A MISER’S END.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2734, 6 November 1894, Page 3

A MISER’S END.

Many of the residents of Hobart (says the Mercury) have for years past been familiar with the sight of a ragged, dirtylooking old fellow, with sharp eyes |and hooked nose, who might generally have been seen in the principal streets of the city, and whose only vocation appeared to be to enquire in what manner passersby could afford him relief. Few of those, however, who, in answer to his petition, did supply him with food or money were aware that this same old man was the possessor of wealth sufficient to have kept him comfortably for the term of his natural life if he had invested it with care. But so it was, for his sudden death recently disclosed the fact that sewn up in his tattered and dirty coat were bank books showing his total accounts with different banking institutions of this city to have been nearly £2OOO. Little is known of the old miser other than that his name was John Conlan, and that he arrived in the colony in the early days in the ship London. For a long time past he has been existing on charity and the little he earned by odd jobs, and has slowly but surely added to his hoard. Latterly he has been living at a boardinghouse, where he was supposed to pay 3s per week for the accommodation given, but the landlady states that it was with the greatest difficulty that he could be got to pay, and only the week before he died he endeavoured to get her to reduce this small amount to 2s fid. Food he obtained in plenty from his numerous patrons, but as regarded clothes he was never well supplied, considering, doubtless, that to be warmly or decently clad would militate against his begging successes. Naturally, as he became older and feebler his health suffered, and he had occasionally to apply to the hospital for relief, where he was treated as an out-patient. A short time back he suffered from influenza, and congestion of the lungs, with bronchitis supervening, brought about his death. s'com the evidence adduced at the inquest it appears that he left his lodgings to seek medical advice, but had delayed until too late, and being unable to get along owing to his illness wandered into a yard, and fell exhausted under a shed, where he was shortly afterwards found and conveyed to the hospital, Only to die within two hours after his admission. It is not known at present whether he died intestate or not.