The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-06-19
SLEPT on Cot TO Save Rent He
Was Found a Corpse.
LIFE OF MISERY AND PERJURY.
Left Propsy 10 The Value Of $4,000
and Divorced Wife Is Nov After
the Wealth.

New York. June ls.-Camille Lemoine's 6
starved life came to an end In the dark
hours OF yesterday morning. He died as
he had lived for years alone. He Stunned
human society. not because he hated II.
but because he was weary or II! Money In
terested him He devoted all his time TO
accumulating money. He lived for II. He
cared for nothing else.
Lemoine was born In France ffty-four
years ago. The very few neighbors with
whom he exchanged a few words near his
basement home at IS West Houston
street have a hazy idea that he fought
for France In the war with Prussia.
He was n fine engraver and maker OF
the tools. dies etc. used In stamping and
manufacturing artificial flowers He had
lived for a score OF years In the old
french quarter. near which the factories
Of the artificial flower makers abound.
Somewhere In the French quarter he be-
came acquainted with Mathilde La Fevre
twelve years ago. He loved her and per-
suaded her TO marry him. They went to
the City Hall on July "A. 1890 with two
Witnesses and Justice Simon NJ. Ehrlich.
81 the city court, married them.
NO TINE FOR HONEYMOON.
Mr.. and Mrs. Lemoine wasted no time
on q wedding journey. He had his busi-
ness 10 look after, and he could not lose
opportunities for making money and add
Ing TO the mortgages and real estate he
owned in and near Hoboken She endured
his sordid manner OF living for five years
Then she left him.
Lemoine hired the basement at 65 West
Houston street five years ago. He paid
| f35 a month rent for II. This was a great
| deal Of money OF course, 30 he partition
| A on ,lx1 90 hA
Wooster street side and sublet II TO Phil
lp s. Reiss, a plumber In the remainder
Of the basement, space about twenty
feet square, he set up his shop and his
home ell In one He cooked his own meals
and boasted he could live on Is cents a
day
His only diversion was In riding a bi-
cycle. on which he took solitary trips out
on Long Island or over I'm New Jersey,
where he enjoyed looking at the property
he owned and that on which he had
mortgages and hoped some day TO own.
ILLNESS FOLLOWED DIVORCE.
Lemoine sued his wife for divorce in the
supreme court last December. Mrs. Le-
| moine and a man named Freund were the
only witnesses Justice German gave a
decree in favor OF Lemoine. He was neith-
er elated nor depressed. He was rid OF
her; that was all.
FROM the tlme the divorce was Brdnteu
Lemolne fell into III health. He lost the
fierce energy with which he used 10 heat
and weld and fuse and mould the metals.
To his attorney, Joseph Il. Solomon, OF
| 1872 Nassau street, Lemoine confided that
he would presently take n vacation trip
10 France. and that he would undoubted-
| iy return TO his shop we'll and strong The
lawyer urged him 20 make his will. Le-
moine laughed
"I am far from that" he said.
But he called on Dr. Berg In Seventh
street who made a long and careful ex-
animation.
you have either a tumor or cancer OF
the stomach" said DR.. Berg IF you will
meet me at 4 o'clock Wednesday after
noon at Mount Sinai hospital. we will
have an X-ray photograph made and find
out just what your trouble Is"
| Lemoine promised 10 meet the doctor at
the hospital. But he never did. He was
found dead in his shop the next morning
as above stated
NOW SHE WANTS HIS MONEY.
Soon after noon a tall, thin woman with
black hair ebowed through the throng OF
school children gaping down at the closed
windows.
IT am his wife" she said. Where is
his money! want his money. Give me
his money" II was the former Mrs. Le-
| moine She soon went away.
| The police sent TO the coroner's Office
rs that they found In Lemoine's pock-
cts, gold watch and pair OF opera
glasses.
They could not open pair Of safes that
he had hewn with infinite labor In the
stone foundation OF the house and fasten-
ed with an ingenious system of steel bars
and complicated locks. Here. according 10
an intimate friend. the old man had stored
$1,000 In cash.
He preferred TO be his own banker. His
New Jersey property Is worth $4,000 His
only relative Is brother living In France.
Nobody knows who will bury him.