The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1899-02-02

opportunities Iley
could not melt the golden heart of his
golden idol.
Or the 5000 in bonds, securities and
money which a Gordon of robbers filch-
ed from Schrage last year, $4,000 had
been recovered. and this fortune fat
tened in Schrage's safe while the old
man starved. For at least a month be-
fore his death Schrage had practically
ahstnissa5 f-~--- s-OI. r--.---.
Ing body had confined him to his bed he
spent much of his time searching tho
garbage boxes near his howell at Ill
JEFFERSON street for morsels of food, and
when weakness shut off his last supply
he would accept nourishment only from
the hand of his friend and tenant, pat
sy" Gurley.
When Gurley entered the room of the
miser early one morning he found the
old man lying on his back, his limbs dis
tended and the long, yellow fingers OF
his grimy right hand pointed toward
his treasury. A dingy kerosene lamp
smoked on table near by and cast a
yellow light on the pallid features of
the sleeper. Wearied with watching,
the old man had closed his eyes and de-
tailed the bony fingers Of his hand to
keep vigil over the precious Golfer.
The rising sun dispelled the CHASTITY
shadows of the scene and a friend ex-
tinguished the yellow light that burned
eXtravagantly at the bedside, but
Schrage slept. He will not awake In
a world of stocks and bonds.
The story of Schrage's life is night
mare. His biography is a tale which
might well have been told in the days
when weakened old hermits lived on
roots and herbs and committed a life
OF available happiness into the insane
glances that periodically they cast into
Golfers of worthless gold.
Schrage began life seventy-six years
ago. He was born in Germany, and
when youth followed the flag of the
emperor, coming to America late in the
Cos. With the savings of his early
days he purchased a tract of land
which Is now a part of the site of
Whiting, Ind. With his wife's assist
ance he managed to make fair sac
cess at farming, shipping his produce
to Chicago
Hard work was the first stage of his
insanity, and when he arrived in Chi
cago a few years later, he prepared to
emerge into the second stage. He
bought a house and rented rooms to
dodgers.
With the income he received he made
loans in small amounts to his friends
and exacted heavy interest.
When his fortune began to assume
an air of independence he commenced
to cut down expenses. His son and
daughter, unable to endure their home
surroundings, left for Whiting, Ind,
where the former is now successfully
engaged in business. The daughter was
unhappily married, but was divorced
several years ago, and is now the wife
of Herman Westenfeldt of Whiting.
Nearly five years ago Schrage's wife is
said to have died from starvation, but
It was not until June, 1895, that the old
man met his first real sorrow. That
was the occasion on which he was rob
bed of three watches and $225 in cash.
Shortly afterward he bought an iron
box in which he deposited his treasure,
but the Ill luck followed him, and in
March, 1896, he was robbed of $45, 900.
Schrage never recovered from the
shock incident to the second robbery,
which apparently had the effect of ag-
gravating his penuriousness.
or late years he had been in the habit
of inspecting his money and bonds
night and day, and at times would be
found staring like mailman into his
strong iron box. Mrs. Fred Schrage.
daughter-in-law of the miser, and Mrs.
Anna Harms, friend, made occasional
visits to the Schrage howell, but could
not induce the old man to spend a cent
for food
The theft of the bonds became fam
Gus owing to the long investigation of
the alleged connection with it of Alex
ander Ross, former assistant chief OF
police; Ed Smith and others. AS IT,.
result of the trial of the men indicted
for the robbery, among them SLEEPY
Burke" all were given their liberty,
with the exception of Gordon, who Ia
now serving term In Joliet under the
indeterminate sentence act.