New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-08
END OF A STRANGE LIFE
HENRY S. SPENCER DIES ALONE IN A
BROOKLYN BOARDING HOUSE.
HIS PARENTS HAD PARTED AND EACH HAD
MARRIED AGAIN. BOTH ARE WEALTHY. AND
HE DREW A GOVERNMENT PENSION
A DIsINHERITED RELATIVE OF
JUDGE SHELDON. OF ILLINOIS
H1NTED AT.

JUDGE SHELDON OF ILLINOIS
SUICIDE HINTED AT
Henry s. Spencer, a son Of wealthy parents,
who was drawing n pension for disability In
CURED while doing duty as a soldier on the
plains. died from asphyXation On TuesdaJ night
or early on Wednesday morning OF last week
at the Walsingham. a boarding house at No.
163 Joralemon-st., rooklyn. spencers identity
and his somewhat extraordinary were
not made public until last night. Spencer was
twenty nine years old. His father and mother
had separated, and each had married again.
Despite the fact that Spencer unusu-
ally handsome and attractive young fellow. he
had had no place Cor years that he could call
I nome, and the circumstances surrounding his
death prompt the belief among mary OF his
friends that he committed suicide.
According TO the police report Spencer re-
turned to his lodgings at midnight extinguish-
Ing the gaslight in his room without turning
on the jet and then threw himself on the bed
He was found fully dressed by William s. Reed
one Of his friends. several hours after his death
Tne Coroner called the body removed to
the undertaking establishment of w. f. Stafford
& Co. at Court and Joralemon SITS. and later
to the home Of the young mans father John S.
Spencer. Of No. 40 West Seventy hfth-st.. Man
burial was in Woodlawn The Coroner's record
originally had Spencer's first name Harold. and
he was called that by his friends. but when his
father the record he corrected 1t. making
it Henry.
The young mans father is treasurer Of the
Spencer Optical Goods Company. at No. II
Maiden Lane. and Is said to be a OF
wealth, and his mother is Mrs. Marston Ream
whose husband has studio in Manhattan. Mrs.
Ream's father is a retired capitalist living at
Binghamton y. Y. Her sister is AIS. Evert
Van Slyke. wife OF the Rev. Dr. Van Slyke. pas
tor Of the North Reformed Church. at Clermont
and Wougnby aves., Brooklyn. Mrs Ream
and Mrs. Van Syke last fall inherited from
their uncle Benjamin Sheldon. Chief Justice Of
the Court Of Appeals of Illinois $4,000 each
and a son Of Mrs. Van Slyke received $4,000
The Justice left a large fortune. and had
children Of his own. He disnherited young
Spencer. and this fact is believed to have
caused the young man TO take his life
BOYS LEFT To THEMSELVES
About fourteen years ago Mr. and Mrs John
S. Spencer lived in Joralemon-st.. Brooklyn
They had two children both boys. Henry. who
died last week. was the older. About thirteen
years ago Mr.. and Mrs. Spencer became
estranged, and finally divorced. Left with
out due restraint the boys began to lead reck-
less lives In short time both Mr. and Mrs
Spencer married again. and the boys took
or themselves. Henry scandalized his relatives
by running away with chorus girl belonging to
an opera troupe from Boston. She the
daughter Of a Well-knOwn hotel proprietor in
Boston The marriage was unhappy
Young Mrs. Spencer retoined the opera
pany. and later became a favorite in this city
II Is said that she never obtained a divorce from
Spencer. and he never tried to get one from
her.
EVIL RESULTS OF ARMY LIFE.
Before this marriage he had attended a mill
tary school on the Hudson. and when his money
allowance cut off by his parents he en-
listed in the Regular Army. This was about
seven or eight years ago His company
stationed at different places in the West and
just before his five years were up Spencer and
his comrades had patrol duty to perform In a
railroad strike on one OF the lines near Salt Lake
City He contracted fever ard malaria and
nearly died. The doctors were obliged TO pre-
scribe morphine in liberal quantities, and Spen-
Ger became addicted 10 the morphine habit.
His health was so shattered from his sickness
that he was honorably discharged from the
Army for disability, and secured a pension Of
about SO a month
Spencer returned to Brooklyn about six
months ago. His mother learned about his NOR
phine habit and It's origin. and he sent to
private sanitarium at Sheepshead Bay for
treatment From this place ne discharged
cured employment with the Equitable Life AS
surance Society. II Is said. a clerk. His
salary a modest one. but he well liked
and secured much profitable business from his
fathers old friends. After ne became aware
that he had been disinheriteG by Justice Shell
don he became reckless again. and drank to ex-
cess His mother treated him with great tender
ness endeavOring TO secure his reformation but
the young man saw nothing pleasant in life.
PARENTS NET AT HIS COFFIN.
It Is asserted that there was painful meet
ing between John s. Spencer and Mrs. Ream.
his former wife, at the undertaking rooms Of
Stafford & Co. but this is denied by Mr. Stat
ford. Each It is said, wanted TO defray the ex
ponsc Of the funeral but as Mr.. Spencer had
placed the order for the disposition Of the body
II was finally taken to his home, at No. 100
Wes. Seventy -ffth-st. Mrs. Reain did not go
70 the funeral. Her husband Is Ill In private
hospital in Manhattan. The burial took place
in Woodlawn on Friday OF last week.
Young Spencer would have inherited his moth
ers fortune and a large part OF that Of his
grandfather in Binghamton. 1t Is probable.
also that his father would have provided liber-
ally for him.
No one seems to know anything about the
other son Of John s. Spencer When Mr. Spen-
Ger was seen at his place Of business in Maiden
Lane by a Tribune reporter, he begged to be
excused from saying anything about his sons.
He said he did not know the name OF his elder
sons Wife or that he was married at all.