New-York tribune., 1921-10-31
Mrs. Margaret Easton, so,
Found Dead i'm Richly
Furnished Brooklyn
House After Weeks Fast
Jewels and Cash
In Death Chamber
Had Locked Self in House
and Lived as Recluse.
After Losing Husband

surrounded by possessions worth more
than 100000. Cash and bank slips
found in the house totaled over $780,
600. Jewelry valued at $4,000 lay in a
bureau drawer.
Mrs. Easton was found sitting in a
rocking chair in the parlor Of her three
story frame dwelling a few minutes
after midnight Sunday morning by Otto
Stita. keeper of delicatessen shop at
LUZ Putnam Avenue, who told the police
the woman died of starvation.
Stita said he and his wife were the
only persons from whom Mrs. Easton,
living the life of recluse, had pur-
chased food during the last few years.
They had been unable to induce her to
take any nourishment since a week ago
last Saturday, Stita said. He made a
final visit to the Easton home after
midnight, but could get no answer to
his knocks on the window. Alarmed,
he forced the window and entered. Mrs.
Easton sat in her accustomed chair,
dead.
Bureau Laden With Riches
Stita notified DR.. J. S. Baldwin. of
493 Classon Avenue, who had been at
tending Mrs. Easton recently. DR.. Bald
win said she had been dead some
hours. He notified the Classon Avenue
police station and Detectives DAILY and
Donlin were dispatched to investigate.
Among the pieces of jewelry, all in old
fashioned settings, were two. brooches,
set with large diamonds; three bar pins,
also mounting diamonds; one stickpin,
set with twelve diamonds and an emer-
aid; two pairs of diamond earrings, one
old-fashioned gold watch in double
case, a circlet Of diamonds on the out
side case, and six diamond rings. Tho
stones in several Of the rings are Of
large size and, the police say, repre-
sent many thousands Of dollars in
value.
There were fifteen bankbooks in vari-
GUS receptacles about the house. Each
book covered a separate account, the
smallest being $4,000. The cash in
cluded twenty-seven fifty-dollar bills,
fifteen of twenty dollar denomination,
two ten-dollar notes. two fves and a. a.
two and half dollar gold piece, sep
arately wrapped in tissue paper. AL
though there was apparently no at
tempt on the part of Mrs. Easton to
conceal her wealth, search of the house
for further cash was continued under
direction Of the Police Department.
One handbook showing al account
opened in 1876 gave balance of ST.
900. Other bankbooks showed Mrs.
Easton to have cash balances in various
Manhattan banks totalling more than
$25O,00O.
Ten closets in the house were found
filled with gowns. fur garments and
mems clothing. The upper part Of the
residence gave evidence of having been
uninhabitated for many years. All the
rooms arc furnished in heavy maho9-
any and each appeared to have been
left in order when iast visited. Heavy
Vslencienpes hangings surround the
beds, two of which are canopied. To-
let articles of silver and ivory lay on
dressing tables in the several rooms on
two upper floors. All were tarnishcd
and over everything lay thick coat
of dust.
Many gowns, some of them silk, cut
in the fashion of 1880 to 1885, also
were taken in charge by the police. The
feminine apparel, which included dress
gowns of costly material, appeared to
indicate that Mrs. Easton formerly fig
ured as a belle of society. The costly
toilet articles found in various rooms
reinforced this belief.
Rccluse After Husbands Death
Stita, the delicatessen owner, in
statement to the police, said Mrs. Eas-
ton locked the upper two floors of her
home after the death of her husband,
said to have been president of Man
haitian insurance company, six years
ago. From that time on, ne said, the
The only tradespeople with whom she
They were compelled to pass her small
purchases of food through window.
She never opened the door of her home
"For years we have visited the old
lady just by talking with her through
window" Stita said. "My wife tried
to have her eat nourishing food we had
prepared for her during the last three
weeks when she had been seriously ILL.,
Mrs. Stita wanted to go and care for
her, but she would not open the door.
Friday | made determined at
tempt 20 iced MRS. EaSton. but she SAID
nothing was Of any use. Her stomach
had become useless, she said. DR..
Baldwin had written Mrs. Easton pre-
scriptions, but she told me she had
filled none of them. She said she was
going to die and there was no use fight
ing nature. We knew she was we'll off,
but did not imagine she was very
wealthy Just before midnight Satur-
day my wife told me to run over and
see if anything could be done for the
old lady. She did not respond to my
knocks. When | forced my way into
the house I found her dead. She had
eaten nothing for seven days"
DR.. j. S. Baldwin, in reporting Mrs.
Easton's death to the police, said she
died of natural causes. Dr. Baldwin
is said to have exper enced difficulty in
treating Mrs. Easton because OF her
aversion for taking medicine.
Cash, jewelry and bankbooks, to-
gether with valuable furs found IN the
house, were removed to tire C.asson
Avenue police station for safe keeping.
Neighbors said last night that Mrs.
Easton owned the house in which she
lived. The property said to be valued
at 100000 Letters found in one OF the
drawers OF bureau indicate that two
nieces of Mrs. Easson reside in Man
haitian.