The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-11
DIED As He LIVED
Robert McGinnis, a Wealthy
Recluse, Dies Alone.
Body Is Found on Floor by a
NeighbOr.
MUCH MONEY IN THE ROOM
Had Been CareIessly Left About
the Building.
Evidence That Death Was Due
to Sudden Stroke.
MUCH MONEY IN THE ROOM

died as he lived He was found dead
in his home at 900 Monroe street
about o'clock Sunday afternoon by
J. J. Currie who lives at 904 Monroe
street. The man, who was about 73
years of age, was found in a recI1n-
ing posture, sitting on the floor ana
leaning on one elbow and his head
resting on stick of wood. He mad
been dead for some time, as his BODY
was frozen.
It is believed that McGinnis died
sometime Thursday afternoon. Charles
| IlirnrnonS who is employed at the
George Hackney residence across the
street, is probably the last man to
have seen McGinni5 alive and that
was about o'clock Thursday after
! noon.
Mr.. Curry, who lives at 9o4 Monroe
street, which property belonged to
| McGinnis, found the body of the aged
| recluse. Sunday his attention was
called to the fact that several copies
| of the daily papers were lying on the
/ sidewalk where they had been thrown
| by the carriers. lie went over to the
house and finding the doors I'M
| looked he walked in. The body of the
aged man was lying on the floor.
Mr.. Curry notified the police and
| the office of H. w. Bomgardner, the
coroner. On account of the illness
| of the coroner, M. S. Laycock, a jus
tice of the peace, as acting coroner,
answered the summons and viewed the
| body. Detectives VoileS and Golf of
the police department answered the
call. None of the party was able to
| discover anything that would indicate
! foul play of any character and all
agreed that his death was sudden and
| probably caused by heart trouble of
| some character.
| Robert McGinnis, who was familiar
| " known as Bobbie, was a familiar
! character on the streets. He was
wealthy and owned several pieces of
valuab property in Topeka. He had
never married, did not take any in
| terest in affairs of any character ex-
cepting his own business. He was ex-
| ceedingly deaf and this is probably
one of the reasons he shrank from
associates of any character.
For many years he has lived in
| two-room cottage at 800 Monroe
| street. Owing to his eccentricities and
lonesome life, his existence excited
little more than passing comment
| from his neighbors and others who
knew him. He was seen on the street
| frequently with a wheelbarrow or with
pruning forks. He spent much of his
time at his home reading or at work
in making repairs on some of the
property which he owned. In the
| summer he raised a small garden in
| the rear of the lot where he lived.
He worked in this garden. He raised
a few Strawberries on the lot, which
| he sold during season.
Had Much Property.
In addition to the property at 900
and 904 Monroe street, he owned a
| house at Eleventh and Taylor streets,
| two at Fifth and Taylor streets and a
number of others in different parts of
| the city.
While he lived a secluded life. and
! enjoyed none but the bare necessities
of life, he loved books and spent much
of his time in reading. A large coleC-
ton of books of different character
were found in his rooms.
Money aggregating about $500 was
| found in his home by Acting Coroner
| Laycock and the police officers. Thirty
| five three $40 bills and one So gold
piece was found in a drawer in the
book case. A pocketbook in another
drawer contained two SIS bills. while
| three 50 bills were found in another
drawer. One So gold piece was found
among some iron washers and buttons
in another drawer. Two $40 gold pieces,
| three SO gold pieces and tWenty-One So
gold pieces were found in a small
pasteboard box behind some bourd
volumes of a magazine. On top of the
| bookcase under some old straw ha IS
We're found four silver dollars. Bank
books or certificates of deposit of any
character could not be found. He is
/ known to have been a man who did
not believe in depOsiting his money in
| banks and seldom loaned any on in
/ tereSt.
He Had a Sister
| 1T is reported that he had been sup
| porting a sister and her husband in
! KirkWood, Ill. An envelope with the
address w. E. Brown of Kirkwood, III.
was found on table, also a letter
written by a. niece, Mrs. Anna Graham,
Jefferson, Ia. The officers have notified
| these persons of the death of the aged
| man.
| Tax receipts on property aggregat-
| ing at least $4,000 were found among
| his belongings and number of othsr
| papers of value which showed that he
owned other property.
| Mr.. McGinnis was struck by a street
car on the West Eighth avenue line
! several months ago and was picked up
| by DR. H. W. Conner but there was
no evidence at that time of any in
| jury which might have caused his
death at this time
DIR. Conner made an examination to
ascertain if he had been murdered.
Two depressions were found on the
left side of the head but it is thought
that he may have received these by
falling against the stove corner of the
wall or against the stove wood which
was lying on the floor. A light
scratch on the right arm near the ell
bow was also found but none of these
were thought to be evidence of foul
play of any character. There was moth
ing to indicate that any other person
had been in the house
The doors were found unlocked and
everything in the house appeared to be
in perfect order. The fact that money
was found distributed in different parts
of the house and apparently in a reck-
less manner is believed by the officers
to be sufficient to warrant nothing OF
the kind and they do not think that
he was robbed.
Mr.. McGinnis usually wore overalls, |
boots and a SLOUGH hat. In the sum
7Ar- time he n