Evening star., 1923-08-10
Fear of Starring Causes Death
Of Germans With Food on Hand
Brooding Ouer Prospect of Final Lack
Prompts Hoarding, Until Under
n0urisI1ment Kills Many.
thing to eat, she virtually ceased eat

/ thing to eat, she virtually ceased eat
| ing.
Old Man Tragic Victim.
! A seventy-year- old merchant of
! Munich retired from business and
| with the money received from the
sale OF his shop bought a house for
| himself and his fifty-year-o daush-
! ter. AS tho mark fell and prices rose
the little money left over after the
| purchase OF the house shrank next to
! nothing. They lived on potatoes, but
/ the diet was not enough TO sustain
! tho old man in health and he rapidly
| sicIen
Then they received an invitation
! from friends who were better off to
| live with them and share their sim
| pie food. They thought the days of
actual hunger were over, but IL
proved that the old mans digestive
organs had been so disordered by his
years Of undernourishment that he
could not digest his food. The city
physician who attended him has pro-
nounced his case hopeless. He is
slowly dying, literally from having
not enough to eat. He was formerly
an able and prosperous business man.
In normal circumstances he could
have spent his old age in ease and
comfort.
a young and enterprising lawyer
haveg a wife and two children re-
shattered. Since his former law praC-
tice had disappeared he moved TO a
provincial town and endeavored to
start anew. But in spite of his efforts
he failed and returned to Munich.
Because of the housing shortage he
was Obliged to live with his family
In a hotel and this ate up his last
savings.
Too Proud to Talk.
Finally the housing office offered
MIN a temporary dwelling. consisting
of one room and a bathroom tout of
repair) and facilities for cooking
with wood fire. But the ventilation
was bad and the room was constantly
filled with smoke. Fresh air was a
luxury that could not be afforded in
winter. for wood was expensive. De-
spite their almost complete destitu-
tion. the couple were too proud to
betray their condition even to their
relatives.
BY chance one Of the city nurses
learned of them and. after placing
the older child with relatives. found
a humble position for the man in a
bank. But he was SO weak from
undertaking that he had 70 go to
work each day on his wife's arm.
All his furniture. even to the chairs.
had been sold for food. The mans
wages are sufficient for only the
provide enough food To restore him
to health. The details of his struggle
against approaching death are known
only TO the police officials who dealt
with the case.
\ year ago the former book dealer
Ruescher. living in the Koringen-
strasse in Munich. failed to pay his
rent. The owner of the building
wrote him saying that if he did not
pay on the next day he would be
forCibly disposscssed. Since no reply
; was received, the police broke into
the house through q window. the door
being barred. The man was found a
corpse on the floor, to all appear
anceS having starved 70 death some
weeks before. In his room was coz
siderable quantity of jeWelry and pa
pers showing him to possess a large
amount of money. Apparently he had
starved, like Frau Schaper, out of
fear of starvation.
Must Sell TO Eat.
Germans of the middle class. ruined
by the fall of the mark and the fixed
rental law. have no recourse except
to sell their possessions. Their bonds
and their real estate are virtually
worthless. Their services are no,