The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1874-12-24
Walled-up Alive.

THE Allentown PA Herald of re-
cent date tells strange and horrible
story of man imprisoned on the Blue
Mountain, in that section, within four
brick walls about seven or eight feet
high, bricked over the top and inclosing
a space Of SIX feet square, without either
door or window. The discovery of his
whereabouts was accidentally made by
"a Mr.. Edward Powell, while out hunting.
He says the man bricked up in that mon
umental coffin, and who suffers death in
life, is named Levi Handwerk, and that
he had been imprisoned at that place for
twelve years. 1t seems the father of
Handwerk died and left his son $4,000
He was "a lunatic, subject TO fits of I'M
goyernable rage, thereby endangering
the lives of those about him. The
mother of Handwerk married I. second
time, ana it was then that Levi was con-
signed to his dungeon-a violent raving
mailman. Here, if the details of this
horrible story be true, he has wallowed
in filth, his food passed through the
small aperture made by leaving out a
/ brick in the wall, exposed to the sever
/ ity OF the winter weather, crying, shrek
| ing and yelling, when the storms have
/ swept over the mountain, and making
! night HlutOuS VIII Ills lIdlilt tiIts.
| The motive for his confinement was
| that he was not safe to be at large, and
/ &c if he had been sent to a lunatic asylum
| the $4,000 would have been appropriated
! by the State TO keep him.
! The Uerdids revelation of this abOmi-
/ nable horror at once aroused the good
! people of Allentown, and a party, con
/ sisting of Coroner Moser, George Herch,
! Edward Powell and ID ii. Nothstein,
! proceeded TO the place under the leader
/ ship of Mr. Powell. The building is
| situated, il is said, about 100 yards
| from where his parents reside. and when
the Allentown party arrived there the
! Constable of Slatington and another gen
! lie an who had preceded them were al
| re idy making arrangements for the de
ranged mans removal The strong iron
bars guarding the entrance were taken
| down by the constable, when the party
entered. The sight that met their eyes
is simply indesCribable Lying on IA
! patch of fine straw in a nude state, COW
| cred with a thick crust of dirt from head
to feet was a human being, the stencil
| arising from the bed of filth being almost
intolera5le. The pen in which he was
confined is four feet square, of brick,
lined with rough pine boards. When the
gentlemen entered they lOund nm lying
in crouched position, and it was only
by assistance that he could stand on his
feet, his limbs being paralyzed and una
bic to bear the emaciated form. To-
gcther they carried him to his mothers
house, and applied soap and water, after
which he was clothed, and in charge OF
the officer taken to Slatington. y per
nit was procured for his admission into
the Lehigh County Aims house, in which
institution he will receive better and
more humane treatment than hereto
| fore.
When brought to the light of day he
looked wistfully around and occasionally
muttered incoherently. He rubbed his
eyes vigorously, which were almost con
ccaled by dirt, and, although his sayings
were unintelligible, il was noticed that
his countenance beamed with JOY at hav.
ing secured liberty after so long confne-
ment. 1t is alleged that years ago he was
in his right mind, as records kept where
he sold game to other parties testify OF
business transactions which were by nc
means conducted by an insane person.