The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-10-22
A MODERN DIANA.

MODERN DIANA.
The Strange Ldfe.History Of Lucy Slater
Her Career as Huntress, Pauper. a
Minister and a VaRrant-Dressed in
Mans Clothing She Wins q Girls Love.
A letter from Delhi, N. Y, to New
York paper tells this story of Lucy Sla-
ter's strange and romantic career: News
of the death of Lucy Ann Lobdell Slater,
known throughout the Delaware valley
as the Female Hunter of Long Eddy"
has been received here, and it recalls u
most singular life-history. In 1851, Lucy
Ann Lobdell, daughter of lumberman
living on the Delaware, near the bound
ary line Of this county and Sullivan, was
married to q raftsman named George
Slater. She was then seventeen years
old, and was known far and wide for her
wonderful skill with the rife, not only
in target-shooting, hut in hunting deer
and other game, for which the valley was
then noted. After year of married
life, Slater deserted his wife and a babe
a few weeks old, and has never been
heard from since. Mrs. Slater's parents
were poor, and she left her child in their
charge, laid aside the habit of her sex,
donned male attire and adopted the life
of hunter. The mountains of Dela-
ware, Sullivan and Ulster counties, in
this State, and the Delaware river coun-
ties in Pennsylvania, were then filled
with game. For eight years the unfor-
tunate wife and mother roamed the
woods of that section, making her home
in the wilderness. where she erected
rude cabins for her shelter. She never
appeared at the settlements except to
procure ammunition and needed sup
plies, for which she exchanged skins and
game. Her wild life was one of thrill
ing adventure and privation, ,.and it was
not until she was broken down by the
exposure and hardships of it that she re-
turned to the haunts of civilization. She
wrote book detailing her adventures in
the woods and giving an account of her
sufferings from cold, hunger and sick
ness. She recorded in this book that
she had killed one hundred and sixty
eight deer, seventy-seven bears, one PAN
ther and numb wildcats and foxes.
When she returned to Long Eddy she,
for time, resumed the clothing of her
sex, but after recruiting her health she
again put on male attire and disappear
ed. She did not return to the woods,
but, assuming the name of Joseph Lob
dell, she went about the country making
n living as q music teacher. While en-
gagged in teaching q singing school at
Bethan y, Penn, where she was not
known, she won the love of q young lady
scholar, member OF one of the leading
families of the village. The two were
engaged To be married, but the sex OF the
teacher was accidently discovered, and
she was forced to fly from the place in
the night to escape being tarred and
feathered. Shortly after this she returned
to Long Eddy, put on women's clothing,
and. being again in failing health, ap-
piled for admittance to the almshouse in
this place, where her child had been
placed some years before. When the
child, a bright little girl, was ten years
old, it was adopted into the family OF
farmer in Damascus, Penn. The mother
remained in the poorhouse.
In the spring Of 1858 a woman about
twenty-five years of age applied to the
poor authorities of Delaware county for
admittance to the almshouse. She was
in miserable health, but was apparently
of more than ordinary intelligence, and
to all appearances respecta BILE. She
said her name was Marie Louise Perry
Wilson. She was from Massachusetts,
where her parents lived. She had eloped
from home with man named Wilson,
to whom she was married in Jersey
City, but who had deserted her, leaving
her destitute. She had too much pride
to return home. Having heard that her
husband, who was railroad man, was
in Susquehanna, she had started out to
find him, but was taken sick in the cars,
and not having money enough to pay
her way, was put of at Lordville. No
other alternative presenting, she was
forced to enter the poolhouse: She was
taken into the almshouse with the un-
derstanding that as soon as she was able
to, she should communicate with her
family and have them remove her. She
recovered her health, but in the mean
time had madethe acquaintance Of Lucy
Ann Slater. A strong affection sprang
up between the two women, notwith-
standing the difference in their habits,
character and intellect. They refused
to be separated, and in the spring of
1869 they left the poorhouse together
and for two years they were not heard
from in Delhi. In tile summer of the
above year couple calling themselves
the Rev. Joseph Israel Lobdell and wife
appeared in the mountain villages Of
Monroe county, Penn. For two years
they roamed about that section, liv-
ing in caves and cabins in the woods,
subsistlng on game, berries, and on the
charity Of the numbering foresters scat
tered aboutin this region. They generally
appeared at the settlements leading a
bear which they had tanned. The man
delivered meaningless harangues on re-
ligious subjects, and proclaimed himself
prophet. Finally they became public
nuisances, and were arrested as Migrants
in jackson township and lodged in
Stroudsburg Jail. While they were in
jail the discovery that the supposed man
was a woman was made, and soon after
ward the prisoners were recognized by a
raftsman from the Upper Delaware as
Lucy Ann Slater and Marie Louise
Perry, the paupers of Delhi. They were
returned to this place. They remained
here some time, when they again left,
and until 1876 roamed the woods of
Northern Pennsylvania, leading their va
grant life, and insisting that they were
man and wife. In 1876 they were living
in a cave in the Moosic Mountains, near
Waymart, Penn. Lucy Ann continued
her use ofmale garments. She was ar
rested one day while preaching in the
above village, and lodged in the Wayne
county Jail. She was Kept there several
weeks. Her companion finally prepared
petition to the court Tor the release OF
her husband" from Jail on account OF
"his' failing health. This document
was a remarkable one, and is still in the
records of theIWayne. County Court. 1t
was couched in language which was q
model of clear and correct English. and
was powerful in its argument. 1t was
written with q pen made from a split
stick, the ink being the juice of poke;
lor,.:oe ,,o1, nm T ohIn1l waq rplpaapd