Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-12-20
nurlA CROSSE WONDER.
The Awful Imprisonment OF a Man
Without Food or Drink.

IA I L.
,gtonic of conversation here is the
man found under the hay stack. lie
is stlpalive and apparently recover
ING. He is at the county poor house.
He is a young Swede about twenty
wears Of age by the name OF Ander-
son. The particulars Of this now
celebrated case are interesting. IL IS
without doubt the most remarkable
case ever heard Of. The hay stack
where Anderson was discovered IS
located about a mile from the busl-
ness center of the Fifth ward, on
what is known as KenMedy's marsh
east of the Chicago, Milwaukee q St.
Paul railway track. A small party
of bows who had started out for TRIP
to the gravel pit, ran across the llela
to this stack and We're playing ABOUT
it. when one of their number either
HEARD A FAINT MOAN
or saw small portion OF what ap-
reared to be q mans body under a
mass of bay which has blown off
tbe ton and fallen in a solid mass to
the Ground below. Very much eX-
cited over the matter, they reported
II 10 officers Byrne and Jackson, of
The Fifth ward, who Immediately
went to the spot indicated and pulled
away the mass of hay which was
found to cover the supposed dead body
of a human being. Imagine their
surprise when it was discovered that
the man, reduced to a skeleton.
STILL aIyED
and resembled a corpse Just arisen
from the grave, more than human
being.
His clothes We're hanging in shreds
about him. MIR. Byrne asked him
how long he had been in the hay, to
which he responded Since Saturday
November II. - That can't be posi-
bic. responded Bvrne. do you
know what day of the month it
is now?" The poor fellow answered
that he did not, and Byrne told him
the date. He said he did not know
he had been there so long, but was
positive as to the date on which he
came there. Being asked how he
came there he replied he had no mon
ey or friends in La Crosse, ana
WENT THERE TO SLEEP.
In reply to a question why he re-
manned there so long, he said it was
stormy land raining that night
and the wind blew the haystack
over upon him. Mr.. Duncan went for
team and in the meantime Byrne
continued to converse with him.
Asked if he had any relatives to whom
information of his condition could be
sent. he replied he had a brother in
St Paul, giving his address as John
Anderson, postotlice box 2l3l. Ills
brother worked in a stone quarry at
that city. He said he had been work
ing on railroad near Chippewa Falls
until the work was finished, when he
came here, thinking he might get
chance to 90 into the woods. Byrne
asked him if he tried to call for help
after the hay tipped upon him, and ne
said he did a great many times.
HE HEARD PERSONS GO BY
talking frequently but could not
make them hear him He then begged
piteously to be given a lite water
and water was procured IN dllapl-
dated oyster can found in the vicin
ity, and about a teaspoonful was
given to him He then complained
of feeling cold. The hay in which he
had been surrounded was reduced to
a compost by the heat of his body
and the moisture of the rains and on
being taken out of his steaming pris-
on the frost had settled upon his body
His limbs We're
COLD ABOVE THE KNEES.
He had struggled fea4fully to eXui-
cate himself. lie had worn two pairs
OF pantaloons, the inner pair of which
he had worked himself out of, as he
had of his shoes. The outer pair held
by the suspenders. which fell to pieces
on being handled, almost, showing
his struggles must have ceased some
time ago and before his clothes had
reached so advanced a stage of decay.
His hip bones protruded through the
skin and exhibited raw spot two or
three inches in diameter.
He had been imprisoned in the place
where he was so providentla 'ly DIS
covered since Saturday night of No
vember 18th, so that it had been, IN
Guiding the day shat he tasted before
he went to rest in the stack, twenty
four DAVIS since he had received a par
Jlcle of food or a drop OF water. Inc
story was almost beyond belief, and
details were eagerly sought for. The
account given by the victim OF tins
awful experience is conoborated by
all the facts, which he remembers dis
tinctly, concerning the time when he
laid down to sleep on that eyentful
night, 50 that there is no room. for
doubt that he has endured and sur
viyed the wonderful period of starva-
ton which has lew if any equals in
human experience.
He was seen again to-day by re-
porter His mind seemed clear,
which is another remarkable fact con
sidering his painfully reduced phys
zeal ~ondition. His face has death
like pallor, his eyes which are light
blue are sunken deep ia the forehead,
and are the only feature which show
expression when he speaks Still the
face does not appear so baby as one