The Washington times., 1910-04-27
New Workers Wear Rags,
Eat Scraps, and Col
lect Junk.
INQUIRY INTO SANITY
OF WOMAN ORDERED
Niece Is PetitiOner-ACCuSeS
Man of Taking Aunt's
Money

NEW YORK, April 27--Behind the ap-
pofntment by Supreme Court Justice
Blanchard Of a jury 20 inquire into the
mental condition Of Henrietta Chap
peu. Of west 1S1st street, Is the
rema rkable charge that a family
of three persons has for years lived
in a state OF miserIiness, eating IN
sufficient food and clothing themselves
in what are described as rags al
though possessing 800 90 Nathaniel A
E,isberE was appointed g commissioners
10 INQUIRE with a sheriff's jury into Miss
Char pslTs mental condition on the ap-
pIica,iGn Of Ee- niece, Bessie A klddle-
II was asserted in court by Mrs Kid
dies attorneys, Mayer < Gilbert, that
her mother, Mrs Emma Chappell, and
her brother. William ChappeI. who died
last February within a few days OF
each other, were misers, and that her
aunt IS a greater miser than either OF
them.
IN her petition, Ms. KIddle says that
she had not seen her aunt for many
years until 1895, when the latter lived
with her mother and brother in Pike
street Mrs KiddIe adds:
Says HeatIy Got $4,000.
Through the efforts OF my family
they were removed to an apartment on
Lexington avenue While living at
Lexington avenue q nan named George
w. HeatIy, who was not a relative, be-
gan to call, and 7 am informed by M
Gilbert one Of my counsel, that be-
tween July. 1853, and February, 1910, he
managed to get from Heurietta's moth
CT and sister upward Of $4,000 which
he procured on mortgages Of real prop
erty belonging 10 them. the amounts
loaned being far in excess OF any pos
sibIe basis OF value Of the property
shortly before the death Of Henriet-
ya'E mother HearIv induced them TO
mortgs &c the house to which they az
terwari moved. in l8lst street, for 3, o11
and then promptly proceeded TO
borrow 5000 OF IL, which, I am In
formed. he afteTWard induced Henrietta
10 sign q note for a certain amount I
have asked her about IL, but she does
not know what she signed
she now lives in the house in 131st
street, which she says. was purchased
oy her mother and brother
What Doctor Says
7 have observed her for four OF five
years and aIIeEc that she is not able 10
care for herself or her affairs and viii
sign papers Ior anybody who may In
Eratfate himself with her. without know
ing what she is signing she viii not
take proper food unless compelled to-
In 81 aCComDa1yiEC affidavit Dr. Per
}lius, Of West I31st street. says he first
met tire Chapel family during the last
illness Of William Chapel and found
the family very peculiar The mother.
GT- Perkins says. was about ninety
years Old her son seventy and the
daughter sevenry-rWO-
Tor "a --r- --r-
sisted that her mother was rot I'll and
S1Ouio not be put 20 bed. and contested
my right 10 have the mother put 10 bed
Sle impressed me rs being uea krniuda,f
Her brain does not seem 10 have de-e1-
ODeG and she seems 10 act ike a child
state without reSerVa ton that she is
not naruTed IN mind and that she has
not mental capacity 10 take care Of her
self or her affairs"
Merlyn H Evans OF ia East 18th
street In a long affidavit says he became
and uEahle to walk Unassisred in Octo-
her. 1903
- found Henrietta-s face looked as II
she had never had IL washed her
clothes were in RAGS saws Evans
The roor- he says. was covered with
old rags. bottles papers. and bags
found the other rooms in the aua IT
ment in the same condition ne adds
y also found in FTeurieLta's room uieCpz
OF stale bread cake pie and decayed
fruit cleaned uD the new house
Scraps for Puddings-
Henrietta had q mania for saving all
sorts Of ridiculous articles The vzri-
Gus ass0rJmeuts OF Junk found on the
floor OF her room Al the Lexington
avenue house left there. and when she
found that they had not been brought
10 the new house she raised a terrible
row and Immediately began collecting a
similar assortment
Evans says Mrs Merritt, who looked
after the women. brought some cloth
fug and dressing sacks for them, but
as soon as she left they took the new
clothes off and put OF their old rags.
coDcealnE the new ones
Henrietta told me- continued Evans
THAT she intended TO make buildings out
OF the bits OF stale bread cake old pie
and fruit she had collected She told
ne when tried 10 clean the carpet
that was wearing II out She always
complained that I was spending too
much money The total expense OF
keeping the household. including myself,
Mrs Merritt. and Bertha Willis, was
never more than 81 10 = 20 a day
''OnCe 7 bought a shirt for William
for S cents and Henrietta kicked I'D a
row and said could have got II for 49
cents"
How Time Was Spent
Describing how the aged woman spent
her time each day. Evans says that on
swaking she would go 10 a window.
pull up the shade and do up her hair in
Fun view Of the passers-by- She would
then have a cup Of coffee and a cracker
for breakfast and then would get out
Tot of her old rags and sit by the
window stitching them together until
dinner After she mad eaten sDarLngly-
the stitching would be kept up until
she went 10 bed
Referring to the death Of William
ChappeI on Sunday, March s last,
Evans says
As soon as Henrietta heard he was
dead she told me 10 run upstairs and
get his vest. as there was some money
IN il. 7 found s. bill and a watch,
which gave her William Chappe1I
was buried on Wednesday. March q,
and neither his mother nor sister went
10 the funeral"
Concluding. Evans saws Miss Chan
nell owns stock and bonds and has
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