his business dwlnu'eu "M."
the crash came In the latter part OF 1870 III W
vember n, that wear he turned his back upon the
island that had been his home for thirty years anu
started for New-York where he had peeh 'oiu nc
often said afterward. that there was fortune ,o'
any energetic man. With all his misfortune III.
Will was not shaken. his only sorrow pe'hs Una.
the grave OF his wife In the country ne turned
his back upon
He Ind a friend In this city. and he went at
once to live with his family at No. All East One
hundred d-twenty-thrd-st He had s'n'"
amount of money and he decided TO put IL III d
bank at once the nest egg Tor fortune III
the new country he explained. At the adVice Oh
his friend Rodeck decided TO teach languages
Smoking German English. French, Spanish ana
Italian ne was assured that scholars would mock
10 him. But they did not. Not shse so"o',,'
came He made many friends, but oil were III
moderate circumstances and none wanted " A"o"
any other language than their own
In her ROdeck SearcheQ
versed and tried a dozen lines Of work. but ne sue
ceeded In nothing In tina. time ne ore" MS hank
Six months ago he was penniless. Then a daily
struggle for life began. lie was proud ana d
e acG knew any e ara nd rS that he was often hungry
but he always Insisted that he still had MS money IN
ha e aSvs been enc Of he best. began to fade
This is great country for young '"e" "'
Every morning he wen, out, always with IS smile, ne
and cheerful word for those who sg Ene T haVns BEEN
patched. but he stili looked tidy ,,. hro,her" he
said one day last month, and after that he waited
every day for the before ne wen'
handed To- him. and hurried with it upstairs to his
room In an hour he left the house iho os viz
him said there signs Of nsy m few S DAYS
The letter had evidently brought him niue comt9r ,
pocket S when mem his body was taken from th river
II was signed Your loving brother, H. tooeck'
sa story OF Sickness Of misfortune
Ten days ago Rodeck received another letter
that he had been watching for. This time he was
50 impatien. that he opened IT in the hallway when
there were several people about. His face grew
pal as he read. but he folded the letter. put II
carefully In his pocket and walked away, NO one
who knew him ever him alive again.
When his body taken from the river yester-
day there was a good-sized stone In either pocket
which had evidently been put there to weigh him
down in the water The body showed signs . OF OF
having been I'm the river for some time. ana
Rodeck mus; have jumped In the day ne received
the last letter. H..
The police didn't change the blotter record when
thev knew who the man was II is against the
rules TO alter record and the only addition made
was the mans name. To the police he remains
evidently a tramp"