The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-06-29
CARRIED OFF BYOLD NICK.


In the year 1869 there dwelt at Shepton
Mallet, i'll the County Of Somerset, Eng
land an old man named Owen Parfitt In
his youth he had been a soldier. and had
been in African military, and, as the
townfolk whispered, other capacities. His
temper was violent, aud his language very
military in character. Although he was
not a popular person, albeit per force inof-
iensive. lie was a cripple, able to carry on
the trade of q tailor for several years. but
at the date already mentioned, was quite
helpless. His house was kept by sister
older than himself. who seems to have taken
excellent care Of him. As he was not able
to get out of bed without assistance his
sister often asked a young woman, named
Sdsarnah Shook, to lend her hand to lift
the old man into chair while his bed was
being made. land his chair was usuailyplaced
either III the passage or just outside the
door, that lie might enjoy little air. One
day as the sun was shining very brightly,
the two women wrapped Owen Pprfitt i'm
an old gray coat and carried him in his
arm chair out on the door step, that he
might sun himself a while. quarter of
an hour afterwaTd he was gone. The
chair rcma ined where IL had been placed !:
the old grcat-coat HaS thrown over 1t but
the man was gone, The first alarm was
raised by the sister who was found by
few minutes before, crying bitterly Ter
the loss of her brother. This SuSannah
Shook gave her account in the year 1874 to
DIR. Butler, at that time head master of the
Shrewsbury School, and afterwards Bishop
of Ltchield, and her evidence was corrob-
oiated by many persons then living at
Shepton Mallet. or in the neighborhOod.
The sister of Owen Parfitt told her that
after the bed was made and Susannah had
left Sl,p had - nd on
ing down again, and not hearing her broth
eli, she called ''Owenr' Then there was no
answer, and she went to where she and Su-
sannah had left him, and found nothing
but the chair aud the old great-cuai living
upon it. The alarm spread rapidly through
the town, and search was Immediately
made everywhere in the neighhurhood the
roads and fields for great distance round
were hunted over; all the wells and ponds
were dragged, but t. no purpose. No trace
was ever found of Owen fariitt. Sn san
nah Shook further said that the wea ther
had been fair daring the day, but after tho
alarm given il began Numbering and
lightning. with heavy fall of rain, which
continued for some time. She herself was
wet through in returning to her house.
Renewed inquiries into this well attested
mystery. says All the Year Round, have
rather dcepened than explained it. That
he suddenly disappeared there is no man
ner Of doubt. That his early life had been
of a wild and desperate character is also
certain, FOR he was in receipt of no pension
for serving the King, and had most prob
ably fought in Africa ''for his own hand
No person had the slightest interest in his
death, as his earnings maintained him, and
his sister had a small allowance from the
parish. Several old people who remember
the circumstances gave the same account
with regard to the chief facts, and particu-
lally as TO the general excitement and up
roar in the town as soon as the alarm was
given, and as to the immediate and car. full
search everywhere made for the missing
man. They all agreed, also, that Owen
PaIfitt was commonly placed of an fter-
noon either in the passage OF Just outside
the door, for the fresh air. There seemed
to be no doubt that he was and had been a
cripple for years, and also that If bis
strength had been miraculOusly recovered,
lie could have hardly been gene without
being seen. His cottage was on turnpike
ruad, surrounded by other cottages close at
hand, not one hundred yards from tho
streets of the town, and he must have
passed along clothed only as he had been
taken from his bed. 1t was warm June
afternoon, the ''mowinC grass was about,
and the fields were full of people the
town is surrounded not by arabic, but by
grass land, almost everywhere. Half an
hour after he was last seen, the whole dis
possible population of a town, then number
ing between four and five Thousand inh alb
itants, were in pursuit OF him, and If he
bad dropped from exhauStion--he was sew
enty years old III is almost certain he must
have been fonnd. The search was con
timed for several days without avail, and
then the good people made up heir minds,
such as they were. They soon arrived at
solution Of the mystery. The day had
been fine up 20 the disappearance of Oven
Parfitt which was followed 10y a terrific
storm of thunoer and lightning, and rain.
He had been a wicked-perhaps a fright
fully wicked-man in his youth. Putting
this and that together" there could be no
doubt about the matter The old soldier
sailor, shaver, and jailcr had been carr led
of 10y the devil.