Salt Lake Herald | 1901-02-13 | Page 14 | Life Story Reads Just like a Novel

s LIFE STORY READS BEADS rusT JUST LIKE A NOVEL Chicago Record The story of the life lie of th the lair of La L mis who tiled died the other day is as curious as could bo foUnd in any modern hovel His name flame was C raw ohn ton ne although his rent roll was a year and he heA het t A a Decides re to be enormously wealthy he lived rh the life of f a recluse and was hardly ever known to cross the door of his mansion house for the last thirty years There was a bit of romance asso associated elated with both his father and anil d father the latter of whom is said dd to have laid liski the foundation of the th fortune by methods which brought him into eon con conflict bet with the excise officers of the coon coun country try The father who was also eccentric married when welt well advanced lU n years a ayoung ayoung young girl the daughter of one of his coHere It was the story over again of Auld AuW Robin Gray but after the wed wedding wedding ding the pair ir did not agree and there were lively times at Of that union three sons eons were born one of whom was the laird of who has hs just died When quite a young reran man manlie lie be had a violent quarrel with his hig father and went to India and lived there and afterward on tho thi continent ot of Europe until his fathers death deaths i s On his return to Lath risk as laird he front from that time on behaved in the most extraordinary manner He shut himself up In his mansion and lived practically the life of a hermit He seems seem to have taken an aversion the face of his fellowmen He is said to have slept most moat 01 or the day to avoid the prying eyes of f the public and at night while ordinary mortals slumbered he lie wandered about the house or ventured occasionally into his grounds When atone ho did aid a great fira of reading His tenantry never saw him all communications regarding their I Iland land or houses had to be matte made to his corn com missioner the town clerk of the old bor of Falkland who was waa the only per ir person irson son Johnston ever saw s w Although there were servants in the house it was only j i by lii accident that they ever came across their master His meals of the moSt moat fru J rl were laid for him in ir a particular room at certain arranged hours When Then the maid took teok in n the food she sounded a bell as she left the room a short interval al elapsed and ami then the tji her hermit hermit mit made his and andl ha his meal in solitary state iThen he had fin finished finished he in turn rang the T bell 11 and disappeared penned j v 4 J JOne One of the delusions which Johnston cherished was that everybody was trying i ito Ito to make money out of o him and t a aI I penny wa was spent th h or oron orI I on the estate unless it If was absolutely i ely necessary It is sait that Chat Johnston get over the difficulty of seeing a tailOr In order to purchase clothes by getting the commissioner to send a farmer who closel closely resembled hint him In figure to get measured for him and the stories that I are current in the district the misers meanness would fill 1111 a goodly column He lIe did at the age of 78 ls and BO so far no will has been found It was of course out of the lIst question for Mm trim to pay paya a t Ii r i I i m fliS kt l 1 will but It was as ox cx I pp I U I T I i i tit u i c i i 1 lom TUI nt which IL in II ri 14 il ind i s I legal will would b be discovered It I lo osti cott b th a v wh wit n ha tf b be ft te that th lii h and mo able property of thi tills old man i i amount to ov 1 5 the direct line has having 1 faili i ih r luh are arp er en ert enn t n IT I Cousin a young lieutenant in ih th So forth high highS S ii 11 n in H io t ott of luck Tb mo M BC gose another asther n a n ir r who wlm i Is r t years cars o oage of age and has no family thc tho j i IS th the chancellor of the exchequer will come in Co fo a good slite of ti ts l acy duty both off Johnstons estate find and also Scorn from the h beir Mr of the movable i property who in ordin ordinary rv circumstances cannot be expected to very er long