Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-08-26

Chained in IA Dungeon Cruel E'relt-
Ricnt0f IL i.unaticb by His lSruihcr--
Invent -s,.ye,t Nrurs .r Nuti.,,,,y

bt
A dispatch from Reading Pennsylvania,
on Monday Inst reported The discovery
in the mountains near that ullce
OF a man who hp- been Imprisoned by his
brothar for ~ years. The fuller ptrticu
lars of this remarkable case OF extreme
barbarity are now at hand Its discovery
was made by the Board OF Poor Directors.
A fu@ days agent was reported 20 hem
that man WAS receiving cruel sud inhu-
man treatment in the backwoOds country,
some 20 miles from iieadlng John II.
Bower, James Salladr and j w. kn0rr, Of
the almHhOuse, went to tho farm Cf joseph
Iechler, at tho foot Of The Blue Mountains.
and there they tonnd small hut nult of
heavy logs. The nNrruw door was barred
on the outside by II Heavy piece of oak
| The root v ~ covered with tnatch Under
the hut was II rnuGh fireplace. built Of
b0uldrIs J ha hDor IT tho hut was of
heavy slabs, with wide cracks to admit the
heat from the fireplace below.
As the officials approached they heard
wild Nhrenkr III tue hut Taking dOwn
the bar and op' ninE the door, they saw,
crOnched on a pit OF filthy straw, the
form of what first Gmt d 10 be- an animal.
When they brphinu accustomed to the
darkness inside, they saw that il was he
| form vi II ruan. tie was entirely nnde his
gray and shaggy beard extended to his
hips, and his hair MAS long ami matted.
! His skin wae black "a, that at II negro. In
tho centre Of the floor vas heavy itOn
staple attached to which was u chain.
The other sud WAS clesped tightly about
the mans right ankle. The prisoner
showed fight, aud there wlA violent
| Ntrugge b. fore he could be han dculfed aud
| bound. The Chain was heavy md rusty,
and it required d blow from sedge TO
break it. The man was then carried into
the open AR. Fns the first time in twenty
seven years the light of heaven shouc
upon HIM. For over quarter of II CO
fury he had occupit d that pen.
The prisoners name is Brrj min Il cb-
Ter. Thirty years ago he was robuI'
hearty man. aged - years. lie worked
on his fathers farm in Albany township
Que day, while greatly overheated, he
Jumped into II cold mountain stream to
battle. The sudden plunge into cold
water had bad III 'ct. Ia time he be.
came demonted. Then his father ii d,
leaving his property to his two sons, Jacob
and Benjamin. Jacob did not wish to
have his brother taken TO Ru insane asylum
so he determined to keep him OH the farm
In a few months BAnj,mn became very
violent. Jacob then determined to build
the hut at the faOt of tine mountains, into
which BENZ amin was placed aud chained
For twenty 1even yenrs he has been kept
there. The hut IN III n mountainous back.
woods country, which is rarely visited by
strangers.
1t is believed that he can be curt d
sufficiently to give the story of his terribl
sufferings. His brother claims that he fed
him we'll. Thisis apparently true, because
the lunatic was powerful and it require
the strength of four mon to overcome him
in his filthy cell. This evening the man
is reported to be resting we'll, and he has
become quiet and orderly. Jacob Nechler
has always been recognized as a peaceful
law-abidins citizen, but the barbsrous
treatment of his brother has changed
public opinion against him. As yet no
arrests have been made.