The Penn's Grove record., 1884-03-15

Five miles south of Huntingdon
Penna., on the banks of the Raystown
branch, a graceful stream which course;
through the most beautiful and pIctur
esque scenery to be found anywhere il
this State, lives a family named Hawn
consisting Of three elderly brothers, on'
of whom has been a maniac from hi.
youth. The united ages of these bro
there aggregate 243 years, and by in
dustry and the strictest economy they
have amassed a very large fortune, the
greater portion of which is popularly
believed to be secreted on the premises.
Several well-arranged but unsuccessful
attempts have been made in recent
years to rob the brothers of their hard
earned wealth, the latest attempt being
made about two years since by three un.
known men who, after entering the house
ostensibly to procure food, brutally as
saulted the defenceless inmates and in
stituted a vigorous but Intellectual
search for the coveted treasure. Sin.
gularly m~isanthropic, these brothers
have, from their youth up, strenuously
objected to any one of their number
marrying. One of them, however,
Michael Hawn, regardless of his bro.
Tiers restrictions to matrimonial felic-
ity, married a wife, and as a conse-
Quence was disowned and driven away.
He took up his abode a few miles from
his brothers, and while the latter were
rapidly accommodating wealth managed
to gain an uncertain livelihood for a
time, and finally died in abject poverty.
The Hawn brothers have been favor
ably known for many years as honest,
respectable farmers. And probably no
other men can be found in this country
who have performed as much manual
labor. As an instance of their frugality
t might be mentioned that in clearing
land or Telling heavy timber they would
assume a kneeling position and cut the
trees level with the ground. Their
work was always so well arranged that
each knew just what was required
of him. Until recent years the culinary
and other domestic household duties
were performed in turn by the brothers
their dislike for the opposite sex being
so great that for fifty years no woman
was ever known to enter the house.
Finally, however, owing to their de-
Ginning years, they were compelled to
renounce their edict against the EN-
ployment of female help, ana reluctant
ly engaged a housekeeper. An hours
drive over pleasant, undulating country
roads brings n to the home of these
brothers, situated in a charming, fertile
valley, shaded by lofty mountains on
either side. The large, commodious
frame house, sadly in need of repairs,
ysais SglG. r4aemhles the inn of fifty
to view a neatly dressed, comely woman
of certain, or to borrow Byron's TX
preston, "uncertain" age, whose kindly
''come in" betrays her German parent
age. On entering the visitor is at once
lllPlCoSCu Will liz " VI lhlBCLiOIIR
mystery which pervades the premises,
and which the occupants but imper-
fectly endeayor to conceal. The sur
reundings indicate the very commoLest
mode of living, and out of all proper
ton to the luxuries and even comforts
of life that could well lie afforded.
Carpetless, though brightly secured
floors, unadorned walls and the plainest
furniture greet the eye at every turn.
Yet accessible as the house is to the
visitor there is INT apartment in 1t
barred against all corners, and this is a
modern exemplincation of the mythical
''Blue Boards closet"
The room or cell contains the oldest
maniac living in Pennsylvania to day.
Daniel Hawn, the youngest of the
Hawn brothers, who is now e~ighty-four
years old, has existed in this hoyel for
sixty-three years. His room contains
not a single piece of furniture, for this
he would destroy. Behind the chimney
place, and in the furthest corner, he
sits year after year. HIS face is framed
In a flowing silvery beard, and the
play { muscles as he wrenches and
tugs at the chains that secure his per-
son shows his great physical power. He
is securely bound to the floor by linked
chains which encircle his waist, and
at times manifests great violence. He
lives in total darkness. There was
once a small window in his apartment
but this was purposely darkened with
boards some years ago to prevent car
penters, who we're at WORK on the build
ing, from peering into his gloomy dun
geon. During the winter months he Is
protected against the cold by a stove
encased in the partition so that the
fire can be attended to without entering
his room.
The cause of his incurable mania is
attributed to his having, when a boy,
drank freely Of cold water while over
heated in the harvest field, whereupon
he took a chill and at once became a
raving maniac. His condition is ex-
tremely touching and pitiful. Secluded
from the sight of man and deprived of
pure air, sunlight and the necessary at
tention his case requires, this unfortun-
ate human being Is left to groyel in his
dungeon when, by the expenditure of a
small percentage of the boarded wealth
Of his more fortunate brothers, he
could be properly cared for and pro-
tected.