The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-05-06
AQsd Adolf Schaap Devoted
Himself to His Machine.
LOST Wife AND FRIENDS
Ne Worked for Years and Spent His Every
Cent on a Perpetual Motion
Contrlvance.

Nav York May 6-Wrung with the
awonies OF rheumatism. an old man who
na. sacrificed wife. family. friends and
almost life itself during the last ~ years
70 perfect the machine In which he be-
nsvss ne has embodied perpetual motion
Me- on a bed In Bellevue hospltai,
pauper. Though his faith In his discov-
sry amounts to a mania, there are many
r~adv 70 swear that Adolf Schaap is no
umdman.
.IIe is as rational as am" said Magis-
arate Crane when he came from his bed
sfde last Saturday. Great tears stoou
An his eyes and in Schaap's hand was
the bill ne had gently placed there az
parting. II was shortly arter ms ss'l W.
that the old man was taken TO Beie-
vue.
and other odds and ends I'm his late home
Yesterday the faded armchair IN which
the inventor worked and the black cnest
An which his idol Is locked away were
Ill that remained or his patieht suussre
for the unattainable.
.rSraxv schaap'' they called him In the
Nttle community OF Germans among
whom ne has lived for more than two
wears. hammering, hammering away In
h,s uttle two-room apartment on the frst
noor OF SAG East Fifty-fourth street.
III was Mrs. Barbara Kumar, the Jani-
tress. who gave the last dramatic touch
e. the rsathetic case Entering the room
~ offer Schaap some nourishment one
dav she beheld the inventor leaning for
ward I'm his chair with a delighted smile.
while round and round the room raced
the strange little mechanical device ne
had given his life 10. Springing UP
angrily at the interruption. the Ola man
thrust the machine hastily into closet
ia. l,4s aefonighed visitor
When Miss Hopkins. OF the Charity Or
SANITATION society investigated the case
ehe Interested Magistrate Crane In sen
o.n.s Might. and II was he who notined
gupt. Merwin, OF the Outdoor Poor de-
partment
Adofr schaap is Hungarian OF So, VINO
has been In this country 40 years. ana
wa. originally thrifty and successful as
= worker In wrought iron. Then the
craze for perpetual motion got possession
of him.
would never say. but among the litter
OF letters and papers In his late home
Yesterday was n postal from his daugn-
ter Theresa, now Mrs. Mueller. under
date of 1887 giving him word of change
OF residence OF her mother and herself
She addressed him coldly as Father.
ana signed herself Your respectful
daughter" His one son Schaap confessed
he had lost sight OF long ago. and when
two years ago the news OF his wfe's
death reached him he only sighed and
hammered the harder at the machine that
had taken the place of all his kindred.
p. waslovek, countryman. has been
faithful In his attendance 10 Schaap
throughout his helplessness. Together
last Friday they took the precious ma
chine to pieces and packed II In the
chest in which IT will be transported to
the aimshouse when its creator goes
there to end his days.
For every dollar you give me now"
cried the old man to one who befriended
him. "you will get back one thousand"
To Mrs. Kumar. whom he found SYM
pathetic, Schaap, running his fingers
through his thin white hair, would say;
1T Is for the people this invention OF
mine. They will be able 20 get every
thing so much cheaper Then life will
not be so hard. Take heart-you will
see"
The machine is said to be shaped some
what like an automobile and the latest
model--for he has constructed many-is
about foot In length.