The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-24
A WILD W0MAN'S HISTORY.
EHB SLAYER or HUNDREDS OF
BEARS AND WILDCATS.
Perady that Drove her TO tho Wocds-A
Prophet Of the New Dtspensattcn-Why
p1other Opposed her Daugbter's Marriage.

Prophet Of the New Di-pcnsaticn-Whya
p1etscr Opposed her Dausbter's Marriage
HoNrsDALE, Pa, July 90" There" said
Sheriff Mallory Spencer, as he pushed open the
popderous door OF one OF the cells Of the county
fail In this place. " There Is woman with
history"
On low char In the cell sat a most singular
looking person. A round, wrinkled. sun-burned
face small head crowned with thick shaggy
gray hair. that fell down over and almost con-
cealed the blacklist aud sharpest OF eyes;
slender body clothed In scant and shabby female
garb, and lower limbs encased In Uttered irou-
sers-this was the occupant Of tho ceH-bucy
Avn Lobdell slater. better known as "tho Fe-
male Hunter OF Long Eddy"
Abont forty-nvc years ago family named
Lobdeil lived In Delaware county, N. Y at
what Is now the village of Long Eddy' on the
Delaware river and tue Erie II iilway. The To-
caIlty was very sparsey settled then. Lumber
Ing waa the calling OF the people OF the vicinity.
The Lobdcls dwelt in cabin In the woods,
where daughter, to whom they gave the name
of Lucy Ann, was born. From the time this
child wa. old enough TO walk she great
favorlte among the hardy woodchopper and
raftsmen. They often took her of to the log
cling camp and kept her DAYS at time, and she
early became Injured TO the hardshlps and priva-
tions OF their life. Tue lunbermen IN those
days were oil good hunters, and always carried
their rifles with them. Before Lucy Ann was
eight Years old they had taught her the use OF
the rife. aud she soon be, anne az good a snot as
twelve she could outsnoot any Of the men, and
handled the OK with the dexterity OF an old
chopper. Before she had reached the are OF
sixteen she mad killed several deer. and for her
TO away into the forest alone and remain
over night was not uncommon hing. She
once slow a panther on one Of her hunting eI'
plots, and tue skin of the animal Is still In ths
possession Of former Sheriff of Wayne county,
PennsylyaDia.
In spite OF her masculine tastes. Lucy Ann
Lobdell's name as n girl and woman was free
from re roach and she could have mad her
choice OF husosnd from the best young men IN
that or the adjoining settlements. But she had
Offers.
A fnftsman named Henry siatcr came. about
the year 1850 to work at the Basket, As the
settlement was called He formed the acQuaint-
snco OF Lucy Ann, and to the surprise of every.
body they were married. Slater had proposed
TO the girl. and she told him that they would
shoot a. a mark with the rife. IL he beat her
shot, she would marry hin; II not. she would
remain with hei parents. The trial ~ skill took
proveo worthless husp nd, and neglected and
abused his wife. A year after they were married
wa: two weeks ss,s O Ga's aeTed the esS and
Its mother, leaving them in destitute circum-
stances. lie never returned, and no one knows
Tho unhappy Young wife went back to her par
snS s 70 M0,r on sn womSns i.sor VIE
poor success. she laid aside the apparel OF her
seI, donoed mems clothing, and taking Der Der
herself and Guild. For eignt years she roamcd
the forests Of Sullivan aud Del.T y counties.
sylvania. She had bins la various places, and
would return home not more than once year
and only appeared In he settieme nts and villages
to sell her game and skins, and TO procure am
munition. On one Of her visits TO her Guild,
when II about six years old, her par
ents complained OF having Its care on their
hands. She took II away and placed Il In the
simshouse at Delhi, and returned to the woods.
During her long career as a hunter she was ex
posed TO fearful hsrdships and psrils 10 the
severe winter Of 1857. when the snow was over
four feet deep on tire level In the WOODS and
lasted four months, she never saw human
was snow bound IN one Of her cabins IN the
depth Of a Sulliv N county wilderness, where
few weeks successful hunt.
