The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-12-19
STARVING
AMID WEALTH.
Family Taking Care Of Old Yale
Club neuss~ Destitute.
LEARNED DROPPED IN STREET.
While On His Way 10 Seek Aid for His Wife
and Child He Was Stricken
With ipopIslL
LEARNED DROPPED IN STREET.

New York Dec. l9.-Starving and with
out fuel although living In block with
millionsires as neighbors Parker Learn
ed. with his wife and child. was found
yesterday I'm a pitiabe condition. For
nearly a week they had eaten practically
nothing, and were nearly frozen. The
climax 20 their hardships came when the
man was stricken with apoplexy while
walking TO Harlem in search OF financial
assistance.
Learned is 81 years old, and Is the care
tsker Of the building al II East Twenty
sixth street which was formerly oc-
cupied by the Yale club. Among his
neishbors are Frank Work. Adrian Ise-
lin. Frederick Kernochsn, l. Townsend
Burden, Alfred Darling; B. II. Field.
Robert oBrien and James r. Roche.
Unable 10 obtain work as a bookkeeper.
Learned got employment nearly year
ago az butler with the Yale club. When
the club moved, last May. TO It's new
quarters, in West .Forty-fourth street.
Learned remained in the old club house
as caretaker for the owner Mrs. Cor
nelius McCoon, who lives at IA West
seventy-second street. He got his rent
free in return for taking care OF the
property
FORTUNE FROwNs ON HIM.
Fortune frowned upon him after the
club moved. and Learned was unable to
get steady employment He managed to
keep the wolf from the door by doing odd
jobs for people whom re knew. but they
did not include his neishbors. Dr. VIII
lisms. who lives at 1889 Madison avenue.
helped him occasionally.
Learned and his little family often went
10 bed hungry rather than let their con-
dition become known to his wealthy
neighbors from whom he disdained 10
seek assistance. No doubt they would be
willing 70 help him, but he was too
pround to ask Matters went from bad 10
worse with him and on Thanksgiving
day the family was in desperate circum-
stances There was no fuel in the house
and nothing tn eat.
just as the old man had about conclud-
ed that there was little for him TO he
thankful for Miss o Brien, who lives next
door in No. 10, sent in sumptuous din
ner She had suspected that the family
was having a hard time OF IT, Since
then Learned and his wife and child have
had little to eat.
STARTS OUT To BEG FOR AID.
Unable To endure the psngs of hunger
longer. Learned started out yesterday af-
ternoon intending TO seek assistance
from DIR. Williams. lie had no car fare,
| so he started 10 walk from Harlem, al
though he was so weak from lack of food
| that he could hardly stand.
Slowly he made his way up town, being
compelled frequently TO rest by the way.
| AZ One Hundred and Twenty-fourth
| street and Madison avenue his strength
! gave out and he fell unconscious. He
\ was carried into a nearby hotel where
| stimulants were given 10 him. He re.
| vived somewhat and was recognized by
Milton Barber, who lives at 2o24 Lexing-
ton avenue
Barber summoned a cab and had him
| taken home. He was barely conscious
when the cab driver carried him into the
| house When his wife him she faint
| ed.
! Policeman Tyrrell Of the West Thir-
| tieth street station was summoned and
! he telephoned 10 the New York hospital
| for an ambulance. DIR. Chittenden re-
sponded and found Learned was suffering
from apoplexy
When he learned the condition or the
! family he gave Mrs. Learned $3.50. which
| was all the money he had with him. The
| cab driver also gave her a dollar which
4 he had received from Mr.. Barber for TAX
| ing the man from Harlem. DR. Chitten-
! den took Learned TO the hospital where
, he is IN a critical condition.