The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-09
JNO. FIREY-MISER
He Starved Himself But Gave
to Churches.
Fortune Estimated to Be at
Least $4,000.
WILL IC HNADENEn
WILL IS UNOPENED.
Lived For One Day on a Five
Cent Watermelon.
Owned Several Blocks of Real
Estate In Topeka.


brothers
Mr.. frey always lived in some small
room and patched for himself until he
became sick and then two of his old
friends cared for him in a better man
ner than he had known in his days of
health He always dressed in some well
worn black suit. carried an old umbrel-
Ia. and wore a battered and ancient silk
tile Very few knew anything about
him and some thought him rather de-
mented.
Many stories have been told Of the
way in which he lived. At restaurants,
where he was in the habit of taking his
meals it has been told that he would
buy a large bowl of soup for dinner.
eat half of it and have the other ha1
set aside for his supper In the sum
mer time a scent watermelon was his
three meals for a day
The only times that he was known to
do anything for his own pleasure was
when he took a trip to Ohio He wore a
thin overcoat and by mistake left it on
the train and took another. The one
he took was a heavy. warm coat, much
better than he had been wearing Inc
man who owned the good coat was lett
with the thin one He found a letter IN
one of the pockets addressed TO FREY
and he wrote, requesting that frey re-
turn his coat and send for his own
The express charges on his own coat
would have to be paid by frey He
consulted with the police and tried every
manner of means to secure his own coat
without the express charges. but to no
use. He returned the coat and did rot
send for his own That winter he went
without an overcoat-
John frey mlSer and phllauthroplSt,
was the last of three brothers who lived
and died alike in Topeka and who are
now buried side by side in their old
home.
Some twenty years ago the three
frey brothers-Lewis. William and
John-came to Topeka 1t was ten
years ago that Lewis was taken sick
in a back room of a building on lower
Kansas avenue and he died after a
short illness His body was taken to
HagerstOwn, Md, for burial. William
and John continued to live in bachelor
quarters. and two years ago William
died and was also taken to HagerStoWn
for burial Then it was that John
moved into the room where he died and
he was buried beside his brothers he
has a brother who is a minister. living
in Springfield, o; a sister in Hagers-
town, Nd, and a brother in Roanoke,
Va.
To the average person John frey was
known as a very close man but for all
that he contributed at one time $1,000
TO the English Lutheran church and at
another time $1,000, making in all
total Of 5000 to one church, besides
contributing a lot in North Topeka to
be used by the Holiness society, upon
which a temple was to be erected, and
many smaller contributions which have
never been recorded even by his few
friends.
He owned twenty-five buildings and
his wealth has been estimated at dit
ferent times from $50, GOO to $100. 600, and
during the boom at even more than
that. He owned a half block of store
rooms at the northwest corner of
Fourth and Madison streets. a half
block of dwellings on Jefferson street
near First. several houses on Central
avenue, the buildings at the southeast
I
and a share in the DuttOn house prop
erty.
Although he was known as a close
man. he contributed bountffully to poor
families who were left uncared for by
charitable institutions. With all his
wealth and gifts, he died in a : by u
foot room in the rear of the second
floor of the building at the corner Of
Fourth and Madison streets
He had been sick for more than a year
with consumption He was a years old
and for the past seven months was una
BILE to leave his bed. and for three
months had been constantly under the
care of an attendant. With all his lib
eraI contributors to the church and in
dividuaIs, he died alone, unthought of
and uncared for except for his two
friends. ]. B. McAfee and Jacob Stitt,
who were with him to the last.
The morning he died he got out of
bed and made his way to the door and
called to Mr. and Mrs Slit When
they reached the room John frey lay
the bed looking lnC6nTlX at the CELL
ing. his hands in the attitude of prayer
I am satisfied with Jesus" were his
last words. and he died
For all his close and penurious ways,
his body was placed in a handsome
casket costing $500, and the remains
were accornpa MED to HagerstOwu, Md
where his sister lives, by J. b McAfee.
All his belongings have been packed
away in two OId-fashioned leather COW
cred trunks. The old umbrella and well
worn silk hat have been packed away
with his heavy leather covered Bible:
but the most OF the space in the two
trunks is devoted TO letters. pa perS,
deeds and all sorts of communications
and documents, for John frey never
destroyed a letter or paper. and there
is at least a trunk full of such things.
covering period Of forty years or
more
John frey made his first money
dealing in cattle near st. Joe. He moved
to Usage City and speculated in stock
1t was about twenty years ago that he
came to Topeka He made his money
in buying old buildings and moving
them on to lots He left q will which
will be opened when J. b McAfee re-
turns from the south.
Many thought that he lived in rather
a squalid manner. His small room was
papered in a dozen different patterns
The furniture was plain and there was
no carpet. but all was clean Many
people believed that John frey was
careless about his person said Jacob
Stitt, but he was not His room was
always Eeat ard clean. and his cloth
ing. though patched and mended was
respectable He was an honest man
to deal with and never broke contract
lam certain that If ever q man died a
Christian John frey did He has been