Hartog van Baarzel was the son of the textile goods merchant Jacob van Baarzel and Sientje Elizabeth Muis. He engaged in various occupations, including textile agent, sales clerk at a clothes warehouse and travelling salesman. His life was irregular, and he drifted a lot. Most of the time he lived in The Hague, although he was also registered in Amsterdam at various points in time. On 7 December 1…