The times., 1901-06-19
FOUND In 4 DEN OF FILTH
A Woman twenty-five Years In
sane Rescued by Police.
Mary II. Renncr Sent to the Asylum
-PitinbIc Plight in Which she Was
Discovered by the AuthOritics-A
Terrible State of Affairs Remedicd

| Terrible state of Affairs Remedicd
| \ filthy room of the three-story brick
| house, 1927 Fourth Street northwest. has
| for years been the home of Mary Ball
| Renner, now forty-two years Of age. De
| scended from famous old Virginia fami-
| y, the woman, whose mind is a total
| blank and who was yesterday removed
in pitiable condition to st. Elizabeth 5
| Asylum for the Insane, was once beauti-
| full and attractive. Twenty-Five years ago
| she was a belle, and had many admirers.
Yesterday amid squalcr. without cloth
| ing, and attended only by her aged moth
| er, Mrs. Cornelia Ball Austin, she pre-
sented a sight eduaIed only by death it
self
No such story has been told in this
city as that presented at the home of
| the Renners. Nine years ago this sum
! mer the family appeared in the quiet
neighborhood in which they live. They
took possession of the residence. which
| had been left to William B. Renner and
his sister. Mary Ball Renner, the un-
! fortunate woman, by their father, Samuel
| Renner. some years before. Prior to
| moving from their former home, 324
Four-and-a-hal Street northwest, Mrs.
Renner. already past the prime Of life
I had married a second time. V. Gage
Austin was her husband. Together with
mother and children came LaIly Renner
and Mainline Renner. her sisters, aunts
of the children, who appear to have lived
in seclusion for years.
Mystery hovered over the home of the
family. to which none gained admittance,
except Theophilus f. Mills, a son of the
late Clark Mills. who makes his home
with the Renners.
Steps to abate what neighbors claim
was nuisance led yesterday to the dis
covery of horrible conditions. An in
spector of the Health Department called
at the house shortly after noon. that he
might investigate a complaint as to the
house and its occupants. The Second
precinct police Were also there, and an
investigation was made. In front room
on the third story was found Mary Rem
ner. She crouched low in a corner; her
eyes stared vacantly, and she said moth
ing. Not a shawl even covered her emac-
lated form, which for years had been
wasting away under strain of illness and
surroundings of the worst kind She be-
held the intruGers, the Health Office Of
ficials and the police. while her mother,
ninety-one years of age, stood tottering
by. The room was a hole Of filth, breed
ing disease and death.
Theophilus F. Mills, who says he is a
sculptor, was appealed to by the police
for information of the woman, her con-
dition, and friends. Mills said he had
lived with the family for years; he had
advised removal of Mary Renner to an
institution, but had met with refusal from
the family.
The ambulance was summoned. while
the Health Department made preparations
to clean and disinfect the premises. Years
had elapsed since the house had been
cleaned. Within the odor was sickening.
Preparations to remove the woman from
the house were hurriedly completed by
Sergeant Sprinkle, although objection was
met with on the part of Mrs. Austin. Eff
forts to explain the matter to the aged
mother brought about a reconciliation in
some measure and she assented finally to
the change
Hundreds of people had meanwhile gath
cred about the dwelling NeighbOrs had
stood in awe for years of the Renner
and crowded up TO the steps OF the little
porch of the dwelling. The police kept
guard before the residence until the ar
rival of the ambulance
a shawl and a blanket We're procured
TO wrap about the form of the unfortunate
woman. AS the police entered the room
she crouched in the same posture as when
first discovered. Over the floor Of the
room was a heavy coating of dirt; in one
corner a rickety bed. the covering of
which was reekinS with filth, in another
corner Il chair, and few old, musty pic
lures hanging on the walls. Mrs. Aus
tin preceded the police into the room.
She tOttered 10 the side of her daughter.
The shawl and then the blanket were
thrown about the emaciated form, and
Policemen Smith and Tompkins carried
the woman downstairs, between lines OF
curious spectators and out TO the street
She was placed in the ambulance and tax
en- TO the asylum.
Neighbors told yesterday Of the resi-
deHce of the Renuers in years gone by.
There are those who say that Mary Rem
ner fell in love while vet VOung only to
that mind and body alike began TO give
way under this strain: that insanity re-
suited, and that for twenty-five years she
has lived the life of a TeclESe- About a
year ago Theophilus Mills consulted Drs.
hewitt and Battle. at the request Of Mrs.
Austin, mother of the unfortunate woman.
Both physicians called at the house, and
We're admitted on one occasion. At the
time Mary Renner was in a pitiable state,
and little could be done for her. When the
physicians called again they did not gain
admttance to the house.
Nobody has yet explained what has
become Of man who barled at passers-
by from windows of the dwelling, as late
as Few months ago. Miss Mary Foley,
whose home adJoins that of the Reuners
on the north, says she has seen this
being, whose identity and whereabouts
are dlikt uuhHO"I- NJn SQHGdE AFTER
noon last Miss Foley says positively she
saw the man at a window Of the Renner
home Mrs Jenkins, living at ll25
Fourth Street northwest next door on
the south to the house of mystery, has
cOrroborated this statement.
A reporter talked yesterday with
The0philus Mills. Mills is about sixty
I'VE years old. He said his life had been
in danger, because he once suggested the
removal Of Mary Renner to an asylum
Not alone Mrs. Austin, mother of the Wo-
man, but Lally and Nannine Reuner 5
well, according To Mills, were determined
to keep the unfortunate woman with
them.
4 have reasoned with the woman"
Mills said. Since William y. Reuner
died, more than year ago, things have
been going from bad to worse. He was
a brother of Mary Rcuuer; he cared for
her. Lally and Nannins Reuuer appear in
capable of doing anything toward i'm
prOyemont, while Mrs. Austin is too old
apparently. TO change matters at all. so
we have lived on in this fashion; that is
all"
Mary Renner was admitted to St Eliz-
aheth's Asylum for the Insane shortly
after o'clock last night She was placed
in ward and was carefully examined
by Drs. Slack and Richardson. Neither
physician would express an opinion last
night. beyond verifying the statement
made earlier in the day by DR.. Vale, Of
the Police Department, that the woman
was insane. Or. Vale visited the house
Yesterday afternoon.