HERMIT'S DEATH

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 39, 15 February 1930, Page 20

HERMIT'S DEATH

Rats As Companions

■ Amazing details ofl.the life of Mr. John Wilkins, a wealthy hermit, who was found dead in the basement of his manison in South Kensington, London, recently, has just been revealed.

Although ho is believed to have possessed a fortune; Mr. Wilkins was found lyingion'an improvised "bed of rags, in a house without a stick of furniture."' ■

A long post-mortem showed that his death was due to starvation and exposure. ■ -■■

The only food found in the great bare six-storied mansion' in which he had. lived, alone for seven years was a dry. crust of bread and a tin of condensed milk, writes the London "Daily Chronicle."

.; Yet on the bed of raga where he,was found lay £20 in silver and coppers, and a cheque for £2500 was also discovered in the house. ■-•..■>••■•'■.■■>

Murder was at first suspected.:; ; But Supfci'CJ.f.Cornish, one of the-Big Six .at; Scotland Yard, and :Diyision .Detec-tive-Inspector Horwell, wero ablo to dispose of that' suspicion.' '. . i ' During their search of; tho ■ house, they found that the basement;; in.which Mr. Wilkins slept, was,:overran with rats' and" mice. v'; .-,:',■:

It seenie'd; indeed; that' this'strango recluse welcomed^ the s preseneo of the rats in* his lonely life. „ V ': In a moment of-rare-expansion he had once said.: that' his only'companions were two rats he -called/'(Minnie'^!and "Charlie." :.' ';'• ■'!■'!;■■•;•'■ ■■MviU"

[ Another discovery made:by the^police consisted of about • 200;; half-burned candles littered in a corner of the room. They were the only illumination used by Mr. Wilkins, who had consistently I refused to pay rates for gas. and electricity and water. ■■

| But the most amazing discovery in this house of mystery was the miles of wire extending to every room. In parts of the house the wiring was single; in other parts it was in thick coils and almost inextricable mazes.

Since there was a wireless set and loud speaker in the building, the detectives eventually concluded that_ the recluse' had been engaged in wild and futile wireless experiments. No -explanation of Mr. Wilkin's extraordinary mode of life has yet been reached.

The only relative the police have traced is a sister—the wife of a doctor —living on the South Coast. "Mr. Wilkins,'' said a neighbour, "was especially abusive to women— lie vwould ,• sometinieS; stand on .the balcony of his house and shout to women who were passing—and that gave the impression that he was a woman-hater. "On one or two occasions complains were made to 'the police.' When the police called Mr. Wilkins would refuse to admit them, and shouted defiance from his balcony."