Extraordinary Eccentricity.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5623, 19 November 1889, Page 2

Extraordinary Eccentricity.

Mr William Richmond, who died the other day at Fulbech, near Grantham, had spent a large portion of his life in Australia, where he amassed a large fortune. He only returned to England about five years ago, and since then he has been living a most eccentric life. His sole object seemed to be to get rid of lvs fortune. He Avould buy most valuable articles and then destroy them. He was known to have smashed a gold watch directly he bought it. A contemporary which notices his eccentricities — almostbordering on insanity — says that he wrenched off the back of silver watches, so that they might be more conveniently wound up ; the straw was taken out of a new mattress for pig bedding ; springs were taken out of a new easy chair, shelves out of the house for firewood, clocks broken and thrown away, bread daily burnt on the tire, legs of mutton and sides of bacon were buried in the garden, and valuable plants and trees were bought and chopped up. It entered Mr Richmond's head to build a greenhouse, but when he was finished he knocked it to pieces. A little pig that refused to be driven upstairs where a bed had been prepared for it with great care, had its c.ireer ended by a blow on the head with a hammer. Before he died Mr Richmond had squandered all his fortune, and was actually buried by the parish.