Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-08-30
A Tragedy In the C.s.Ltu..
fHE STRANGE LIFE or A REcLUsE-wrR-
lERlSG HIS DAUGHTER AND EITIT~a

IHk sTkANSk lifE OF REcLUSE-MrR-
lkklSG HIS DAUGHTER AND KILLING
In the nor thern part OF Ulster county. ON a
southern spur of the Catskills. Is the noun
tain hamlet ~ Pine Hill The country about
IL ~ isolated sud wild. and there n but LITTLE
communication between a. aud the more
thickly populated portions OF the country.
aiahoegh railroad running ron Kingston
passes through the village
Near the summit OF Pine Hin, the high
eleNatlon OF ground nom which the village
u haned, near what IL called the shorse-
shoe" OF the railrusd sweeping as N does IN
that shape ahont The abrupt curve OF the hill
lived until few days old man named
Abraham Symonts. The spot was n solitary
one, and hts only human conpan,,n was a
daughter who experimental his household
affairs Symonds was known u hiS fellow
villagers a. n quiet and unassumiug man.
lie WAS. in fact. rvticcnt 10 = de,rtse that
made the characteristic az eccentrtcitv
Another pecul'a y OF his was the rigorous
discipline me enforced upon ms daughter
About ~ years OF age. OF prepoSsessi 40 per
senal appearance, snd naturally bright and
intelligent. sue was calculated o. attract 10
her SIDE the best Of the village youths. Sew
eral of them had at different times essayei
10 court Tie yourg lady, but her IN Their IN
Nariahly dismissal them each and all Tie
Lao patlei viii all his other children, he
was wont 10 say, and his last and Youngest
could never marry. Hence he kept her aioof
nom young society. and made q, her 8 VERT
abie ItcluSe in their mountain LONE. Besides
me daughter the eccentric Old man had
az Other con panion-a large shepherd dog
Even this was disciplined IN the school OF
self-ienial. He had space allotted 10 him
~ the small yard, and beyond tfiht he dare
not go He was never tel, but 80 thorough
" had he been trained that nothing could
induce him 10 overStep the limits OF his I'M
enclosed domain without n sign from HIS
master. Symonis liked % exhibit his auto
cratic power over his household, but 10 Il not
knswn that he was ever cruel.
The relations Of the father and daughter
were always, 81 rar as outward Rppearances
were, most cordial and pleasant The .trl
seemed To bow 10 the will OF her parent with
On Friday night last, Nathan Poet, SON
-ln-law OF SymoDds. callet AT the house. See
ing no one about, not even the dog, ne began
70 search about the premises. Entering the
Kitchen, he was hornor-sticken 10 see Miss
symonds lying on the floor ia n pool of blooi
An axe lay on the table In the room, covered
with blood. Nothing was disturbed show
ing that there had been no struggle OF any
Kind. The young woman had evidently been
stricken down from behind Mr.. Peet lifted
The girl up In his arms. She was not dead
but gave no sign Of consciousness. He re-
moved her 10 another room. and summoned
aid. y search was then begun for Symonds
and FOR some clue that would unravel the
mystery surrounding the terrible. After a
short search. Symonds was traced 10 the
woods Dear by. His body Was found living
across loe with his throat cut from ear ~
ear. Lying near the feet of his dead master
was The old shepherd dog. His jugular was
also severed. From the trail OF blood thai
could be seen leading 10 the log from a spot
the dogs throat had been cut there hut that
ne had dragged himself 10 the feet of his old
master TO die.
An inquest was held, but nothing throwing
any light on the crime was obtained. The
jury found that syInonds had come 70 his
death 10y mis- own hand.
Miss Symonds was stin living on Thurs
day. Herskull is crushed I'm, and She has not
yetrecovered consciousness. Drs. Loughran,
Allabeen, Decker, and Winter, who are at
tending her and have performed a delicate
al n
chances OF her recovery are as one 70 ten
v. y. gStol, 2Sfh