The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-04-03
PRICE TWO CENTS.
TIE LEHMAN HERMIT DEAD.
LTTIN0 ron MORE THAN FORTY YElm
IN THE WILDERNESS.
The Son OF Connecticut Family or poei
standing Choosing his Abode ON the Moossa
M"unt"ins Rather than Civilization.

"""n'"i" Rather than Civilizations
PORr JERvIs, April 2-On Monday and
Tuesday fearful storm Of snow and wind pro
vailed throughout tho Delaware Valley. Drift
many feet deep formed in the Pike COUNTY
mountains. and the weather was bitter cold
On Friday persons living in the northern PM
Of Lehman township found tho cabins OF q
number " hoop-pole cutters nearly buried with
snow. and the inmates almost dead with hunge
and cold. In tcn-foot drift. near the top Of
ono Of the mountains. they found tho dead
body u Austin Sheldon. bcttor known az the
" Hermit Of Lehman" IIc had lvod ovor forey
years in n cave in the rocks near tho entrance
OF which his body was found. Sheldon was
nearly ~ years old. He was discovered in his
cavo thirty years ago by hunters. He sad he
had been living there ton years. and had MOI
soon any human beings in that timc His cave
was nine miles from Dingman's village. No
thing was known Of tho hermits history until
year ago. Thcn somc mention Of him was
madc in New York newspaper Of his living as
n hermit. Tho paragraph was secn by parties
in stony Greek, Conn. from which place man
named Austin sheldon had disappeared forty
four years before. A brother and a sister Of the
missing man, both wealthy. started to look the
hermit up .They ronched his cave one day
about dusk. The hermit WIS their brother. but
he could not BE- induced 10 leave his cnve oven
with the offer Of t25 OnU. and q luxurious home
~ long IA he lived, 1t was lcarncd from tho
brothor and sister uf the hermit ilat he had lost
his VITO niter briei married life. He disap.
pearsd tho day on which she was buried, and
not word mad been heard from him until the
item IN ,th9 newspaper was seeni His friends
thought he had gone To sea and died.
Before he took up his abode in the Plks
county cave, Sheldon says he roamcd for five
years through the. woods Of Connecticut. Ncr-
mont. and Now York. stunning civilization,
q % Re 'FS%a y @ IN H H. NJ not &iRqS'G RpgT
locality at the time. but found aftorward that
was among the MOOsic Mountiiu- in Wayne
county Pa Tho great forest that surrounded
his cave soon attracted the attention " the lum-
bermen. and he fled deeper into the Wildernt ~.
After three months of wand ring hc found the
cave in the wild region whore he died. For
over forty years lac lived in this hole in tha
square. ACCUMULATION Of tho rubbish of forty
years reduced its proportion 50 that there wac
barely room to turn about in H. sheldon lived
Of his death his form was n.u ID bent The
clothing that hung In rags and tli' 'r- from his
aud never taken on. II was held together by
hi 'kOry Withos. tn never w'l-hrd hlek
gray beard that hung almost To- his waist
shoulders. was matted with burr- and twigs.
ana had not been touched with comb OF brush
Tor fQrty-hve years. He never wont far away
from his cave. a long stan an an an lent BIZ
hlc-the latter hanging from his hrlt-wrre his
constant rompnnions. 1t was his hou-t that he
had ad his Bible through twice a year ever
sinrr h. had been in the wilderness. H. held
daily communion with God. ho spid and talked
had been surrounded with forest fires. and al
most every avenue of escape cut OIL. but he
calmly remained IA his retrent reading MS III.
bic. until removed 10y wo1d-m'n thouShiiul oi
his safety. Nearly every winter for years he
bus been rescued from freezing ami starving.
lie never made any effort - save himself. say
ina. he was in the hands Of God. Tho cave in
which n lived was permeatcd with 50 horrid 9
the hermit himself was covered with Nth and
vCrmin. sheldon was an educated man. His
family among the leading ones of Connecticut