The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-11-04
~ ROYAL ROMANCE.

bh a hOSl6R.
The Moscow PENN correspondent OF the
New York Herald writes: Among the scat
tered families inhabiting the wild region
skixing the Poceno range of mountains, in
the northern part of Monroe county, this
state, is that OF a German named Gotleb
Scheibel. He came into the section some
five years ago, and settled near the bord r
| of Luzerne and Monroe counties, in the
midst of a wilderness almost primitive, and
commenced, with the energy and industry
characteristic of his race, the liberal newing
4 of farm out or the wild tract he had
purchased. His family consisted of him
self, his vile, three rugged sons and
| fourth boy, of a finer cast of features than
the rest and with very little resemblance to
the family. This child was about four years
| old when the family settled In this region,
and being of weak mind wss allowed every
| freedom that pertained to the isolated life
| the family led. The boy developed
strange passion for the woods, and spent
most of his time roaming about on the
mountains, gathering berries and nuts.
| During the past two years bis excursions
became more extended as the forests
were cleared away in the immediate vi
| cinity of his homo, by Shebel and other
| German families, who moved In the vicinity
subsequent to the formers occupancy. The
boy was called Johnny, and since he began
| to extend
HIS VISITS DEEPER INTO THE WILDERNESS,
would sometimes be absent days at a time,
sustaining himself Dy eating nuts, berries
aud roots, and sleeping in csverns and hol-
low logs, or In the open air in warm weather.
He often on his return home related wild
stories. Once he reached home with his
flesh lacerated and his body almost denuded
oil clothing, bearing young cstamount
which he had attempted TO capture, and
| finally killed with 8 club after a terrible
struggle. 1t was useless for mis- friends 10
attempt TO keep him at home, aud so for
years ne roamed the forests with only the
| many wild animals that still haunt this
wilderness for his companions, the lamp OF
mis- reason burning too dimJy to show him
the danger OF the life he was lead
ing. 1t was while away on one of these soli-
tary visits to the woods he loved so well
that he was made an actor in the shocking
tragedy, following which the history OF the
we.f became known. On Sunday morning
last he took a small basket and started OFF
into the forest. He said he was going to
bring in some beech nuts for pet squirrel
| which he bad captured when 1t was young,
in Its nest, and which be some times took
with him into the woods. He had not re-
turned Monday noon, but the fact created
no
APPRRHENsIoN IN THE MINDS OF HIS REL
ATIvEs,
who were busy huskiug corn in field some
distance from the house on that day. About
one o'clock in the afternoon man in a
hunters garb appeared in tho field and
startled the family with the announcement
that little Johnny was dead, the hunter
himself having shot him in mistake for a
deer. The body, he said, was at the house,
he having carried IL from the spot where the
| ahOOtlDC occurred. abOut tbr06 miles
in the mountain. Schiebel and his wife ac-
c0mpanied the hunter, who gave his name
as James Phillips, to the house; and there,
lying on the floor, riddled with buckshot
and covered with blood, was the dead body
OF the poor, half-witted boy. The grief of
the honest German and his wife was not
demonstrative, but touching In the ex-
treme. When the first burst was over
Phillips gave the following: He, with
two others, were camped on the south
branch of Bright's Book, few miles north
of the German clearing, and early on Mon
day morning they started out to hunt deer.
Phillips was driving ridge with the
hounds and started deer, which made off
In the direction of the great swamp W hich
borders on the counties of LuZsrne, Monroe
and Carbon, and is known as the Shades of
Death. The hounds followed it, and he
FASTENED to get runaway" In a ridge
mile or 30 away, where he thought the deer
would eventually bs chased by the dogs.
but few minutes when he heard the cry
of the hounds some distance away, but evil
IDENTIFY coming nearer, and In his direction.
Almost at the same moment he discovered
peculiar agitation in some laurels about
one hundred yards to his right
away. Alter watching the spot a
moment be came to the conclusion that the
motion of the bushes was caused by deer,
and without a momenrs further thought
he FIRED HIS BUCRsHoT BARREL INTO THE
/ CLUMP.
The movement ceased, and Phillips walked
to the spot and pulled aside the bushes.
What was his horror to see stretched upon
the ground, In an open space among the
bushes, the body of boy, with blood pour
ing from his side, into which several buck
shot had entered, killing him instantly. A
basket, nearly filled with beechnuts, stood
near, and the boys hands were full of win
teTgreen berries, which he was picking W hen
the fatal shot was fired. Phillips had heard
from local hunters of the eccentric Johnny
Sneibel, and he bad no doubt that the boy
he had killed was the poor half.witted child.
knowing that the German clearing was
somewhere In that locality, he took the body
in his arms and started to lind il. As luck
would have it he reached i. without difficulty.
AT an investigation held on Tuesday by
, the justice of the peace to whom Phillips re-
: paired and asked for en- examination, the
following history of the was elected
from the Sheibels: Before coming to this
, country Sheibel was q gardener, in the en-
ploy Of German nobleman, living In
Kronig. In his family was then living q
sister Of his, Katharine Scheibel. According