Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 90, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 July 1903 — AGED HERMIT DEAD. [ARTICLE]

AGED HERMIT DEAD.

END OF PECULIAR MAN IN AN | ALMSHOUSE. Harvard Graduate Xa Victim of Star* vation and Kxpoanre After Life of Solitude—Com mission Appointed to Battle Dispute Over State Line. Rescued from starvation and exposure, • graduate of Harvard College is dead la the county almshouse at Bethany, N. Y. He was James C. Hall and during forty years he bore the name of the Alexander hermit. No one ever knew what drove him from society, but durtat two score years he lived absolutely •lone on his farm of 160 acres near Alexander. The place ran to weeds and brambles, barns and sheda rotted away, every room in the house but the kitchen was closed. In one of the rooms was found a library of 300 or 400 volumes on philosophical works, many of great value. Early in March a rural mail carrier, not having seen any signs of life about the house for several days, entered and found Hall, who was 75 years of age, propped up in a chair. He was greatly emaciated and said he had eaten nothing in several days. The authorities removed him to tho almshouse against his vigorous protest and succeeded in saving his life for a time. Hall died without revealing the secret of his strange life. BASK haILl scores. Stand Ins of the Clubs in Bis Leasns Games. Thdfclubs in the National League are standing thus: W. L. - W. L. Pittsburg .. .50 21 Brooklyn ... .34 34 New Y0rk...44 24 Boston 27 42 Chicago 43 «P St. Louis 26 40 Cincinnati .. .35 33 Philadelphia. .20 49 Following is the standing of the clubs In the American League: W. L. W. L. Boston 45 25 Chicago 32 33 Philadelphia..4o 30 Detroit 32 33 Cleveland ...36 31 St. Louis 28 35 New Y0rk...33 30 Washington. ..19 48 BURN MAN IN WOMAN’S GARB. Ohio Men Saturate Party Dresa with Keroaene ane Fet It on Fire. John Ryan, aged 52, donned a woman’s party gown and entered a Cleveland saloon. Several men who were standing •bout the bar began to jeer him. Finally one of them poured coal oil on the trail) of the gown and touched a match. Before Ryan was aware of what had happened the flames shot up about his shoulders. "He ran shouting from the room. Before he could be rescued the flames had consumed the, dress and burned Ryan so badly that he will not live. The police are investigating and an arrest will probably be made. WILL DETERMINE 6TATE LINE. IHapute Between South Dakota and Nebraska to Be Settled. Gov. Mickey of Nebraska has appointed C. Swanson of Oakland, Dr. F. Q. Robinson of Hartington and E. A. Lundberg of Wayne to act as boundary commissioners to determine the State line between South Dakota and Nebraska. The appointment was made by virtue of an act passed by the last Legislature. The change in the channel of the upper Missouri river is in a measure responsible for the boundary line dispute. The commissioners from the two States will meet soon. Decrease in Potato Acreage. The statement of the potato crop made In the monthly crop report rent out by the Agricultural Department has proved tomewhat misleading. The total estimated acreage for potatoes exclusive of sweet potatoes for the entire country is 2,916,855, or 49,000 acres less than the potato acreage of last year. Losses Caused by Flames. The Bellefonte Window Glass Company’s plant and the car barn of the Bellefonte Central Railroad and adjacent buildings at Bellefonte, Pa., were destroyed by fire. The loss on the glass plant is 560,000, insurance 511,000. Other losses, 55,000, with a partial insurance. Hanged by Trousers’ Belt. J. Marshall Funek, city solicitor of Lebanon, Pa., and one of the best known lawyers in that section, committed micide in his office by hanging himself with bis trousers belt. New Passenger Station Opened. The new Chicago passenger station of the Rock Island, the Lake Shore and the Nickel Plate railroads, said to be the font in the United States, h%s been opened. The structure cast 53,000,000. Nurse and Child Drowned. Josie Merry, a girl, and Miss Ashton, a professional nurse, were caught by the undertow and drowned at Wading river, Long Island, while bathing. New Powder Is a Wonder. The German Minister of War has appointed a commission to test a new explosive termed sophrait, said to surpass •11 other explosives a hundred fold. Killed by Live Wire. Moses Blewett of Duluth and George Rabiachund, an expert electrician, Minneapolis, were instantly killed at Duluth bjr coming in contact with a live wire. Chicago's Population Increases. , Chicago's population, based upon compilation of the 1903 directory, is 2,231,000. j Girl Kills Herself. Arabella Edeeus, 16 years old, daughter of Philip Edeens, a farmer, committed suicide at her home in North Carton- _ ville, W. Va. Tire girl had committed an offense for which her father whipped her •everely. &■’ Niue Hurt in Collision. In • collision between a south-bound Halated street car and a Wan Buren •treet electric motor in Chicago, nine persona were painfully injured and many more were bruised and cut. Both cal'