The New York herald., 1921-10-31
WOMAN 70, STARVES
BEHIND BARRICADES
$25OyOOO in BANKS
Body of Mrs. Margaret Eas-
Ton Found When Grocer
Breaks Window.
$4,000 GEMS In ROOM
$40 Cash in Drawer, but
Prescriptions Are Left
Untitled.
ALONE FOR SEVEN YEARS
Dust Covered Home Filled
With Treasure-She Lived
in Basement.
ALONE FOR SEVEN YEARS

Ieved by her neighbors TO have been
at least IS years old, died some time
Saturday night in a basement room
OF the three story frame house in 90
Putnam avenue. Brooklyn, in which
she had lived alone, with no friends
or companions anywhere. since her
husband died seven years ago. In
all those years she allowed no one to
enter her house but her physician,
and she compelled the few tradesmen
with whom she did business TO hand
in their groceries and goods through
a half opened basement window. None
went inside until her groceryman
smashed the glass and crawled into
the room to find her body.
Mrs. Easton had been i'll for three
weeks, and the police believe that for
more than week she had not eaten
The man who found her body, Otto
Spita OF 107 Putnam avenue. found
al-o, on a table covered with dust.
pile of prescriptions given to her
by her doctor, for medicine which
might have saved her life, but which
she had not sent out to be filled.
In a bureau drawer not dozen
feet from the chair in which she had
died was found also $3.50 in cash,
quantity of massive. old fashioned
jewelry studded with diamonds and
worth according to the police esti-
mate at least $4,000, and fifteen bank
books. one showing a balance OF sl7e.-
900, the others showing balances OF
between $4,000 and $4,000 each. Tho
total amount OF money she had in
the fifteen banks when she died was
more than s250000.
Once in Fashions Throng.
There is no one now in the neighbor-
hood who knows how long Mrs. Easton
has lived in the Putnam avenue house.
But 1t has been a long time. She lived
there when Putnam avenue was an eA-
elusive residence street, and in those
days, so far as the neighbors know tho
history of the family. she and her hus-
band. who was an official in Manhst-
tan insurance company. went about a
great deal. and had carriages and fine
clothes and great deal of jewelry.
But when Mr.. Easton died Mrs Easton
changed. She became a recluse, and for
seven years she had lived alone. inviting
no friendships and offering none.
She had been seen by her peighbors. a
frail. lonesome little figure In clothes
of another generation. pottering with
plants in the back yard or peering
through the basement windows to the
street. She seemed to the neighbors to
wear the same black dress all the time.
except two or three times a year. per-
haps in memory Of some anniversary
dear to her. when she was seen sitting
before her basement window, stffly
erect in the crinoline and the dignity
of the time when she was a belle.
Dust Half ap Inch Deep.
She was the mystery of the neighbor-
hood. None around there last night re-
membered that they ever had seen n
light In the upper floors or her big
dreary house. though sometimes
candle burned all night In the base
ment. When at last on Saturday night,
after she had died, the police and tho
others climbed up the creaking stairs,
they found dust everywhere, almost
chairs. and clinging like a film to the
fine oil paintings that decorate the
walls OF the whole house. They found.
too. closets filled with dresses. fine
quality and fine tailoring. but nothing
that could have been made within tho
last twenty-five years. But the closets
had no dust I'm them. and the dresses
were well kept and pressed. all Of them
ready TO wear.
The only person Mrs. Easton had anv
recent dealings with was Otto spita.
the groccryman across the street Spita
Is silent man. keeping his own counsel.
He asked her no questions. He sent her
what she wanted, bu. made no comment.
For many years he has been delivering
rolls and milk TO her two or three times
a week. handing them in TO her through
the basement window. This scers TO
have been about all she over ate. except
few slices OF meat which Spita also
delivered TO her once in great white.
perhaps once month SO far as the
neighbors know. she had not for years
eaten anything but this At least. no
one was ever seen delivering anything
else at the house and she never was
seen TO go out.
For the last year Mrs Easton. In tho
few words she spoke 20 Spita. said she
did not feel well. and three weeks ago
she sent for Dr. j. S. baldwin OF 4as
Classon avenue. lie Is believed TO have
been the first person TO set foot iusidn
the house since she closed Il after the
death OF her husband. He gave her
but she did not have them
allied. hiding them when the doctor called
again and saying that the medicine dd
her no good. For week the neighbors
had not seen her and Spita had not dc
livered anything for her ~ eat. sever,i
times ne knocked at the window. but got
no response.
On Saturday night Spita. urged b.
his wife, went TO the house at II go
o'clock He Knocked on the window
of the basement room. There was no