The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-12-03
DEATH REVEALS
HIS DUAL LIFE
ONCE PROMINENT LAWYER, DIS
APPEARS FROM HOME
AFTER DlsBARMENT.
LATER + FOUND BY SISTER
In Book Store Living as a RecIuse--.
Changed Name From Sawyer"
TO Smith" and Was Lost
Sight Of BY Friends

New Bedford, Mass, Dec. 2.-After
living practically two lives. one as d
prominent lawyer respected citizen
and honored soldier. and the other al
la recluse and seller of second hand
books In locality far from his native
home, and preserving In both two
| names as different as are the two
| lives, George Yeaton Sawyer, or. as
he was known in later years, VIII.
liam J. Smith, died at the Emergency
General hospital in New Bedford.
Sawyer was connected with one Of
the Oldest and wealthiest Nashua. N.
f.. families. the son of supreme
court justice OF that state. and was
possessed Of an independent fortune
in banking institutions In New York
and Baltimore.
As Smith practically lived In his
little dusty bookshop which for the
last five years he had kept in the
busiest part of New Bedfo d. mi er
apparently in the braadesf anse of
the word. ii his early career he was
educated as lawyer and made his
mark early In manhood.
AS Smith he lived his last year civ.
ing up all Of his former wealth ana
position and content to live from
hand to mouth, never urging the pur-
chase of his ware and preses wing to
all men the outward appearance Of
an ill-natured miser Of the old school.
Sister Keeps His Secret.
The discovery Of Sawyer's iientitv
was made through his sister. Mrs. Il.
r. Hubbard. TO whom as Smith h,
had been made known some t.ma.
She was the only member OF the
family n whom he would confile and
some time ago when after a long alb
senca she discovered him In his book
store In New Bedford she promised
10 keep his secret. leaving word with
a New Bedford business man that she
was to be notified If anything hap.
pened to- Mr.. snsffh
AT his home in Fairhaven he was
terribly burned by the overturniag or
an alcohol lamp in his apartments
and died later at the hospital His
life story which ne kept from all
New Bedford neighbors. was np to
that time a deep secret and his old
friends in Nashua. N. H., had long
given him up as lost
George Yeaton Sawyer, .Tr.. was
born sxty-eight years ago in New
VI a m TQ Ii Fat
ton, was one of the foremost lawyers
Of northern New England and was
wealthy enough TO give his sons the
best education. George Yea on. Jr..
went to Yale and later. returning TO
Nashua. studied law in his fathers
office. His grandfather, leading
banker of the state, was also interest
I'd in the young man. and in both the
aw and in the banking business he
wa prominent.
Shot by Jealous Husband.
The law firm conducted the defense
N the famous Major Murier trial. In
dress young Sawyer was the Beau
Bummel Of the city.
Shortly after being admitted TO the
oar he became involved II a sensa.
ioral divorce case in which DR. James
:. Whiitle. at that time The most
prominent physician in Nashua. met
lin in the street, snot and seriously
him.
Sawyer married Mrs. Whlttle later.
IS soon as the doctor got divorce.
;he was one Cf the most beautiful
women of the state, and Sawyer for
ears shOwered every sort of luxury
pom her. The affection waned. and
irs Sawyer for years has been spp
iorted by the Sawyer sisters. Miss
lara H. Sawyer. Of Nashua. aud Mrs.
:. f. Hubbard. of Tifin. Ohio.
Sawyer continued the practice of
Nv until 1884. when his father was
uried. On the day OF the burial
harges leading to disbarmeut were
rought against George Yeatcn Sac
er. Jr. in the New Hampshire courts
hese charges were proven.
From that time Sawyer appeared 70
e a broken man. He aged rapidly.
nd although he was less taan 60
hen he left Nashua, eight years age.
] appearance he was much older.
sylng the face and hguje Of a pa
iarch
spouted Classics in Street
He had h's bookstore in tha- city.
here he sold dime novels side hy
de with old copies Of Virgil and
omer and dust-cOvered classics. His
assical learning grew TO be a mania
a way and at times be stood about
.e street comers reciting page after
age of old Greek and Latin.
Eight years ago Unexpectedly he
f. Nashua and later. afer three
iars spent no one knows where or