DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70302#0346
308 THE POLITE GROCERS.
deny himself the proper sustenance which nature re-
quires, and the cleanliness which health and decency
indispensably demand. His bedding was rotted with
filth, vermin and negligence. He had only two shirts,
and those were in the most tattered condition, and there
were no signs of any other linen about himself or his
dwelling. His dress was remarkable, for he wore in all
weathers five or six waistcoats, a close coat, and an old
thread-bare spencer. With all this shabbiness of attire,
he had, however, some pretensions to beauism, for he
constantly wore hair-powder, or rather flour, which he
put on with a sheep’s tail instead of a puff. He was sel-
dom seen to eat, and his food was never known to be
any kind of meat, or scarcely any thing but dry crusts?
biscuits, raw turnips, radishes, and such articles as re-
quired little or no cooking. Though he would not suffer
any female to come near his house, he had a warm at-
tachment for the sex, and to indulge himself in this pro-
pensity, he for several years spent the greatest part of
the night in walking about the street, in search of female
companions.
This strange system of living adopted by Mr. Dart, is
by many ascribed to his having, in early life, been dis-
appointed in his honourable overtures. From that time
he lost all his accustomed spirit, became sullen, retired,
and selfish, and abandoned himself to the lowest state of
degraded humanity.
The fate of this singular man was as melancholy as his
life had been extraordinary. On the morning of April 21,
1800, he was found murdered behind the counter of his
shop, in which he used to sleep. The perpetrator of the
deed has, we believe, never been discovered; but it is sup-
posed that he was followed home the preceding night by
some person or persons, too well acquainted with his se-
cluded situation, and considerable property.
Description
deny himself the proper sustenance which nature re-
quires, and the cleanliness which health and decency
indispensably demand. His bedding was rotted with
filth, vermin and negligence. He had only two shirts,
and those were in the most tattered condition, and there
were no signs of any other linen about himself or his
dwelling. His dress was remarkable, for he wore in all
weathers five or six waistcoats, a close coat, and an old
thread-bare spencer. With all this shabbiness of attire,
he had, however, some pretensions to beauism, for he
constantly wore hair-powder, or rather flour, which he
put on with a sheep’s tail instead of a puff. He was sel-
dom seen to eat, and his food was never known to be
any kind of meat, or scarcely any thing but dry crusts?
biscuits, raw turnips, radishes, and such articles as re-
quired little or no cooking. Though he would not suffer
any female to come near his house, he had a warm at-
tachment for the sex, and to indulge himself in this pro-
pensity, he for several years spent the greatest part of
the night in walking about the street, in search of female
companions.
This strange system of living adopted by Mr. Dart, is
by many ascribed to his having, in early life, been dis-
appointed in his honourable overtures. From that time
he lost all his accustomed spirit, became sullen, retired,
and selfish, and abandoned himself to the lowest state of
degraded humanity.
The fate of this singular man was as melancholy as his
life had been extraordinary. On the morning of April 21,
1800, he was found murdered behind the counter of his
shop, in which he used to sleep. The perpetrator of the
deed has, we believe, never been discovered; but it is sup-
posed that he was followed home the preceding night by
some person or persons, too well acquainted with his se-
cluded situation, and considerable property.
Description