The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-04-09
A STRANGE STORY.
Two Ill-Matchcd Women Claiming to Be
Man and Wife.
lNFATUATION OF A BEAUTIFUL GIRL.
A Series OF Misfortunes With q
Semi-Tragic End.
ALDEsvILLx, Wayne county, Pa,

April Z. 1871 !
For several years couple have lived as man and
wife, In the woods this place, under tho name Of
INT ana Mrs. Joseph Israel Lobdc. Strange as II may
seem, they both women, tho ono claiming now 10
be husband having been married and Is The mother
OF a child, now grown TO womanhood The "wiie" Is
AN educated woman who STILL times exhibits traces
OF q culture that is strangely antagonistc to the
par,ah life she has led Tor years. The story Of this
singular pair told without the slightest establishment
OF fancy Is one whose extraordinary detail has no
parallel this country and is an apt Illustration OF
the saying that 'sTruth stranger than fiction"
HISTORY 'nusBASD."
About forty years ago man named '.oodei setsied
with his wife in the lumber regions OF the delaware
Valley, then much OF II great wilderness Soon al
scrward n child born to them, and, being GIRL
lhey named it Lucy Ann. THIS child grew up amid
lhe rough influences OF the lumber camps and became
used to all the ways Of tho lumbernen She learned
TO chop logs shoot and fish, and oltentmes shared tho
privatons OF the camp with tho men, She became
such an expert with the rifle that OF tho woods
men were her match She hunted alone In the
forest, sometimes being absent two or three
days at time, killing deer and other game
When she eighteen years old she was married to
man named Henry Slater, raltsman who had come
Into her neighborhood from somewhere up tho river
She bore him child a year atterward, but he was
worthless fellow and not long after tho birth OF his
child Slater deserted both II and It's young mother
leaving them destitute circumstances. Mrs slater
wns obliged go with her child to her parents home.
The old folks poor soon began to complain OF
the increased burden that placed upon them. As
soon Lucy had recovered her usual health, which
had been enfeebed by birth OF the child, she made
Ap her mind to relieve her parents OF her support.
Bhc discarded tho apparel of her SEX and DOMINIC
mems clothing, took her gun and disappeared She
was heard OF for year. wncn she appeared
again nj her native settlement She was bronzed by
exposure, and all trace OF femninity was gone She
left some money with her father and went away again.
For seven years sno roamed the mountains OF Dela
ware, Sullivan and Ulster in New York State, and
Pike, Wayne and Monroe this State. She lived In
cabins which she built at different points and appeared
only The settlements TO dispose OF skins game
obtain ammunition and supplies
EXPERIENCES HUNTREss.
In q book entitled 'The Life and Adventures OF
Lucy Ann LobdelI the Female Hunter OF Long Eddy"
written by herself after rclinquishing her wild life
many thrilling incidents related that occurred in
her experience in the woods Among these are the
details OF handto-hand contest with panther.
which attacked her alter she had wounded II, near
Mongaup Pond, in Sullivan county. She killed the
ANIMAL but received such injuries that shc was
able get away from her cabin, which CHANGED TO be
,ncar, for several days. Ono time she shot huge
black bear after long and atisung tramp. The bear
raised It's launches and started for her with dis
tended jaws. Feeling that she too much with
her tramp to brave the fury OF the bear at close
Auarters she a small by, intending
climb beyond reach of the wounded animal She
elasped her arms about the tree and tainted away.
when she recoy she was still clasp
Sng the tree. Recalling the circumstances that pre-
coded her running for the tree she looked about her
About feet away the bear lay stretched on tho
AoaA hall had pfa lie nj
It's work before the animal reached her. One winter
the deep the woods that she was unable
leave her cabin lin the northern part OF Sullivan
county, any distance from December TO March, living
on game that she had fortunately hung up.
The book recording these incidents rs literary curl
osty and is rare, only few copies being extani.
Tho lite OF the writer that occurred after
II was written. however, are stiil more strange
After living in the wilderness for seven years Mrs.
Slater broken IN mind and hody. returned 10 her old
home and resumed female apparel Her child had been
placed in the Poorhouse at Delhi, Delaware county.
When Lucy married she was considered the hand
soonest woman in the region. The life she subse-
0uently led destroyed her beauty leaving only traces
OF what she had been. For time after returning
home she wandered about the valley and at last semi
insane and feeble in body she placed in the Poor.
house where her child had preceded her shortly
after Mrs. Slater took up her aoode In the Delhi
County House, a prominent farmer Of Damascus town.
ship Wayne county Pa, being in Delhi Mary,
tho daughter OF the female hunter. then promising
child, eight years old and took her home with him to
live In family. The singular events that beie her
IN subsequent will be related in their place In
this sketch. Her mother remained IN the Poornouse
In tho summer of 1865 there alighted from a railway
train the Erie Railway, at I.ordviiie, Delaware
county n. ", an Attractive looking woman. about
Ike bnt had been compelled 10 leave the train as she
had no money to pay her fare further She said that
her name was Marie Louise Wilson, the daughter OF
respectable people In Massachusetts by the name of
Perry. Against her parens' will she had cloped with
\ Young man named James Wilson few months DO.
fore and married They had been living Ia Jersey
CITY, whence he had away with the daughter Of
iher landIady, whose name was Hall. wilson had
6ea In ha nf he
and tho deserted wife thought that she might
learn something OF the whereabouts OF the
guilty pair by travelling over the road
Her money gave out and she could no further The
unfortunate woman was given shelter, but falling sick
with lever, removed to the Poorhouse ut Delhi
She in time recovered her health and became ac-
quainted with Lucy Ann Slater. Between these two
younger OF the two restored to health, nth beauty
education and good home to return TO II she chose
refused 10 leave the almshouse. but became the con-
stant companion of her faded, deranged and uncouth
sister in misfortune In the spring of 1869 both Mrs.
Wilson and Mrs. Slacr found missing IRON the
Poorhousc, and nothing was seen or heard OF them Tor
years
THE STRANGE PAIR.
In the fall Of 1869 there appeared in the village OF
Canadcnsis Monroe county Pa. tall. gaunt. ragged
man, and a woman dressed IN mean garments The
man wore no hat to cover hts mass Of matted hair.
He carried on his shoulder long barrcllod The
woman's clothing was dirty, and torn by brush and
bricr BY rope the man led half-grown bear cub.
Their appearance created great sensation In the
village. They announced themselves the Rev.
Joseph Israel Lobdc and vile. They were preaching,
they SAID, The gospel OF new DISPENSE
ton. Tho delivered meaningless and bias
1hcmous harnngucs, until the strange pair
driven from the place. For years. how
ever, they ronmed about the neighborhood, living
IN caves and hunters cabins the winter until they
ut last complained OF as nuisance, and were
rested and lodged IN jail in Stroudsbnrg While incar-
ccrated there the discovery mndc that joseph
Israel Lobdcl was woman. aud who and what the
singular pair ascertaned about the same
time. Poormasicr Hitler. OF Monroe county. accord.
tngIy returned them to the poor authorities vi Della
wnrc county. N. ", and they again took up their
quarters In the county house at Delhi
A
Meantime Lucy Ann Siatcr's daughter Mary, who
had been adopted by rich Damascus farmer Daniel
F0rtnam, grew to be young woman OF considerable
beauty md intelligence and naturally attracted at
acption OF the young men OF the ncghborhood. One
of these young farmer named Kent desired TO marry
ahc grl but his name none OF the best tho
muutv and his attentions were refused by Mary. she
promised to bo the vile 81 another young living
near and Kent resolved Il most diaoolca revenge.
Calling 10 his aid number ri desperate characters lie