A WEALTHY RECLUSE.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1978, 7 May 1875, Page 3

A WEALTHY RECLUSE.

An independent maiden lady, named Elizabeth Scott, died suddenly the other day. The deceased, who was 72 years of .age, though in possession of an income of £400 a year, lived- alone at 13 Avenue road, Liwisham, without a servant or even the assistance of a charwoman— never associating with any one. It was observed by nn opposite neighbor that the house remained shut up some days, and not seeing anything of the old lady, information was given to the police, upon which Inspector Inijs, with Sergeants Jewel and Hayward, proceeded to the house and, obtaining no answer, effected an entrance through a back window. On getting into the back kitchen they found the deceased dead on. the floor, where she had apparently lain, a week. A. cursory search through the house resulted in £82 in gold, £4 7s 6d in silver, and Is 7d in copper, being found secreted in. little bags between the beds and mattr.esseg. , . ; ; The ; deceased was possessed of upwards of £10,030 invested in consblSj the -dividends from which realised £400 a year. Two cupboards which were .locked.. up, and the jkeys missing were not searched, but were supposed to contain securities to the amount stated. ItJ*nras believed she made no will, the only known' Jiving relatives being two cousins living in Scotland. T?or many years she had'been leading aj life closely approximating to that! of a miser, her only companions being :a' number of large fine Norway rats, which frequented the kitchen^ and appeared t o -have been regularly fed. On deceased dying suddenly, the rats, when they had devoured all the food within reach) commenced feeding upon the deceased herself, the fleshy portions of both hands having been eaten away. The post-mortem ? examination showed disease of the lungs, which suddenly assumed a fatal termination. She appeared to have just curled her hair, and to hare been in the act of partaking of her supper, when she fell off, her chair and expired. "The house is in charge of the police authorities, who will probably ultimately hand it over, with the wealth it contains, to deceased's solicitor andJicr two cousins who have arrived from Scotland to claim the, property.