Literary Cadet And Rhode Island Statesman

CATHERINE SHIRTZINGER, &c. JOHN SHIRTZINGER.

An honest, but an exceedingly eccentric German, of the name of Shirtzinger, was a week or two since arraigned before the Common Pleas, for the county of Philadelphia, on complaint of his wife, who declared him to be insane. The friends of Shirtzinger, fearing that he was incapable of managing his affairs, and that he would waste and destroy his property, had him examined under a commission, and lodged in the hospital; and after finding by a jury, that he was a lunatic, took possession of his estate in trust for him.

The present action was brought to try the fact of his lunacy. In the course of the trial, the following interesting facts, relative to the history of Shirtzinger, were elicited, which we copy from the Pennsylvania Gazette.

"Shirtzinger came to this country a German Redemptioner, in 1797. He was redeemed by Jacob Wykoff, Esq. whom he served with unusual zeal and fidelity. After his stipulated term of service had expired, he continued to work for Mr. Wykoff for several years, when having collected some little money, he commenced business for himself as a paint and putty merchant. After twenty-seven years of industry and economy he succeeded in acquiring a handsome competency for one in his situation in life. He has always been a very strange man—his very honesty and zeal in the service of his master bordered on eccentricity. He would become offended if any part of his duties were taken from him, and would persist in believing that his inattention or incapacity were the cause. His economy was strict, and yet his liberality to the distressed was considered as a symptom of insanity. He has been known to give $10 to one beggar in the course of six months. He ruled at home with an Eastern despotism. His wife dared not lift her eyes from her work, in the presence of a stranger nor speak unless it was necessary. His strictness with his children had been as great, yet he never was accused of having ill-treated any one. He is a venerable looking old man, and appeared, upon the confession of all parties, to be an uncommon example of honesty and general worthiness of character. But of late years his natural eccentricity had degenerated into something very like lunacy. He conceived an idea that all the paragraphs in Poulson's paper were in some way or other aimed at himself. If any thing was said about the Presidential question, it was abuse of him. Certain articles about the Empress of Russia, auction sales, theatre advertisements, funeral sermons, alluded to his affairs. He accused several of his old friends, with having written these attacks upon him, and finally waited upon Mr. Poulson, whom he told that he was a very clever man, but would do any thing for money. But his lunacy was confined to this one idea. In other respects he was as sound as ever, and managed his business as well as he used to do."