The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-02-12
HIS POVERTY
ASSUMED.
Walkers Demise Leads
to a Discovery.
SUPPOSED TO BE POOR.
Left Property Aggregating in Value
About $4,000.
vALUABLES IN A CIGAR CASE

Boston, Feb. 12.-H Woods Walker.
an apparently friendless man who had
been engaged in the real estate business,
was found dead Friday in his room.
which served the triple purpose Of office.
living room and sleeping room. His
neighbors do not remember having seen
him for four or five days. but the letter
carrier says he saw him in front of the
building two days ago. His name does
not appear in the directory. He was
man of patriarchal appearance, with
his long white hair and beard. and his
age is estimated at about 75 years. The
police searched the room and found a
diamond ring, diamond pin, s67 in
money and the deeds to three houses in
Charlestown.
When found. most OF them were
slowed away in a cigaret case six inches
square. and the whole bundle resembled
lunch parcel. These were all his Wis
ible effects. When the parcel OF papers
and ss2ords was opened at police head
quarters flood of light was let in on
the old mans history. To the world
he was miser, whose chief aim was to
grasp every dollar he could get, or
save from HIMSELF but among the pa
i'ers, here and there. was evidence that
he had been ambitious and learned, and
that he had travelled and seen the
world; that he had enjoyed his early
youth. living after the manner of
wealthy men. Moreover in the scanty
pile there was still one parcel bible.
inscribed with the motto: Fear God
and keep his commandments for that
is the whole>duty of man." showing
that he had been virtuously guided and
that the great book had been, perhaps,
the only source of Inspiration and hope
TO him In the whole wide world, in his
painful solitude.
Among the papers was one which
showed clearly the comfortable and gem
crous circumstances of his early life.
1t was hotel receipt dated Feb. IL, 1870
at Ford's hotel, in Richmond, Va. for
$3.50 for his breakfast. Another board
bill of the Same hotel showed payment
of ss3 for a four weeks stay. These
papers seem to point to a time when Mr..
Walker lived well and travelled, with
expenses quite high for those days.
About 1876 a change seems to have
occurred in the old mans life and con-
duct Several small books with card
board covers appear, in which every
cent OF his expense account is carefully
recorded. One book begins Jan. I, 1876.
The accounts are as follows: Bread, 03;
butter, 04 tea, o.; beans, 06; coal. IL
sugar, 09; candles, l3, and so on through
the entire year, which counts up to
Slf7.e5. This is followed by his at
test. stating that the above is the full
and true account of his years ex-
rennes. This account is comparatively
high. however. for some years following.
which Is not clearly dated. he appears
to have spent $55.7O for his living ex-
penditures. His intention seems to
have been so clearly economic that the
recorded lines are cramped closely to-
gether to prevent needless writing waste.
In 1897 he spent nearly sl26 for living ex-
renses. His last recorded item is on
Jan. rs, 1s9S--for Il pound butter. 20
cents"
IT Is impossible to estimate his exact
wealth. for the deeds, mortgage notes
and bills of exchange are i'm a jumbied
condition; but taking into consdera-
tion all these evidences of property. to-
gether with western land shares and
stocks in. western manufacturing con-
Germs, the aggregate will probably ex-
ceej $4,000. He evidently piled a
thriving business in loaning money on
high Interest for several discharged
notes were found bearing interest at
percent monthly and above.
Nothing concerning his personality or
past life is known to anyone apparently
lie wrote somewhere among his scraps
that his average expense was. in 1876
~ cents per day. IT is not known
whether he has any relatives. but IL
there are any living they probably are
out in Nebraska. The discovery OF his
property may serve as an incentive for
some person to draw back the veil of
MASTERY from his life.