The Saint Paul globe., 1899-02-02
PRICE TWO CENTs-,ss;r, s;,s sre;P. e;:r,
DEAD SINCE SUNDAY
WILLIAM TILLMAN DIES OF STAR
VATION IN A MISERABLE
HOVEL
A BROTHERS. WEARY VIGIL
He Slept Beside the Rag-Covered
Corpse Three Efghts-WouId Not
Notify Police or Let Any One In
terfere With His Funeral Plan.
The Two Men Are Said to Be
Mfsers

Ihe Two Men Are Said to Be
Mfsers.
The body Of William Tillman. a mis-
er, was found last evening in a wretch
ed hovel in the rear Of 74O Eagle street.
where he died Sunday of starvation.
and beside 1t was the dead mans broth
er John. feeble wreck, who had kept
a lonely vigil over it for three days and
nights, and who had not allowed anv
other person to know of his brothers
death
The Tillman brothers, both enfeebled
with age, have occupied the hut for
nearly twenty years. They lived en-
tfrely alone, and rarely spoke to any
one In the neighborhood. AS long as
they have been familiar figures about
the locality, however. they have been
noted for their industry, each leaving
the hut every morning, at daybreak,
In search of work, and returning late
at night. They sawed wood. some
times wheeled about a scissor sharp
enfng machine, and did all manner Of
work at which an odd penny could be
earned. but hidden away in the lonely
hut, almost obscured by the surround
ing buildings, their existence was al
most forgotten, until recalled by the
death of one of them. Then the neigh
bors began to talk about the old men.
and 1t was whispered that they had
lived the lives Of misers, boarding their
savings until they are said to have
possessed several thousand dollars
Nearly week ago DR.. Stamm was
called to the hut to attend William Till
man. DR.. Stamm says he found the
aged man in a very weakened condi-
ton, emaciated and wasted almost to
skeleton, but SO far as he could de-
termfne, suffering no physical aiInnent
except that he seemed to be starving
to death. The physician advised that
the feeble sufferer be taken to the city
hospital. but the old man protested
expostulating that it would be too ex-
pensive, and remained in his lonely
hOvel to die
WANTED NO AID.
When Officer Perro visited the hut
last evening to investigate a rumor
of the old mans death, the surviving
brother would not at first let the po-
liceman in. He said, through the
closed door, that his brother was dead.
but wanted the officer to go away and
let him alone. Finally, John opened
the door, showing a squalid room.
scarcely twelve feet square, the only
room in the place, crowded with odds
ard ends, but without a single piece
OF furniture, save a rickety stove.
Near one wall was what appeared to
be bunk. covered with old bel
clothes and a fur robe. On the .-.fer
side Of the room stood an arrangement
On four wheels, a sort of diminutive
prairie schooner, in which the two
brothers had slept, crawling in and
out through small opening, several
feet above the floor.
Asked where his brothers body was.
the old man declined to tell. knowing
the corpse must be in the room some
where, Officer Perro went to the bunk
and displaced the fur robe and filthy
bed clothes. Lying crouched close to
the wall, cold and stiff, was the body
of William, where he had breathed
his last, while his brother had been
sleeping for several nights within a
few feet of it.
John Tillman says he does not know
what allied his brother, except that he
had been sick for about two weeks.
He says he has means to bury the
body, and that he made arrangements
yesterday for the interment. He does
not want the authorities to interfere
in the case, he says, as he is able to
properly look after the remains him
self He and his brother came to tn
country from Germany nearly twenty
five years ago. The dead man was
sixty-eight years old
Coroner Nelson will investigate the
case