Morning journal and courier., 1882-09-04
A New NebuchadeZZar.


 cure is effected
 A New Nebuchadezzar.
 Jail-An Incendiary Refuses Meats and
 Dainty Victunls, Preferring to Eat
 Grass m the .JaH Yard.
 From the Philadelphia Record
 When the farmers of Bucks county visit Doyleston this week to take part in the bi- centennial celebration they will find an un- looked-for attraction in the shape of an her bivorous tramp, who was sentenced to the county jail last Tuesday by Justice of the Peace Sheets of Bedminster township, for threatening to burn farm house belonging to Catherine Snyder. He was brought to the jail by Constable Peter Keller and delivered into Sheriff Heist's custody. He was dressed ln pair of dark pantaloons, blue striped shirt and black slouch hat much the worse for wear. He wore no shoes, and his feet were brown and grimy and were armed, like hls hands, with long, claw-Gke nails. His face and neck were covered with short stubby growth of hair, and his cranium was adorned with the strangest mass of hair that ever grew on human head. It was not like an ourang outang'a in color, but it thick and matted and twisted into a cone like a beehive. It stood upright on his head in hard unyielding mass, and brush and comb had no more effect on it than a feather dus- ter It had to be severed from the scalp with tinsmith's shears.
 When that had been done the man was taken before the sheriff and questioned as to his name and residence. He refused to tell, and no persuasion could induce him to di- vulge his name, age or birthplace. He was placed in cell, and the prison breakfast of bread and molasses and coffee were set before him. It was left untasted, and when the turnkey locked the cell the prisoner threw the bread on the floor and upset the coffee 1c ao& h~4n were brought to him be hurled it in the turn keys face with curse, and said, with marked German accent '"Thats no dinner bring me something fit to eat-bring mo some grass.'' The prisoner went to bed supper less, and refused to eat when he awoke Sheriff Heist informed of the strange conduct, and ordered the turnkey to tempt the prisoners appetite with sweetmeats. This was done and dainty meal was placed before the tramp, who had lasted for nearly two days; but he thrust it from him. The turnkey was at loss to account for the mans seeming fastdiousness, and thinking it arose from want of exercise, he opened the door of the cell and allowed the fellow to enter the broad yard of thea prison. As his eye feasted on the luxuriaut grass that grew in the yard he gave vent to loud whoop, and, falling on his knees, began to pull it up by the roots and eat it. The turnkey looked on in amazement while the man devoured the grass. When he had finished his strange repast he arose and asked the turnkey for won glass of milik.' A quart pitcher of fresh milk was brought to him and he drain ed it to the last drop, and then stretched him. self out at full length the grass and went to sleep. In an hour he awoke and ate more grass, with chickwesd for desert. He sat on the ground and plucked the weed by the root stripping the stalk of the seed, which he ate with evident relish. At supper time he ate also of aliberal quantity of sharp. pun gent weed known as ''peppergrass." He ate only the leaves, throwing the stems away He drank about pint of milk during the repast, which he washed down with the white liquid. After he had swallowed enough grass to satisfy county-fair COW, he fell on his hands and knees and crawled about the yard, peering into the grass with his keen eyes. if in search of some toothsome nor ssl.
 asked the turnkey, who had been watching him.
 q looked for dot vat you call clofer," said the herb eater, looking up 'but l finds him not. eff me some milk"
 Another pint of milk given to him, and he was then led back to his cell. On the following day he breakfasted again on grass and chickweed, and ate at frequent intervals | during the day. All attempts to induce him to substitute more substantial food were use- | less, and he adhered to his bovine diet, and ! sat on the grass from dawn to dark chewing ! his food contentedly and grinding the seed 1 to pulp with his strong white teeth. He | continued to subsist in this way and appear | ed to thrive on his strange diet. He gained 1 flesh, and his cheeks had better color than | before.
 The man was visited at tho jail in Doyles- town by a Record reporter yesterday. When the latter entered the yerd-a small, square ! inclosure with high white walls-the grass | eater was sitting on an upturnea bucket in an | angle of the wall with his face turned toward l f aclyx, Acf xyici had haI arose and stood erect. He is a tall, power fully built man, with massive neck and shoul- | ders and strong, sturdy limbs His forehead | is low and retreating, and his face is brutish | in appearance. He has only one eye. His | left hand grasped . bunch of chickweed, 1 while with his right he stripped the stalks of the seeds and slowly carried them to his l mouth, as if waiting for his his visitors to speak.
 1T brought some one to see you, Dutchy," began the turnkey.
 ''Vell," said the man quickly, wat you want? Who you vas ?" and then he launched out into a torrent of invective against the county authorities. Nothing could induce him to tell his name or his history. He an- swered all inquiries by saying, cunningly, that he was not on the witness stand. He said that he ate grass chickweed because the meat might be poisoned and because the Lord had commanded him to do 1t. He then lapsed into silence walked over to his corner and seating himself on the bucket resumed his strange meal.
 The turnkey said that he passes his time in eating, drinking and praying. He sleeps little is irregular in his habits, and eats at all times and at all hours. He says grace be- fore and after every meal, and prays fre- quently during tho day in strange, cratic way He sometimes tries to scale the walls, and on one occasion, after making futile attempt to gain the street, he leaped high in to the air and waved his arms as if to fly. The laughter and jeers of the other prison CTS, who follow him at every turn, do not disturb him, and Dapdrsues the even tenor of his way. The name of the man remains a mystery. He is stranger in Bucks county and was never seen there until about two weeks ago, when he suddenly appeared in Bedminster township. Physicians and scien- tific men who have visited him inclined to believe that he is weak minded, but the jail keepers of the opinion that his mind is perfectly clear. The case is one of consd erable interest, and prominent physicians from all parts of the State are Hooking to the jail to see the great grass eater, as he is call ed.
 Tha Poisonous Mushroom.
 From the London News.]