ROBBING A MISER.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1084, 9 March 1883, Page 4

ROBBING A MISER.

For 20 years Edward Holroyd has •Jived iu what -was once a beautiful residence, on the Walnut Hills, Cincinnati. In 1839 he was a pauner of John Shillito, and a quarter of a century ago came the first difference between man and wife. With fast accumulating wealth ho acquired a greed for more, and in an effort to obtain . possession of his wife's property he brought on a quarrel. She still Jives ■only a short distance from her former .home, but her husband cut off all communication with the outer world. ‘Once a day-fi om that time on until now a man came with a supply of provisions and the mail, depositing them inside the front door, finding there at the same time money fur the supplies of the day, but he never saw Lis patron, iwr times lu each year he was visited ty his agent, whom he would meet outside the dwelling, and there receiving briefly bis reports, would issue the necessary instructions and then retire to his residence. Soured by age, the man became a miser, and among the ignorant stories were current that hishouse teemed with wealth. Friday night enterprising burglars forced a shutter, and going up stairs broke open the door of the sleeping room, and dragged the terrified man from his bed. 'J here were lour mtru ders ; three masked, the fourth a large, heavy man, standing back and giving orders. Demands for money brought no reply, as the victim was speechless from fright. Blows were the next resort, and finally they dragged him through the house, believing that when he reached an apartment containing his bidden treasure he would indicate it by pantomime if he could not speak From one place he produced a pocketbook containing sdol. Dragging him on they stopped in one of the lower rooms, resolved on fresh torture The large man, placing his heel on one of Holrovd’s bare feet, gave a twist that wrenched the large toe nail from its place. The men were then told to go to a closet facing them and look in a wooden box that was on the shelf In that receptacle, under many rags, they found five lOOOdo! Government bonds which had lain there for 20 years, the interest as yet untouched. They were worth over IS.OOOdols. They also secured 200dol in money. Having secured all, he hoped they would go away, but he was disppointed. Procuring newspapers, they light*'l them and singed his body in several places for further extortion, but without avail. Giving him a final beating, they started on a ransacking tour and madegoodtheirescape. Saturday afternoon a neighbour saw a window opened in tho old man’s houca. This was so unusual that an invesligation was made. A lieutenant of police visited the place, forced open a window and made his way to his room Desolation was everywhere, rags, dirt, and filth being in every room, and until the night previous no living man, nave the burglars, had been there for 20 years. On an old-fashioned fourposted bed Dy the miser with a greasy quilt drawn up to his chin. Drawing down the cover-lid to examine his injuries, one ol the dirtiest shirts ever worn by mortal man was exposed. Origins ly white, it was now of a cobwebby gray with dirt, and looked indeed as if soaked iu cold gravy. Its thickness with grease made it cling to bis body as if moulded on it Ppofiers of aid wore tendered the miser aud refused, and he was left to his memories and his solitude. Holroyd is about 80 years old, and isworthfrom 100,000 to 150,000d0l He is liable to die from the injuries received —Frisco Bulletin, ■ f