Connecticut western news., 1883-11-14
A QUEER MARRIED COUPLE
TUE STORY OF TWO WOMEN WHO PRETENDED TO BE MAN AND WIFE.

PRETENDED TO BE MAN AND WIFE. s* One n Once Famous Huntress of the New York and Pennsylvania Woods and the Other Graduate of n Boston school Their WanderinGs aud Adventures.
 The singular case reported from Wau- pun, Wis, of tho marriage of one woman to another, has parallel in case which was discovered in Stroudsburg, Pa, some years ago. A local correspondent writes to the Stts as follows:
 In the spring of 1869 there appeared in the town of Barrett, in the western part of Monroe county, couple calling them selves the Rev. Joseph Israel Lobdell and wife. The man was of medium height, dressed in tattered hunting garb, and carried long single-barrel rifle. He wore no hat, aud his head was cover ed with thick black curly hair, streaked with gray. The woman was taller than the man, and was meanly clad. She was fine looking, wore spectacles, and her conversation showed that she was educated and intelligent. For two years the strange couple roamed about the township, living most of the time ill the woods, but frequently making their ap- pearance in the village, where the man would deliver wild and incoherent harangues on religion, and both would beg for food and shelter. In 1871 they had become such nuisance to the in- habitants that they were arrested on charge of vagrancy, and committed to Jail in Stroudsburg. While in prison the discovery was made that they were both women. Soon afterward 1t was learned that they had together left the almshouse of Delaware county, N. Y., short time before their appearance in this county. The poorhouse authorities of Barrett thereupon took them back to Delhi, where the following straight his- tory of the pair was learned:
 In 1854, Lucy Ann Lobdell, the IT, year-old daughter of an old lumberman living at Long Eddy, on the Delaware river, was married to George Slater. She was known far and wide as an ex- pert shot with the rife, not only at the target, but in hunting the wild game for which that part of the valley was then famous. After year of married life, Slater deserted his wife, leaving her in destitute circumstances. with an in- fant two months old. Her parents were very poor, and unable to give her a home. They were willing to relieve her of the care of her child, however, and she finally placed it in their charge. She then dressed herself in male attire and disappeared.
 Soon afterward. a young man of pre- possessing appearance opened singing school in the village of Bethany, Wayne county, Pa. He gave his name as Joseph Lobdell, and became a great favorite among the young women of the village, nearly all of whom joiued his singing class. He was 8 good singer and violinist, and had fair knowledge of music Before the term of his school was over he became engaged to one of his pupils, the daughter of leading citizen of Bethany. The day was set for the wedding. News of the presence of the young singing master in Bethany reached Long Eddy, and suspicion was aroused there that he was the missing Lucy Ann Slater, whose musical accomplishments were we'll known in her native place. In- vestigation proved that the suspicion was correct. The information was ob. tained by young man of Bethany, who had been rival of the music teacher for the hand of the young lady. He told the secret to few companions, and they planned to capture the teacher on a certain night and tar and feather her. This became known in some way to the girl Lobdell was to marry, and, notwithstanding her modification, she warned the teacher of her danger so that she escaped from the town by night and returned to Long Eddy, where she assumed female attire for 8 short time.
 Early in 1856 she again put on male attire, and for eight years lived the life of hunter, roaming the forest of Sulli- van, Delaware, Wayne, and Pike coun- ties. She rarely came into the settle ments, and then to exchange game and furs for ammunition and necessaryasup- plies. According to her subsequent statements, her wild life was one of thrilling adventure and privation. Her narrow escapes in contests with wild an- .imals and her suferings from cold, hunger, and sickness during her career in the woods she recorded in book en- titled "The Life and Adventures of Lucy Ann Lobdell, the Female Hunter of Long Eddy" She returned to Long Eddy in 1864, broken in mind and body. Her child had been placed in the poor house at Delhi. She once more as- sumed the habiliments of her sex, and, after wandacing about the valley for a year or two, an object of pity and char ity, she also sought the shelter of the almshouse.
 In the summer of 1868 young woman giving the name of Marie Louise Perry, became an inmate of the poorhouse at Delhi She was in poor health, stranger in the county, and evidently well educated. She declined to give any account of herself, but ii was learned few months afterward that she was the daughter of well-to-do pa
 rents in Massachusetts village, and ) was graduate of school in Boston. It was rumored that she had run away