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Show IMi Of DEATH Of MISER READS LIKE PAGE FROM NOVEL Fortune in Gold, Currency and Securities Found in Halfin's Hovel. With thousands of dollars in bright yellow gold ' 'uina, in shining silver coins, and in crumpled and dirty currency cur-rency concealed in every imaginable spot in his dirty hovel at 816 West Fifth South street. Jodb Halfin, a miser abont 53 years old, died in aqua lor and filth Wednesday or Thursday of last week, and his body was diseov-ered diseov-ered a aeigkuee Halaraay aiarkt. Halfin had died as he bad lived, in filth and sordid want, but like Hi las Marner, with the ransom of a king concealed con-cealed in his miserable shack. A youth of the neighborhood passed Halfin's shack at 5:.')u o'clock .Saturday afternoon. Peering into the cobwebbed windows he aaw the form of the old man, partly dresaed, sitting at a table. The old nian did not move when the vouthsapprd on the door, and neighbors neigh-bors were notified. They found that Halfin waa dead, and Acting Coroner Harrv.S. Harper was notified. He and Undertaker K. O. O'Dornell and Constable Con-stable George S. Tinges went to the place at once and moved the body to the undertaking establishment of O Tonne II Co. - The sordid manner of life cf the old recluse had boeo the cause of many rumors ru-mors of his great wealth. Tales, were told of hie ownership of property and money to the value of $100,(10(1 or more. Though he literally starved himself, living liv-ing on one meal a day, for which it is declared he paid no more than lo cents, these stories continued to circulate in the neighborhood. Property Ia Concealed. A hasty "survey ef the pitiful and dirty cabin in which lie lived would net. 'seem la give weight to these tnlea. Rut when the bodv was stripped of its rags at the undertaking establishment nh amounting to $57.50 was found in the pockets. There were receipts shewing shew-ing that be had many financial transac tions of greater or leaa importance and other papers -which indicated fhrft a search of the premises might be profit able. Neighbors bad told manv tales of Halfin's miserliness. He had refused to pay water taxes and bis water sup- Ely had been shut wff. 8ince that time e had carried water from neighboring houses. Because he bad net been seen performing this task in two or three days the suspicions of the neighbors had been aroused, and resulted in the finding of his body. Money in Odd PUcea. When Coroner Harper. Constable Tingea and Undertaker O'Donoell returned re-turned to the house yesterday morning to make a more thorough search fur the supposed hidden treasure, they found a part of a loaf of bread wrapped in a gunny sack, and a small sack of eornmeal on n rickety shelf. Beneath a paper on the shelf they found a quantity of currency. This stimulated their efforts and a broken down stove, which would have been thrown away by a junk dealer, was ojiened and turn to Heres. In the oven, in coin stacks, were gold coins amounting to 1S.410. Under a Bewspaper, vellow with age, waa found $M)0 in gold. Concealed in every imaginable im-aginable place about the hut e were found little heapa of currency, gold and silver, amounting ta $663.20. Tbe money was carefully placed in coin aacks and waa taken to the undertaking under-taking establishment, where it was eouated in tha presence of sig witnesses. wit-nesses. The total amount brought from the placea of eoneealmeut was tl3.376.2fl. In addition to this fortune, mining securities, negotiable papers of all kiods and other securities of entirely problematical value were found hidden under tbe edges of the carpet, under tbe stove board, behind papers tacked to the walls, in a heap of ashes in a corner, in dark crevices in the walls and cupboard, and in every imaginable spot. Hovel Ii Otuurdad. A more thorough search ia being made today of the but, which baa been guarded atrongly by the police ainee the search waa eommfneed to prevent a raid by the treasure hentera aad curiosity seekers who have thronged tha neighborhood of the bouse since the strange finds- were 6rst made. It is believed that Halfin had n sister sis-ter living tn Indiana and a brother in Minnesota. . John Htaab. former captain cap-tain in the lire department, carried on Halfin 'a correspondence for several vears. He is in Marysvale and has been asked bv telegraph to coma here and aid ia straightening out tha af. fairs of the dead miser.. |