The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-22
SPEND THRIFTS AND
STRANGE MISERS
Woman Starved to Death With
One Million
FAME OF COAL OIL JOHNNY
American People as Whole Are Be-
ginning to Realize Value Of Saw
lng-Swlss Who Left
Strange Will.
FAME OF COAL OIL JOHNNY

Strange Will.
New York. April a.-(special) 1.-THE old
fashioned mlser, who denies himself food
and clothing and lives in squalid sur
roundings while boarding great riches. is
still with us. Attention has recently been
called to his presence by two extraordi--
nary cases which astonished the metro
polls. The first instance was that of
Thomas McNally, an East Side ragpicker
who was found dead In the street with
twenty-nlne bank books strapped to his
body. representing deposits of about $45.-
900. He, together with his sister, had
lived for years In tenement to which
the wretched pair brought at night the
loads of rags and bottles which they
had spont the day in collecting. When
the sister died, MeNally refused to allow
the undertaken to put black cloth on
the door in token of mourning. at costs
too much, he said.
1t appears that McNally had inherited
$4,000 from his father who was a junk
dealer, and had scattered 1t about In
several savings banks, adding new ones
to the list when his various accounts
passed the $1,000 limit for deposits. Yet,
with all this money at command he is
supposed to have lived-if 1t can be called
living-on nothing but bread and water.
The case of Maria Corsa is even more
surprising. This woman. with fully ST.
900, 600, and with 100000 in bills. gold and
silver locked UP in her secretary ac-
tually died of starvation in the old family
mansion ON Morris avenue, where she had
lived as a recluse for thirty-four years
never stirring outside Of her own grounds.
Miserliness was an inherited trait with her,
since her father, mother and uncle all
boarded their wealth, spending money
only for necessities. When a girl Miss
Corsa Is said TO have been forbidden to
marry a penniless young man upon whom
she had set her heart; and her dsap-
polntment brought out the family faint,
leading to a wretched life and miser-
able death.
Stories in Vogue.
People love strong contrasts; and to
offset these examples of ayarice, stories
about great spendthrifts are now town
talk. The visit of "Scotty." the suddenly
enriched miner of Death Valley Cali
fornia, is still fresh in the minds of
New Workers, who are, however, of the
opinion that his attempts at wasting
money fell far below the standard set
years ago by the famous Goal OIL
johnny This name whose real name was
John Washington Steele inherited from
his aunt. when q years of age a large
fortune in cash and securities and a roy
atty on all the oil produced on the family
farm at Venango county, Pennsylvania
At the same time lie was offered 81 100000
for the property, receiving $4,000 earnest
money.
The young man completely lost his
head. Accompanied by a friend he went
to Philadelphia, where his hotel bill
amounted to $4,000 for the five months
he stayed in that city. In one dav he
spent 100000 He Set up a fine carriage
adorned with a painting representing an
oil well, which ne gave to his coachman
when he left town, in consequence of
taking fancy TO the members Of a GER
tam minstrel troupe. He bought an in
terest in the show and squandered money
upon the members for suppers costing s5ns
10 SlOo1 each 1t was during his connec-
ton with this company that he Used to
buy hacks, take short drives in them and
then give them 70 the drivers. A. one
time he rented whole hotel fo- one dav
at cost of $4,000. everything IN the house
being free while his lesseeshp laste..
Was Soon Ruined.
Ot course, such crazy axtraVagnEce
could bring about hut one result, and
In short time Steele was ruined. He be-
came railroad baggage master and sta
ton agent on western road. At LIST
accounts he was living on farm In Penn
sylvania.
Fortunately the majority of Ameri-
cans steer middle course between sordid
miserlfness on one side and insane prod
igality on the other. They know the
power of compound interest and invest
their savings in such a manner as TO get
the advantage Of 1t. In New York CITY
alone the trust companies hold deposits
amounting to the enrmous total of 1861. :
46l $50. An officer OF the Trust Company
OF America said recently, in speaking of
the growing tendency of the public TO
flace its earnings where money will make
money:
Very few persons have any idea of the
way any particular sum of money will
increase when its earnings are steadily
added to the principal The most re-
markable case I'm point is that of the
Thelusson estate In England which led
to the passing a special enactment by
parliament in order to prevent the recur-
renee of what amounted to a crime against
the pubic good. although It could not be
placed In any recognized category of Won
derful acts.
Left Remarkable Will.
This man. who was of Swiss descent.
settled in London. as merchant and
succeeded so well in business that when
he died, in 1897. his estate amounted to
G6O0'O00 or 100000. His will. which was
perhaps the most extraordinary docu-
ment of the kind ever known after Ieay-
ing 91O0,000 to his wife and children. tied
the In true ri IA