The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1922-01-24
STARVES WITH HALF
MILLION IN HER HOME
MRS. MARGARET EASTON, 80,
FOUND DEAD IN RICHLY
FURNISHED HOME.

NEW YORK, N. Y.-Mrs. Marga-
ret Easton, eighty years old, died OF
starvation in her home, go Putnam
avenue, Brooklyn, while cash and bank
slips amounting to over S4O0,OOO lay
in bureau drawer of the death cham
Der. Another drawer contained Jewelry
/ believed to be worth $4,000.
Mrs. Easton was found sitting in
rocking chair in the parlor Of her three
story frame dwelling few minutes
after midnight Sunday morning by
Otto Stita, keeper Of delicatessen
shop at l07 Putnam avenue, who told
the police the woman died OF starva-
ton.
Stita said he and his wife were the
only persons from whom Mrs: Easton,
living the life of a 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
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 He said
she had been dead some hours.
They found in bureau drawer, which
was unlocked, $500 in fifty dollar
bills, with an additional sum OF small
err currency. In another drawer old
fashioned jewelry set with diamonds to
the value of $4,000, according to po-
lice estimate, was discovered in a card
board box. One bank book showing
an account opened in 1876 gave bal
Iance of $4,000. Other bank books
showed Mrs. Easton to have cash
balance in various Manhattan banks
totaling more than $250,000.
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 uninhabited for many years. All
the rooms are furnished in heavy ma
hogany and each appeared to have
been left in order when last visited.
Heavy velencinnes hangings surround
the beds, two of which are canopied.
Toilet articles of silver and ivory lay
on dressing tables in the several rooms
of the upper floors. All were furnished
and over everything lay thick coat
of dust.
Recluse After Husbands Death.
Stita, the delicatessen owner, in a
statement to the police, said Mrs.
Easton locked the upper two floors OF
her home after the daeth of her hus-
band, said to have been president OF
Ia Manhattan insurance company six
years ago. From that time on, he said,
the old lady refused to let any one en-
ter. The only tradespeople with whom
she would deal were Stita and his
wife. They were compelled to pass
her small purchases OF food through a
window. She never opened the door
OF her home.
For years we have visited the old
lady just by talking with her through
la 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 seri-
ously i'll. Mrs: ,Stita wanted to go and
care for her, but she would not open
the door,
"Friday | made determined at
tempt to feed Mrs. Easton, but she
said nothing was any use. Her stom-
ach had become useless, she said. DIR.
Baldwin had written Mrs. Easton pre-
scriptions, but she told me she had fill
ed none Of them. She said she was
going to die and there was no use
fighting nature We know she was well
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 l forced my way into
the house | found her dead. She had
eaten nothing for several days"
Had Aversion to Medicine.
DR.. ]. S. Baldwin, in reporting Mrs
Easton's death to the police, said she
died of natural causes. DR.. Baldwin
is said to have experienced difficulty
in treating Mrs. Easton because OF her
aversion to taking medicine.
Neighbors said that Mrs. Easton
owned the house in which she lived
The property is said to be valued at
IS30,000