The age-herald., 1900-10-07
RICHES ONLY A MEMORY NOW
Robert Johnston. Once a Millionaire
 Spends His Lonely Days in Barn

From the New York World.
 Robert A. Johnston, sole survivor of a firm of famous Broadway merchants, has lived for years hermit in what remains of his beautiful home at Riverdale on the Hudson.
 This solitary man, who twelve years ago was worth $2,000,000, has made his home in barn since last winter, and even that he owes to the Kindness of the new owner of the property, Wall street concern.
 John Johnston came to New York from County Fermanagh, Ireland, many years ago. He opened a small dry goods busi- ness, which soon grew to great success. He brought his brothers, Charles and Rob- ert from Ireland and made them his part ners, under the style of J. & C. John- Ston.
 Their great store was one of the finest in New York. Charles died in 1880 and John in 1SS7 Robert, the youngest brother, in- herited all the property. His wealth was estimated at more than $2, 900. The sus- pension of the old house was announced in 1888. The millions accumulated in half century began to vanish as if by magic
 No one knows how Robert A. Johnston lost his money. Within twelve years his great fortune has melted away. Soon after Johns death Robert paid s6O, 900 for a doz- en acres of land along Cuthbert Lane and there built a magnificent stone mansion. There he lived in stately seclusion. The house was filled with beautiful furniture, exquisite paintings, statuary and bric-a- brac.
 But the former millionaire was growing poorer day by day. He could not keep his servants. Forrest House, which once be- longed to him, was destroyed by fire in April ,s39 It had passed out of his pos session months before.
 Johnston filed a petition in bankruptcy on February 6, 1900, showing no assets and liabilities of S55,4S7, of which S40,761 were deficiency judgments, and the rest chiefly for groceries, shoes, clothing, coal, gas, flowers, servants wages, etc.
 He continued to live in his former home by the courtesy of the Central Trust Com- pany, which bought the property on the foreclosure of a mortgage. Alone in his great house the broken millionaire fell ill Prospective tenants who thought to use the place for a boarding house were shown through the property on February g. Four days afterward, at o'clock in the morning, the splendid house was utterly destroyed by fire MT. Johnston said a stove had been overloaded. He escaped from his room by sliding down an old surveyors S chain that happened to be there. Nothing was saved from the wreck.
 Fire insurance companies refused to pay s50OOO insurance on "Cieopatra," 'The Greek Slave" and other statuary until workmen digging and sitting the ruins found their calcined remnants
 The Central Trust Company allowed Johnston to live in his old barn. There, in a second-story room on the southwest cor ner. he set up his bed and his cooking stove. In this place the former merchant has lived eyer since. He washes and mends his own clothes: He makes his bed. He cooks his meals and washes the dishes. He is his own valet.
 No one ever calls on him. He makes no calls on his neighbors. When he is at home he is as utterly alone as if he in-