The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-10-04
INSANE ON
FREEMAS0NRy,
Sa|tus Imag|nas Hs Is tho
Victim Of Persecution.
ONCE WEALTHY, BECAME TRAMP
Committee 10 Bellevue For EIamlnailua
He Is Rational on All Suhlacis Save
Iha'c' FrssmassarI
ONCE WEALTHY, BECAME TRAMP

New York, Oct g. Haunted hy the de-
lusion that he is being rsrsecuted by ihe
FFee Mssons. although evidently rational
IN other respects. Richard saltus, once
wealthy, but nov a tramp, was yester
day committed 10 the insane pavilion at
Bellevue 10 be examined as 10 his sanity.
The direct descendant Of a famous COL
pnial family. this former owner OF his
toric estate begged Yesterday Cor decent
suit of clothes that he light seek a
position I'm which 10 earn a li1-etthnnd-
Saltus Who Is about fifty-two Years old
Is the great-great grandson OF Lewis
Morris. signer Of the Declaration OF
Independence. and is connected with some
of the most prominent families in the
country. Ills mother was aiiss Eu-
phemia Morris, and he himself was born
In this city.
Ills father, wealthy iron manufsc-
turer. died during Ssltus early childhood,
and his mother married a Mr. Machada,
wealthy New Yorker OF Portuguese de
scent, who owned nifty ships. Mr. Ma
chada was very kind 10 his stepson and
sent him 10 school I'm London
Young Ssltus began the study OF medi-
cine in Paris, hut did not finish his
course He returned TO this city and
took up the study OF law graduating from
the Columbia Law School I'm 1874 Among
his classmates were Judge Blanchard and
Judge Newburger.
LIVED LIFE OF EASE.
saltus. who was now about twenty-five
years old aud very handsome took up his
residence ia his mothers home. the old
Morris manor house. near Morris Otseao
county. Popular with the other sex and
FOND OF horses, he lived life Of ease for
twenty years. occasionally giving lectures
on his travels. He speaks French and
Spanish fluently.
As q result Of his easy going ways, the
manor and lands were in a few months
disposed Of under foreclosure sale. Sal
ius took mp his residence with friend
i'm the neighborhood, and established In
mis- new home the furniture pictures and
plate which had come down 10 him from
his ancestors. year later all these
priceless heirlooms- Aere-snld a. 4 F44iFttfs-
sacrifice under a judgment, and the brok-
en- lord of the manor left the scene of his
former opulence
EVENTUALLY BECAME A TRAMP.
a Free Mason himself, he became con-
vinced at last that his brethren In the
order were prosecuting him. His health
falling, he passed from hospital 10 hos
pital, and eventually became a tramp
ShiNerlng IN his rags with other unfort-
unates who We're huddled for warmth on
an iron sidewalk grating above an engine
room at Twenty-third street and Madison
avenue Monday night Saltus was ar
rested as a vagrant In the Jefferson
Market police court Tuesday morning he
told his melancholy story. and Magistrate
Pool sent him 10 Bellevue
Henry G. De Witt. a lawyer and a class-
mate OF Saltus. visited him in the insane
pavilion yesterday and talked over the
case with DIR. Fitch. Mr. DE Witt said
his friend was perfectly rational Ell att
subjects except that of Masonry. aud
thai Saltus had besought him TO buy him
some new clothes.
Just buy me suit of clothes and I'll
get position" said the patient, and the
lawyer promised he would do so.
Mr.. De Witt said his friend was not
dissipated. and that II was his shiftless-
ness which had caused his downfall
Richard Saltus Is connected with the
Banks and Fish families. OF this city. the
Tudors. of Boston. and many others. and
is FIRST cousin Of DIR. Lewis Rutherford
Morris, of No. 155 West Fifty-eighib
street. who last year married the daugh-
ter OF United states Senator William a.
Clark. OF Montana. He is also cousin
of Edgar Saltus, a writer.