In 1859, shattered physically and mentally. she
appeared At the Basket, and resumed WON an .
clothing. Sac at imes would recount her ex-
periepces In the foresl and asserte ed that In tue
numerous wildcats and foxes. besides trapping
hundreds Of mink and other fur-oearng anil
wounded deer ana bear, rs usly seams and
scars upon her body amply testified. For two
cant sort OF life through tue valley. and nnslly
sntered the poorhouSe al Delhi. To which she
This child. however, had some time before been
taken out Of the Intuition by a farmer OF
Damascus township. Wayoe county, Pa, named
David Fortman, and given a home at his house.
In the spring 81 1855 young woman was let
station, or Lonx Eddy. Sue could not pay her
fare any further, aud said sue had no particular
name Mrs. Wilson. an said she had been de-
serted by her husnand at jersey CITY, where
al employee Of the Erie X AWAY Company. aud
bad eloped with the dsasnter OF the lady with
whom tOey boarded. Mrs. Wilson said tnHt sue
was tue daughter of highly respectable parents
named Perry, Of IL IN, Mas, aHd that sue had
run away from nome WITH and married James
Wilson. her p 4rents having opposed the match.
Zoe station agent aud others al Basket kind y
offered TO make up purse Tor the unfortunate
woman, ami send her back TO ner paTenLs, out
bhe declined the oner saying that sue was
ashamed 10 meet tneln and did not wish them
10 know OF her whereabouts. She was In feeble
hetlth. and, fearing tnat she might become a
burden ON Strangers she went 10 Deb and en-
Lucy Ann Slater still a. inmate OF the
alInshouse, and singular attachment spTsng
up between her and the new conner. Mrs. VII
son. probably owing TO the similarity Of tue
ciuses which had forced them to become D u
pers- The following year botn OF tuem left the
county house, ma nothing was heard VI either
Of them f.r two years IL the summer Of 1858 a
party OF hsherm-n discovered two strange y r.
sons living IN cave Ia Barrett township, Mon
roe couEty. Ia. hey we've an and woman
Soon thereafter there appeared In one OF the
VILLAGES tall gaunt mau. carrying ride and
leading haif-stown be = Gun b. strng tied
about bis neck. The man was bare healed. aud
bis clothing was torn and dirty. Accompanying
him was woman ABOUT Twenty-Five years old
Ihabbily dressed, out giving evidence Of more
lnteiliR nee tnan the man. VINO called himself
the Rev joseph Loboell, and 9 Id that the
woman WIS his wife. As they walked about the
man delivered NOISY anu meaningless ser
mons, declaring that he was prophet OF the
sent him 10y tue Lord to guard him IN tbs wilder
ness. For two years these warrants wandered
about IN Il II OF the county, living In caves
aud suOsisting on roots, berries and game killed
by the man. At last tney were arrested and
logged In J al at Stroudsourg, where they were
keot several weeks. While IN Jail the discovery
was made that they were nom women. Suisse.
quently the authorities learned that they be-
longed TO Delaware county, y. y, ana thit heI
they were sent. This pretended man aud wife
were Lucy Ann Slater and Mrs. Wilson, VINO had
been leading this yagaDnnd lie fOr four years.
In the mean tinie Nary Ann Slater, the daugh-
ter Of Lucy Ann, who h d be II taken from the
al IA a IA nd
eKcellen home. and had grown up TO he an In
toiliRent aud attractive ,uuQ2 won an. Young
man nauied Stone lived hear by with his wid-
owed mother, whom he supported. He love 4
Mary Ann, and being worthy ana prOmisine
youth, the foster tIer Of the girl SAW no re a
son to oppose match between her and the
widows son. The widow however. was ~
strongly set against her son marrying the young
lady that tho whole neghbJrhOod wondered
number Of yourg men In the neghborhOod
were jealous Of stone, ana one dark night they
wayaiI Mary Ann. The outrage drove her al
most tu.an', but stones affection was undimin-
lshed. lie st pressed MS claim for h n hand
~ length, wien their marriage seemed certain
Mrs. stone rove he'd a sttte VI affairs which fIlly
al