Evening star., 1935-02-24
HONESTY VICTIM
, REMAINS INSANE
Sandwich Man Cries for SIS
Hat He Bought With
His Reward.
Nv the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, February 23!-The
man whom poverty had never both
cred, but whom money had made mad,
strained tonight at his straightjacket
and cried out for his SIS hat.
This morning, not long after mid
night, the man-Frank Greges-went
violently insane and cried out that he
was God.
"I can look at man and kill him
with a look" he screamed.
He did look at man, and the
man - Michael Gryzwacz - did fall
dead.
Behind the drama was the pathos
of poverty and the i'll wind that blew
him money. ~
They said today down at the little
hotel on the Bowery where he had
room that Greges had been acting
strangely for several days.
Stranger to Wealth.
The little Lithuanian lived 81 years
and never knew the touch OF Midas.
He didn't want wealth for he dldnt
know what it was. A shelter ana
meal and clothes-though they oe
threadbare-waS all
A wind howled; an Ill vino II
turned out. Greges. plodolng aione
In lower Manhattan one DAY inns
winter with his sandwich sign which
told where passport photographs could
be obtained reasonably, bowed before
a gale. He half turned so that his
face would be spared the frigid staos'
The wind that made him vince was
the Midas touch that rocketed hlm
from drab poverty to undreameo-oI
afiuence. for in turning from the
wind his eyes caught sight in the
gutter of wallet.
He picked it up. 1t contained ne
potiable bonds to value OF $42,0OO.
Honesty Rewarded.
Then the sandwich man was hfteo
from nothing to notoriety. Every one
acclaimed him for his prompt return
of the fortune in bonds to their
owner. So highly does the worlo
rate honesty.
you'll get a big reward for this,
said the traffic officer to whom Greges
went with his flnd.
DO YOU suppose they'll give me as
much as four or five dollarsP" ne
asked.
The papers printed his picture. Why
not? Here was an honest man.
A broker gave him S25. The in
demnity company covering the brok-
erage house which owned the S42,-
600 worth of bonds arranged to pay
him $40 a week until warm weather
comes" The brokerage house itself
Belden g. Co.-gave him a job as
messenger.
II like that job" he said. Now I
can get in out of the cold once In a
while"
81 Per Minute.
An interviewer on the radio asked
him how much money he was used to
receiving as sandwich man.
II get a dollar day, five and a
half days a week." replied Greges.
"A dollar a day." echoed the in
terviewer. I'VE are going to give
you a dollar a minute for this five
minute interview"
There was much demand on his
time. From all over the country
came gifts of money for the honest
sandwich man. Hardly day passed
that Greges did not present a check
for a few dollars at the desk Of the
little Bowery hotel to be cashed.
Frank Greges became the pet and
envy of the Bowery. Painstakingly
he disposed of his old, worthless coat
1t was better far than nothing, so he
gave it to friend.
He had no shoes to give, for he
had gone about with his feet swathed
In burlap and covered with overshoes.
He bought shoes. He bought SIS
hat. There was so much money.
Downfall Begins.
Frank Greges, who had to live 81
years to know that honesty is pedes-
tailed and idolized became an ego
maniac.
The homage, the excitement Of
sudden notice, the flow of unimagined
wealth bred hallucinations in him."
the psychiatrists agreed tonight. AS
the days went on the flow of money
continued, the egomania developed.
Early today at his hotel he pushed
another old man down the stairs.
Police were called, they found
Greges crying out under his delusionS
of grandeur.
Among those who stood about
watching the police trying to Subdue
Greges was Michael Gryzwacz.
Death Strikes With Glove.
Gryzwacz was virtually skeleton;
very i'll with tuberculosis.
He stared down upon the writhing
Greges. At that moment Greges' wild
eyes locked with his.
Greges screamed:
II can look at man and kill
him!"
Gryzwaczs eyes bulged. He slumped
to the floor. He was dead.
Said DR.. B. B. Vance tonight:
1T Is possible that Greges' action
In pointing his finger at Gryzwacz
and crying out. at him had some
thing. to do with Gryzwacz's death,
but I am inclined to believe it was
only coincidence"
1t was impossible to tell from the
condition of Gryzwacz's body, DIR.
Vance said, whether the man could
have lived IAN hour or a year."
The doctors say Greges' psyche
pathic condition was brought about
by his eating rich food to which his
system was not accustomed.
Tonight the hallucinations con-
tinued.
II am broker" cried Greges. "See?
haven't I got SIS hat?"
HORSE "LYNCHING" PAIR