The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-07-03
FRESH GOSSIP
FROM GOTHAM
A Man Commits Suicide While the
Great Fire is Raging.
THE OSSlFIED MAN IMPROVING,
He Has Heen Baked" Until the Per
spiration Has Come Through the
Porcs-A Commission Mcr-
chants Luck.
THE OSSIFIED MAN IMPROVING

NEW YORK, July -special.-Little was
talked of in New York yesterday except
the terrible fire on the water front. One
of the most pathetic ana dramatic Incl
dents of the terrible tragedy is related by
Capt ". j. Moran. Of the saale. When
the SaaIe was floating in the stream, Capt.
Moran, on the tug boat Evans. got close
alongside the burning vessel. Just as l
passed one of the portfolios" said ne
IAN arm was thrust out. 1 got close TO the
portfolio and heard agonizing sounds, as
of a man screaming. At the time the tug
was moving. and l could net remain near
the portfolio. [ got her back ana looked
through the little window.
There was a man seated on the locker
in the stateroom, writing as il his lie De
pended upon it. | trie0 TO attract his at
tention. but il he heard me he gave no
sign While l watched the door OF th4t
stateroom it began TO burn. To my horror
the man imprisoned in the little room, M
stead Of trying to move over to the other
side of the stateroom away from the tlre,
cooIly picked up a revolver that he had
evidently prepared beforehand, and. plaC-
ing the muzzle to his temple, Killed MIN
self before my Yer. eyes.
ION thinking about this awful tragedy
later I made up my mind that he saw us
passing and tried to attract our attention
by screaming. He then wrote the note
intending 10 throw it out through the port
hole and was so engrOssed in this occupo-
ton that he did not hear when got Ehe
tug back again and tried TO get his atten-
ton"
OSSIFTED NAN BETTER.
The ossifed man at Bellevue Hospital is
improving. and it is believed that in u few
months he will be in better health than he
has known for many years. The patient
is Aaron Palmer and he has been at the
hospital for four years.
Until a month ago Mr.. Palmer's legs
from the hips down were like marble or
china. He could not move them. They
had Shrunken to about half their normal
size, and were rigid. His hands ana his
| arms from the shoulders down were in the
same condition
To-day his legs from the hip down TO the
knees are normal. Tie can move his legs
al the hip joints From the knees down
they are still rigid, but the flesh from the
knee down is soft ana normal in color all
though it is strangely cold to the touch His
| arms are now all right. He can move
them freely at the shoulder. elbow ana
wrist, but his thumbs and fingers are still
partly rigid. and are turned inward on the
palms. They are more flexible than they
were, and he can move them a triGe.
The Improvement is due 10 the treatment
that has been given him in the bake
oven. He is put in this oven and baked at
| n temperature of $50 TO 400 degrees. He is
baked regularly every other day Al first
the baking process did not have the desired
effect. bur finally tiny drops Of perspra-
ton appeared through the skin, and from
that time the Improvement has been
steady
The doctors at Bellevue describe Mr.
Palmers maladv as arthritis deformans.
His ossifed condition was caused by de-
post OF calcium salts in the tissues around
the bones The doctors are hopeful that
the baking treatment will effect com
pleta cure.
y FORTUNE FROM SENTIMENT.
Charles Frank, a commission merchant
Of this city for the sake of sentiment
| saved his fathers clothes and trunk when
the latter died about seven years ago. That
bit Of sentiment was worth 100000 to
| Frank
While rumaging the trunk two weeks
ago Frank discovered three deeds in the
| inside pocket of one OF his fathers coats.
The deeds were 10 property in this city
and in Phoenix, Arizona. All were exc
cuted over ten years ago, The son has
taken steps to take possession of the
property
Before his death Nj Frank was a noted
optician and was reported to be mil
lionaire. lie placed much money in cracks
and corners of the walls OF his house. and
after his death several thousand dollars
was found hidden in such places.
When Mr.. Frank died and his executors
examined his estate they found that his
supposed fortune Of a million dollars was
| considerably less than $500 eco
This was mostly in real estate and mort