New-York tribune., 1910-08-16
END OF ENNTFUL LIFE
Miss Mary HammeI, Who Had
Given Away Fortune, Buried.
ONCE SAVED FROM STARVING
Granddaughter of Philip Freneau,
Whom Irving Called Bark
ing Dog of Revolution

Miss Mary HammeI eiEhty-one years Old.
a. granddaughter OF Philip Freneau. the
Revolutionary poet and editor. was buried
yesterday afternoon in the Hann1el family
plot in Mount Olivet Cemetery, .EiHnhrrst
Long Island. The service was read in a
mortuary chapel in E.lmhurst by the Rev
Edward ]. McGuTey. of St Jamess Epis-
eopal Church OF that place. before a few
old friends of the Hammel family.
At the time of her death in the Central
Islip State Hospital on Saturday afternoon.
Miss Hammei was possessed OF fVe-siAth
interest in two lots. with houses on them.
in Walnut street, Winfield. These, valued
at about $3.50. and approximately s29o
worth of personal property, will go to her
heirs, who have inherited the other one
sixth interest from her sister. Agnes W.
Leadbeater
Tn heirs are Mrs. Euphemia Blatchford.
of Ridgewood. n. J.; Mrs Katherine L.
Biddle. of No 1884, Clinton street Brooklyn.
and Mrs Mary Ann Harris, of Sparkhili.
Rockland County-children of Agnes Lead
beater-and her grandchildren. John Des
Raismes, Edward H. Leadbeater, OF Brook
Iyn; Eleanor Noel L.eadbeater, of Tacoma.
Washington; Clarence Sweeney. of No %
Fairview avenue. Jersey City; Miss Agnes
Sweeney, Of Ridgewood, n J., and the
children of Mrs. Katherine Drum, who died
some years ago in Sparkhill.
Once Had Great Wealth.
Although brought up in the surroundings
Of a wealthy and intellectual family III
the New York of the second quarter OF
the last century, Miss Hammel spent the
later years of her life in comparative pow
erty. The circumstances attending her de-
clining years We're made more pathetic oy
the fact that friends succeeded IN having
some of her property restored 10 her ana
toward the close of last year the condltloh
of her mind improved so much that plans
were made for her leaving the Central ISllp
asylum. On December 81, 1909 however Siie
suffered a stroke of apoplexy and decineo
rapidly from that time.
Philip F'reneau whose attacks on WASH
ington caused him TO be dubbed the BARK
ing Dog Of the Revolution by Washing
ton Irving, died in 1892. at the age OF
eighty. leaving a large estate, part ol
which became vested in Miss Hammel
through her mother. who was Helen fre-
neau before marriage Hammers station
at Rockawav Beach was named for ner
father.
In 1S7q Miss HammeI went TO Ninfelo
with her sister Sarah. They establ1shed
themselves in an old-fashioned house OF
tho family in Walnut street Sarah died
soon. and Mary came under the ln1uenc e
~ a woman who induced her TO turn over
almost all her money and real estate, sup
posedly for phf1anthropic purposes
Nothing was heard of Miss Hammel for
several months One day Miss Clarkson-
of Flushing. went TO the house known as
the Texido mansion, which she had rented
70 Mrs caroline Allen. TO collect her rent.
There was no answer to her ring As she
was going away an en7aciated face ap-
paared at window. It was that or
woman. who made piteous gestures of ap-
peal
Found Starving in House.
Miss Clarkson hurried away and got
friend TO accompany her TO the house Ihe
doors and windows were all locked oul
the women broke one of the latter ana
passed a loaf of bread to the solitary h1-
man occupant of the sixteen-room house.
They informed the Poor Officer. who broke
in the door. The entrances to the room n
which the mysterious woman was found
were all nailed and the door had one end
Of A clothes line tied to the knob and the
other to a bolt in the wall.
The prisoner, who was a public charge
until she revealed her identity-for she was
Miss HammeI-was clad in a thin black
dress when the officer entered. In one cor
ner of the room was pile OF straWilke
stuff resembling dried grass clippings, on
which Il dog-litt1e more than skin and
bones-lay quivering. Miss Hammel said
that she had been without food for week,
and the avidity with which she had eaten
part of the loaf left her by Miss Clarkson
bore out the statement.
Miss HamneI was taken back to the VIM
field home and was cared for by frienis
amid her former surroundings. Some OF
the acquantances OF her earlier days in
terested themselves On her behalf ana
suits were instituted which resulted in the
restoration of the house in Walnut street
The trouble which Miss flannel had un-
dergone weakened her mind. and friends
had John T. Robinson. now public admin
istrator of Queens County, take charge OF
her affairs Two years ago she was
knocked down by an automobile The ac-
cident so unbalanced her reason that she
was committed to the Central Islip Asylum,
where she remained until her death.