Smyrna times., 1871-12-06
The Last of a Hermit,

: Snok 'II"nce ra'her than reality, yet there ar
: such beings even in this prosaic age A ~
. "lcu III same county, Kansas, week q
ah.ais; ago; VINO Tor twenty long years had live
absolutely alone He dwelt in a lar.a ,'a n,'. .a,c
some ten miles from the town of pr. 'S,e ave
o.; hh;?,hlng was known of his early career pnt;
MS death. That career then nrova6 60 Ln'.
oeTn cen very touching and mournful
Ane hermltS name was Franklin Elliott Dur
"S 'ie years OF hIs solitary existence in ~,
cave ne was an object Of constant snornI.+;'',
Inu curiosity Once or twice ONLY in tbn yaa,
NC ne INTO the town. He would then barta
sa".G OF pGitN tor powder. shot and salt seldom
%%uS .n'nG else speaking as lew words as mi,b,
wnnia ''cn "aStenlnS away. Sometimes h.
"'''" oe seen IN the woods CARRYING LONG ,; a.
ana quantities of game. Ifhp s,w ,,o9,f n i.ii'
Proacnlng! he would try to avoid them bv t.,rp
ing aside into the forest. If that happrned r.
oe lnpractcahle, be would stalk mooj;I,.
SttaiEht on. When spoken to he wouiJ ra,lI'.
o1rleny and r"lfIy, and at once deIart it, ha1
'liIiahuIng AR, i proud, set f,ce. and in
| S!iCe OF MS Squald attire, long el6n locks anJ
S'"sular noIe OF lte inspired as much re>nprt
~ a. .u' ion''y. ne cave In which he liyr.l was
Io'n!h"ulonS having been enlarged. evid.n,Iv
~ n,,l'>eh' from small hole To an apartment
t"e"'E Mve M 1eet square and ten or twelve f.nt
| nIRh' W htn examined after his dea,b II VS.
quite voli ot furniture. Pieces of stonn a,3
u'cneN III The rocky walls app ,reDtIv SnryoJ a.
on''N' TABLES and shelves. \ rife and f,ylin',
e'Ice was found, long, brnrd, bowl, kniio
ur"i"g tackle, c"oking utensils. and , ,,umt,nr
W W 4o"ES Among the latter we've conir. nf
IN :, h'k'>peare, Sterne, Addison. Srh;lIar
1"u'hey ant Spencer In one corner was y
heap OF blanket, and skins. and on thasa l,,'
''g solitary occupant of the retreat-,lead
Two gentlemen had been hunting near hv
l..
refuge at the cave, they knocked at its bea,,:9
lon bound door No reSponS, holm, n,aJ, ",a't' =
'h'if repeated summons, they pressed cout;,,n.L
~ ~ 'n1 lnH'ae' aud saw what We have d,srrihaj
l"ey aiso lound 4 small tin hox. >nrh -, !;
uS'I "y lawyers and in this were n.nere ,ba,
u'pe clear the unhappy mans history H..
h'd bren well born, educated and ,tfI ,n,, T,
,". "ouIl appear that he must have been ea,Ic ~
ne eigctei to the Legislature of his naive
state hentucky Before this he had brc2me
p,.l>'ord'eY ,'" attached to young girl A like.
"e1> u her' showing that She must have BOSSES
'el Te'harkabe beauty. qualified bv :. r.tLor
SrnSu"u> aud cruel cXprrs>on was sl., ","vi t','I
IN the box. Sets of letters. in ,lifFarpnt L,,J
ulaHe the whole drama clear Olive" for
Such was her name as written On th, ,,,..o;
ana IN the letters, had led Elliott at fr,t 70
tnlhk MS love tor her re urnrd In ntbar
words she unused herself with him after ,ba
fashion OF many OF her sex without having sn,,
real feeling. While the game was going on
some one crossed her path for whom She con'
c|lVeu a verltAble passion. She corresronded
Win thls fresh admlrer, but lacked moral ropr.
age 10 tell the other one the truth. Either for
th'S reason Or-out of contemplate vanity she
hep9 up her affairs with both. Elliott discov |
q Si al; as letters IN the tin box written bv
OIVe' to both himself aud his rival nroved |
Sucu ietterS, bearing the same date wpr. E,unJ !
same package. 0N' ID Tue
In the same package was a yelow.nr;nted
slip cut from an old newspaper Il eaua NJ
account OF frightfu duel fought betwesn ,bn
Two men with rifles at twenty five pacos Ela,,
mot MS antagonist through the head Tbe
'auSe OF the duel, as described by the slim was
!, dispute at cards 1t descr bed the slain man
. illey' as handsome, brave and lax of prinri. /
,,G' "' w nat happened afterward as regards
OhVe Is unknown. Neither law nor public
opinion was severe on dueliug in Kentucky
u"rter Oh acentury ago, 50 that there was no
Particular reason for Elliott to hy. He want
OT0ad, however, and seems to have remained
Europe two or three years Whether moved
o return and to seek solitary life bv rho
tlngs OF conscience or by the misery of hrok on
cart, can only be coniectured It il onIv
nOWn that he did return, that he abandoned
rlendS and society forever, and lived Ekr tbs
lelanchoIy jacques, in an "abandoned cave =" !
mn death mercltully closed his ewes The
will be glad to be told that =
7huer hands reTerentIy disposed the poor our. ,
asst ) remains, gave them decent burial. and a
iarked the spot with memorial stone Unon :
Is Inscribed Franklin Elliott A Stranger, ,
ioV. I, 1871. -Neto York Times.