The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1874-12-24
BarbarOuS Treatment Of q luna ic-KeDt In
horrid Confinement for twelve years.

The Allentown Pa Herald has just
disclosed case of barbarous treatment
of human being, in Washington Town
ship, Lehigh County, which We should
re ect as a romance or gross eXaggera-
ton, were il not well authenticated, and
did we not know that similar crCelties
have been practiced in other localities OF
! this and other States.
Briefly, the story is this: A well known
citizen of Allentown, while hunting on
! tho Blue Mountain, had his attention at
tracted by queer ooking brick strnc-
ture among the trees. 1T was simply
fosr brick walls, about seven or eight
feet high, and incIosing a space Of about
six feet square. IIe walked round IT,
and could find neither door nor window.
There was stencil arising from it that
made his examination anything but
pleasant one. He was about TO leave the
place with the mystery Of the solitary
brick building unsolved, when, suddenly,
his steps were arrested by q sound rs of
n human voice, which appeared TO come
from the interior Of the structure. Again
he walked round the building, and this
time he discerned place in one of the
walls where brick had been lett Out,
affording an opening into this "dnn-
coon for it was dungeon, and il held
a prisoner shut out from the light of day,
from all human fellowship, and from all
opportunity Of enjoyment of the com
mon blessings OF life, which belong TO
the most unfortunate of Gods creatures.
AS the discoverer Of this strange editice
discovered the only opening in the walls,
again he heard sound from the interior
OF it, This time there could be no doubt
Of it. Strange, incoherent muttcrings,
and then cry Of pam or rage fell upon
the ears OF the startled listener. Hc
called out and knocked upon the wall,
and the voice Of man responded TO
him-but he could make no sense OF the
response. After time, he left the
place and made inquiries IN the neigh I
borhood, and then he heard a very
strange story.
The man bricked up IN that monu-
mental coffin is named Levi 1andwcrk, /
and the neighbors state that he has been .
immured there for twelve years. Tie
strange story given by Mr.. Powell is
that the father of lIandwerk died and /
left him quite yoang man with 3D. /
600. He was 4 lunatic, subject TO fits of
ungovernablc rage, and when these fits
were on him the lives of those around .
him were in danger. After the death of
his father, the mother of uandwerk /
married again, and the youug man he
came altogether uncomfortable vio-
lent raving mailman. Then it was he
was consigned 10 this dungeon, which is .
simply bare spot of ground inclOscd
by tour walls. Here he has waliowcd in
illh, bis food passed in through tic
small aperture made by leaving out a
brick in the wall, exposed 10 the severi-
~ OF the winter weather, crying, Shrek
ing, and yelling when the storm swept
over tho mountain, and making the
nigh; hideous with his frantic cries. The
motive given for his confinement thus is
the lives OF those about him were not
safe if he were at large, and " Il lie bod
been sent 70 laRatic asylum TIC money he
lcdS possessed az rcoald hare been dypropri-
1t,d By The Stat 10 Keep him.
The RtFald'S revelation Of this abomi-
nable horror a, once aroused the good :
people of Allentown, aud on Monday
last party, consisting of Coroner Moser,
George Hersch, Edward Powell, and d.
II. Nothsteln, proceeded 10 the place,
under the leadership OF Mr.. Powell. The
is situated about one hundred
yards from irhore his pGTcRfS reside, and
when the Allentown party arrived there,
he Constabis OF Slalingion and another
gentleman who had prccc ded them
we're already making preparations for
he d-ranged mans removal The strong
ron bars guarding the entrance were
aiken down by the constable, when the y
party entered. The sight that met their
yes is simply undesirable. Lying on :
patch OF fine straw in nude state,
,oyerSl witL 4 ihick crust Of ilrt from !