Philip Keteltas (1843-1909)

He inherited property worth $1,035,000 from his father which in 1895 gave him an annual income of $60,000. He lived at the "Keteltas House" at 37 St. Mark's Place (pictured) with five of his also unmarried siblings. In 1895, his sister, Alice, won a case before the Supreme Court confirming him to be mentally incompetent, and although not insane, incapable of managing his financial affairs. The principal witness, Dr. George F. Shrady, had examined Mr. Keteltas and testified that his, "conversation was very incoherent. He had been informed that Mr. Keteltas was a bookworm, and he tried to engage him in conversation as to his collection of books. He found the library in great disorder. On the margin of many of the leaves of a vast number of books he saw pencil writings on subjects entirely foreign to the matter treated of in the books". His affairs were placed in the hands of a committee. He died unmarried.