Death of a remarkable character
--But Little Known of Him.--We mentioned in Thursday's Express the fact of an unknown man having been found dead in a shanty corner of 6th avenue and 50th street, and the supposition that life had been extinct for several days. Since then some further and interesting particulars concerning the deceased have been obtained. It appears that this individual, who was about 35 years of age, and a native of Ireland, was a hermit and very eccentric in his habits. For the last seven years this man, who was only known as "Billy," has lived alone in a dog kennel about five feet six inches in height, and three feet six inches wide, and one of his greatest peculiarities consisted in the fact that he was never to be seen in the day time. His "squatter sovereignty" neghbors, one of whom lived within 40 feet of his little coop, during those long 7 years had not even, seen the light of Billy's countenance till after nightfall. How he lived or obtained the necessaries of life was a great mystery to those living in the neighborhood, as he was locked in his humble abode every day of his life. Towards midnight Billy would appear with an old sack on his shoulder, and travel rapidly away down town; but whither he went, or when he returned, no one seems to know. Whenever approached during his rambles, Billy would skulk away like a criminal, and he was never known to speak to any one. His mysterious movements, about a year since, excited the suspicious of the 22d Ward Police that he was a burglar or counterfeiter, but a series of inquiries dissipated these suspicious, and convinced the officers that Billy was evidently honest. A few days ago a German woman living near his crib observed that she had seen no smoke issuing from his house for a long time, and believing something to be wrong, gave information to Captain Slott, of the 22d Ward. An officer was dispatched to the place, and finding the door fast, reached up and removed a bit of stove pipe which ran up through the roof. Looking down through this aperture the officer discovered Billy lying face downwards on the floor, and his legs sticking straight up. Feeling of his extremities, the officer found them cold and stiff, and a closer examination showed that the body had been frozen through and through. The face, neck and hands had been partially eaten away by the rats, and from appearances the deceased had been dead for two or three weeks. N. Y. Express.
