Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-12-18
AImquist---A Strange Life and "a
Strange Death.

correspondence New York World.
In the latter part of 1871 there landed
at the missionary station of Maui, one of
TIE Hawaiian islands, a dilapidated
whaleboat, containing one old man, who
gave his name as Claas Jensen, and said
he had deserted from whaler, aboard
which he had followed for several years
the occupation of sail-maker, all that he
was fit to do with the burden of his
years and decrepitude. Jensen said he
was Swede, a native of Wermeland,
had been q school-teacher in Stockholm,
and LATER a farmer and lumberer in
Wisconsin. He was rather reticent
about himself, however, but as he seemed
a1quiet, subdued old man, with genteel
manners, spoke good English, wrote a
neat hand, and was miserable poor, he
was given employment about the church
and school house as a sort of supernu-
merary clerk, school-teacher, sexton, and
Observation-Disclosures.
Jensen represented himself to be sew
enty years old, but appeared at least ten
wears older. He was a very tall man,
but bent to the shape of an interrogation
mark. He was very gaunt with bony
extreInities, and this, with his white
hair, flowing in masses to his bumped
shoulders, his beardless face, of dead
cadayerous white, and his pale blue
eyes sunken down and quenched in the
bottom of deep hollows. gave him wild,
~ TO Iowa o.
By degrees the Rev. Mr.. Siade, the min
lister in charge Of the station, found out
that Jensen was Enguist of some pre-
tensions, and last winter, Mr.. Slade
wishing to publish some books in the
dialects of the South Seas, employed the
Swede to prepare him a vocabulary of.
the language used on the Mulgrave Is
lands, with which he appeared to be IA
miliar. To Mr.. SHADES surprise, the old
sailor showed himself versed not only in
the dialect in question, but in the theory
itself of comparative grammar, in the
Indo-G ermanic anal0gies, and the prin-
ciples established by Bopp and Grimm.
He would not, however, answer any
questions as to his past which this dis
coyery naturally prompted, and made
it condition OF his continuing these la
UOI6 lIlsll' Lilo AGILNSAiNC GliSR1Nl lJI
spected. r.,';s -.., : + t.. rg.es,sl.
AS spring came on old Jensen with
drew himself more and more from inter
course with the white colony. He, in
deed, worked still at the vocabulary
most indefatigably, but he removed from
the little missionary village, took up his
abode IN deserted hut, in a TaYine at
the foot. of the hill, more than a mile
away, and sometimes would not be seen
by the whites for several days together.
At last one day he came suddenly to Mr..
SHADES study, handed him his unfinished
manuscript, and told him he could dono
more upon it. Before he could be asked
what was the matter he had hurried
away and was gone. Next day Mr.
Slade went to his hut in search of him,
but he was not there, nor could he be
found there though. searched for several.
days in succession. it was supposed
that the old retrieving propensity with
which all denizens. of the Pacific islands
are SO familiar had come. over him, and
he. had gone off. Consequently, no fur
Their search was made for him. About
ten days later, however, a native went
into the hills to look after a small tare
patch which he. had there in. a slip. of
fertile valley; he came back towards,
nigntfall in some alarm, saying old Jen-
sen was up there and had chased him off /
with a club and with stones.
Mr. Slade, MIR. Basil, and two natives
next day. early went IN search of the old /
Swedc, After q long and fruitless hunt, 1
a dog that was with the party struck a |
trail that led by q, dry brook into a wild !
rocky 4gulch, much Oyergrown with
shrubbery. Following this they came
suddenly upon a rude screen of withered /
branches, and within this, upon a bedof |
ferns, they saw the old nlaa in 9 state /
of profound but turbulent sleep. He |
was lying drawn up, upon his side, with /
his great bony, hands savagely clenchec,.
his knees close under. his chin, and his |
teeth working like the teeth of a dog /
q bone; His clothing was +
torn and ragged until his, body was half
naked; and now, to: their horror and I
disgust, the .missio naries saw what had +
caused his strange condgct, His whole +
body was. inorusted and loathsoue with |.
q horrible leprosy. The white atrocitY
3f the disease had newly come into his
face. from which he had probably been
sble to keep it heretofore, and SO, no
onger able to conceal thecurse that was
lpon him, the wretch had fled, ~ -.ti
While they were gazing upon him the
log barked. I. The, old man started up l.
'aVagely, and stared with hideous feroc- i.
ty upon the intruders: Then, with. the
teH Of maniac, and an activity almost
for one SO old, he sprang. to
lie. feet, brandishing his. club, and fled +
nto the bushes and over the ridge like a
,haneis. :. That night it was discovered
hat he had come down to the beach,
sizsd b canoe; and sailed away IN the