Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1912-02-24
LOTS OF GOOD HIS
MONEY WAS TO HIM
SAM HASLETT, HERMIT MILL
I0NAIRE, FOUND DYING
In new YORK.
Had Lived Alone for 25 Years-When
He Was Sick Recently, Authorities
Found Thousands of Dollars in Gold,
Silver and Currency Scattered With
Dirt All over the Floors.

New York-Samuel E. Haslett, the
hermit millionaire of Brooklyn, is dying
in his blouse of Mystery" at 1873
Remesen street, and the fact that he is
dying has opened for the first time in
25 years the mansion he occupied alone,
and revealed an amazing condition of
filth and dilapidation.
The magnifcently furnished house
was two inches thick with dust, and
$4,000 in currency, which Uttered the
floor, was swept into corners or lay
under thick flaments of dust in the
Railways. There were two bushels of
unopened mail overlooking from Antique
brass jardinieres, and letters and parcels
were tossed and heaped everywhere and
then never disturbed.
There were boxs and kegs of gold
and silver coins and there were thou
sands of rare books that had never been
opened, heaping the various rooms in
the great dismal dwelling.
1t was not by the will of the aged
Mr.. Haslett that the doors of his home
were opened to the outside world. After
his wife was burned to death, % years
ago, he sealed himeslf up in ; home,
and from that day until lasi Tuesday
night no foot other than his own ever
stepped inside of it. Tuesday night he
went to the home of his lawyer, John
b. Lord, to consult with him about the
estate of his sister, Miss Mary Sullivan
Haslett, who had died February 3 at
Cornwall, N. Y. Miss Haslett had left
him her great fortune and another
house of mystery" at Clinton and
Joralemon STREETS, Brooklyn
In all the years he looked after his
affairs Mr.. Lord had never been allowed
to enter the Haslett mansion. Mr.. Has
lett went to him either at his home or
his Offices Tuesday night the old man
was only lightly clad, and he suffered
from the cold. Both his feet froze and
he tumbled unconscious into the area
way of Mr.. Lord IS home. 1t was
through this accident that the Ramsen
street mansion was opened by others
than the owner.
Nurse Is Arrested.
George H. Decker, employed as a
nurse in the Brooklyn home of Samuel
E. Haslett, was arrested, charged with
conspiracy to defraud his employer out
of his property "by criminal means.
Attorney Frank II. Gardner, who, ac
cording to the alleged confession OF
Decker, drew up a will whereby Decker
was made the chief beneficiary of the
aged millionaire, also was arrested.
The arrest of Decker followed raiC
made on Haslett s residence when Chief
Magistrate Otto Kempner and two pc
licemen were obliged to batter down tn,
2 door to obtain admission, their obiec
being to ask about the alleged revoca
, ton by Haslett of his power of attorne,
held by John B. Lord, Haslett IS attor
ney for many years.
. Court at Bedside.
Holding court by the sick man s bed
side, Magistrate Kempner was told b,
Haslett he never had signed any powe
of attorney and that he supposed tina
Lord was still acting for him.
The magistrate then ordered the al
. rest of Decker, who afterward con
q fessed, according to the magistrate, no
only to the falsity of the power whic
gave to his alleged lawyer accomplic
9 full power over the millionaire s
bank account, but to having drawn u
4 will under which he received larg
i, share of his estate.
q Conditions that resulted in the il
=. vestigation and arrest were made pull
@ lie by a physician called to attend tn
a recluse.