Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1867-11-22

! FERING A MATRIMONIAL iDISAPPOINT-
A MENT, HEALTHY MAN oE THIRTY GOES
TO BED AND STAYS THERE FoRTY-NINE
: On recent occasion were consigned to
their final resting place, in the churchyard
Of Keighley, In England, the mortal re-
mains of one of the most eccentric individ-
uals that ever lived. In fact a parallel
seems scarcely possible of q man going to
bed in good health and remaining there for
q period of forty-nine yearsl The subject
of the following remarks, who went by the
cognomen of sold Threelaps," but whose
real name was VIM Sharp, lived at a place
called Worlds, not far from Braithwaite,
in the parish of Keighley. He was the son
of small farmer, and from an early age
never showed much inclination to steady
work. For while he followed the trade
of weaver, but more frequently neglected
his loom to range the neighboring moors
with his gun, often spending whole nights
in the open air.. When thirty years of age
he took to his bed and the room which he
never left until carried thence on the day
of his funeral. The cause of this eXtraor
binary conduct, owing to his great age,
and the very few of his own standing who
survive him retaining no more than slight
recollection of the events of that period,
is difficult to ascertain with any degree of
certainty. 'Butthe principal reason seems
to be ? matrimonial disappointment The
wedding. day was fixed. This singular
character, then young and, doubtless, ar
dent lover, accompanied by friend,
wendell his way down to the parish church,
and there patiently awaited the arrival OF
the bride elect. But the bride never came.
The father of the damsel sternly and
steadily refused his consent.
This, combined, 1t may have been, with
other grievances, imaginary and real, prey
ed heavily on mind certainly not endow-
ed with more than average intellect, and
bearing unmistakable traces of hereditary
singularity and the result was that the
young man consigned himself to small
room, measuring about nine feet in every
direction, with the determination of spend
ing the remainder of his existence between
the blankets, which resolution he kept
most unflinchingly. The floor of his room
was covered with stone flags, certainly not
too dry in one corner was a fireplace
which could only be used when the wind
blew from one or two points of the COM
pass; the window was permanently fasten-
ed, and where some of the squares had
UCtu UIUhtu WoS FAITHFULLY potCuou Will
wood. At the time of his death this
window had never been opened for thirty
eight years. The sole furniture comprised
an antique clock, minus weight and PEN
dulum, the hands and face of which were
covered with thick network of cobwebs,
small round table of dark oak, and q
plain, unvarnishcd four post bedstead, en-
tirely without hangings. In this dreary
coll xubooo op1u inlet for froch orr dy1rin ~
thirty. eight years was the door occasion.
ally left open, did this strange being i'm
mure himself He obstinately refused TO
speak to any one, and if spoken to, never
answered those who were his attendants.
In fact, all trace of intellectual develop
ment seemed to have become either dor
mant or extinct, and the only, faculties
which remained in active exercise were
those which man holds in common with
the animal. 81 10
His father by his will made provisions
for the temporal wantso his eccentric son,
and so secured him constant attendant.
His meals heate. regularly when brought
to him, and latteriy in a very singular
manner, for in process of time his legs be-
came contracted and drawn up toward
his body, and when about to eat his food
he used to roll himself over and 80 take
his meals in kneeling posture. He was
generally clearly in his habits. Dur
ing the whole period of his self
imposed confinement he never had
any serious illness = the only case
of indisposition those connected with him
can remember being slight loss of appe-
tite, caused, apparently, by Indigestion, for
two or three days-and this, notwithstand-
ing he ate on the average as much IS any
farm laborer. He certainly, physically
at least, did credit to his food; for, though
he arrived at the long age of seventy mine
years, his flesh was firm, fair and unwrin-
killed., save with fat, and the estimate of his
weight was 240 pounds or thereabouts.
AS a matter of course, the curious came
far and wide to see this eccentric being,
and whenever stranger was ushered into
his den he Immediately buried his head in
the bed clothes. About a week before his
death his appetite began to fail His
limbs became partially benumbed, so that
he could not take his food in his accus-
toned manner.
From this attack he seemed to rally, and
not until the evening of his death were
any apprehensions entertained that the
attack would prove ultimately fatal.
Shortly before he expired he was heard to
exclaim, f" Poor Bill, Poor Bill Sharp p
the most connected sentence he had been
known to utter for many year.. His
remains were inferred in the graveyard of
the parish church of the district in which
he had resided The greatest curiosity
prevailed to see the last of this sin gular
being, and the church and churchyard were
densely crowded The coffin excited con-