英國“超級守財奴”留25萬英鎊遺產

Gordon Hewitt, a penny-pinching eccentric who used to read his paper in his car to save electricity, has left behind a £250,000 fortune after a lifetime of scrimping。

To a casual observer Mr Hewitt, who died 14 months ago, may have appeared virtually destitute in his trademark duffel coat, ill-fitting trousers and canvas pumps, as he sold newspapers on the streets。

But in reality twice-married Mr Hewitt, who lived in the same house all his life, had a quarter-of-a-million pounds located in at least 20 savings and investment schemes, which he has left to six different people。

Former neighbours of Mr Hewitt's in Huddersfield, West Yorks., told how he used to save money by reading the paper in his Reliant Robin so he didn't have to turn on the light in his house, and wore his clothes wet rather than using his tumble dryer。

They recalled his obsessive approach to saving money - including never putting the heating on, eating for free at churches and relying on the same duffel coat for years。

Friend and neighbour Jean Buckley, 68, remembered his obsessively thrifty ways which even included him helping out at a soup kitchen just for the free soup and calling into churches for the warmth。

"He used to sit in his Reliant Robin reading a newspaper with the light on so he didn't have to turn the light on in the house. He was just a character。

"He'd do anything to get warm, walk miles to find somewhere warm to sit even walking through the rain in his pumps to find somewhere。

"I think he enjoyed saving the money. It gave him power to have that much in the bank," said mum-of-two Jean。

Neighbour David Cheeseman, 68, said: "I have known him for over 50 years and he was always eccentric and comical in his manner. I told him many times to look after himself and install central heating in his house. He just laughed。

"He wouldn't spend a penny if he had to. He went to every different church to sit in the warm, have a cup of tea or meal. He knew where to go。

"He wouldn't put the heat on in his house. When the police found him he was in his chair dead with his overcoat. I asked if the fire was on and they said no, I didn't think it would have been。

"He had a dryer in his house but used to wash his clothes and put them on wet. He said it cost money to use the dryer."

In an odd twist to Mr Hewitt's tale, six ladies benefited from his will and at least three of them barely knew him。英國守財奴戈登•休伊特在吝嗇了一生之後，留下25萬英鎊的遺產。這位守財達人曾經爲了省電而在車裏讀報。

乍一看，休伊特似乎窮困潦倒。他在街上賣報時，身穿標誌性的粗呢大衣和不合身的褲子，腳蹬一雙帆布鞋。休伊特在14個月之前去世。

但實際上，曾有過兩次婚姻的休伊特有25萬英鎊儲蓄，至少放在20個儲蓄和投資項目中，並且留給了6個不同的人。他一生都沒有搬過家。

休伊特位於西約克郡哈德斯菲爾德的住宅處的前鄰居描述了他的省錢祕籍，比如在他的三輪汽車“依賴羅賓”裏面讀報，這樣就不用開房間的燈了，或者就算穿溼衣服也不用滾筒式烘乾機。

他們回憶了休伊特對守財的癡迷，包括從不安裝暖氣，在教堂蹭吃蹭喝，以及常年穿一件粗呢大衣。

68歲的友人鄰居珍•巴克利還記得他的極端守財方式，甚至包括在施捨處幫忙，就爲了喝免費湯，以及去教堂取暖。

“他總是坐在‘依賴羅賓’裏開着車燈讀報，這樣就不用打開房間的燈了。他真是個怪人。”

“他想盡辦法暖和自己，走上好幾英里找個暖和地方坐下，甚至穿着帆布鞋在雨裏走着找地方。”

兩歲孩子的母親珍說道：“我覺得他能從攢錢當中得到樂趣。能在銀行裏存這麼多錢可以帶給他力量。”

68歲的鄰居大衛•徹斯曼說：“我已經認識他50多年了。他的行爲一直古怪可笑。我告訴過他很多次要照顧好自己，在屋裏裝上集中供暖系統，但他總是一笑而過。”

“他特別摳門，每次都去不同的教堂取暖，喝杯茶或者吃頓飯。他知道哪裏可以去。”

“他不在屋裏開暖氣。警察找到他的時候，他坐在椅子上去世了，還穿着他那件大衣。我問了問生火沒有，但警察說沒有。我也覺得沒有。”

“他屋裏有個烘乾機，但他洗完衣服後就溼溼地穿上了。他說用烘乾機要花錢。”

但戲劇性的是，有六位女士成了他遺囑的受益人，其中至少三位幾乎不認識他。