New-York tribune., 1921-02-05
Hermit Dies i'm
Cave Made in
East Side Room
Naked Body Found in Dug-
ont He Fashioned With
Papers and Rags, Picked
i'm Street, Piled TO Ceiling
Was Prosperous Butcher
Came Here From Paterson.
After Business Failed and
His Wife Died, to Forget

theodore Greesley, who led a cheer
tui though hundrum life in Paterson,
j., for many years, was found dead
yesterday in an East Side teaemen.
under circumstances as strange as
ever came to light in that abode Of
mysteries and paradoxes. He had
made hermit Of himself In New York
and died in cave or dugout Of his
own construction in furnished room
at l2e Chrystie Street, to which he
had admitted no one for months.
Papers and rags which the CID man
had picked up il the street were piled
TO the ceiling at the far end of the
room, slanting downward to the floor
at the threshold The huge pile hid
every bit of furniture from view save
. Liberty Loan poster on the wall
which depicted trench scene with
soldiers emerging from their dugouts.
Into this hillside of his own manu-
facture the old man had burrowed,
digging out den about four feet
square and two feet in height. 1t was
evident that he had been sleeping
curled up on the floor in this recess
for months.
Naked Body Is Found
In it his gaunt body was found stark
naked, the bony knees drawn up
against his chest, as an animal sleeps.
and completely hidden by the unkempt
beard. DR.. Isaacson, who came with
an ambulance from Gouverneur Hos
pital, said the man probably had been
dead for some time.
1t was fully two weeks ago that Mrs
Alice Bernard, from whom he rented
the hall bedroom for $3.50 a week,
lest saw Pop" as the neighborhood
called him, not in affection nor in
ridieule,. for none knew him we'll
enough, but simply because he was old
and kept his real name to himself.
He had gone to Mrs. Bernard's room
then to pay his rent, but as he said
ht was cold and looked sick to her, Mrs.
Bernard told him to keep the money
and let the room rent wait. Yesterday
she tried his door and found it locked.
There was. no response to her knocking
and she called patrolman, who forced
the lock.
Even then the door would not open
and it finally had to be broken down
Is
and rags in the room had obstructed it,
the intruders found.
In the six years that Greesley had
lived In her house Mrs. Bernard had
learned something Of his'past. Her in.
formation was meager, but indicated
that misfortunes, burdening a mind
which already had suffered a severe
physical shock from head injury, had
driven Greesley to become 8 hermit in
the most eongested part of the largest
city in the country.
He used to be painter, but rave m
that business after a fall from a scaf-
Ioldlng, IN which his skull was fract-
ured. Then he became butcher, and
nna iy owned his own shop in Paterson.
During strike in the mills there he
extended credit too generously and
lost his shop and his savings.
Tried to Lose Himself
About the same time his wife died.
Then he came to New York TO lose
himself and to forget his troubles. He
succeeded, but, as was indicated bv a
diary he kept on stray is of wrap
ping paper, the drab existence he had
chosen left him no more peace of mind
than would solitary confinement in a
prison.
New York was his prison and he was
In solitary confinement. Not once In
his diary does he speak OF an acuua;nt-
ance or of talking with any one. Nor
does he mention receiving a letter.
Some days he slept for twenty-four
hours. Some days he gorged himself
at Bowery eating places where a full
meal could be had for IL cents-oat-
meal, buns and coffee.
One morning he consumed three Of
these meals and three that were less
impressive ard less expensive. He
spent Do cents in all that morning. he
confded to his diary with an obvious
pride. 1t was riotous day for him.
His Resources Dwindie
Entered the postoffice," he wrote
after describing his oatmeal orgies, ito
look over my ready cash. having In one
peanut bag two peanuts and one penny
lett. IN the other peanut bag one penny
is ALL"
The last entry in the diary was Janu-
airy 15, and it is believed that soon after
that date he became too ill to write.
The great heap of rubbish in his room
will be removed and searched carefully
for letters or other evidence Of any
friends he may have had and because
such recluses sometimes secrete pass
books showing considerable accounts in
savings banks.
Wealthy Sixty.Year-Old