A Pathetic Story Revealed At Her Death

Mrs. Izabel Hatschatscher, a widow, was found dead on a cot in a small room on the ground floor of the rear tenement at 139 Ten Eyck Street, at 4:30 yesterday afternoon, by a grand nephew. Mrs. Hatschatscher had been dead about twenty-four hours and had had no medical attendance. Coroner Nason will today make an investigation into the circumstances attending the death. It is not supposed that the investigation will develop any criminal circumstance, although there is a pathetic story of poverty and misfortune connected with the last days of the woman's life and death.

Officer Klein of the Sixth Precinct, who was called in by the neighbors when it became known that Mrs.Hatschatscher was dead, found a letter in the room from Walter F. Duckworth, a property agent whose office is in Park row, New York, pointing out that Mrs. Hatschatscher was in arrears $12 in her payment of rent and that unless the rent for the present month, $2 was received before Thursday next proceedings would be instituted against her. It is supposed that Mrs. Hatschatscher was dead when the letter carrier pushed the letter under the door, for it was found on the floor unopened.

From the scant furnishings in the room and the fact that no provisions were visible it was apparent that for the past week Mrs. Hatschatscher had been in the most extreme poverty. The neighborhood is one of the poorest in the Eastern District. Families that have two living rooms are considered in good circumstances and a quarter is looked upon as possessing almost the same value that a five dollar bill has in the minds of some people in the down town districts. As provisions are correspondingly cheap and often of the poorest quality a few cents is considered ample to keep the wolf from the door of a family for a whole day. All that Mrs. Hatschatscher was able to earn last week was 65 cents. She got this from a tailor on Johnson avenue, between Leonard and Ewen streets, for doing some sewing. She told a niece, Mrs. Susie Schepp of 200 Ewen street, that she was putting away 50 cents of this money to pay for her room and that but 15 cents would be left for her maintenance for the week.

Mrs. Schepp, although in poor circumstances herself, sent her aunt her breakfast on Sunday morning a cup of coffee and some bread. Yesterday afternoon Mrs. Schepp sent over her little son, Georgie for a pair of trousers that she had given her aunt to make. The boy came running back to his mamma and said that he had found Mrs. Hatschatscher dead.

Mrs. Hatschatscher was born in Germany and came t this country with her husband early in life. Hatschatscher died nearly twenty years ago. They had three sons and two daughters, all of whom have since died. For four years past Mrs. Hatschatscher had been living alone. It is said that she is survived by a sister living in Glendale, L.I., who will probably pay the cost of burial.