The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-05-16
Living Like Savages.

The following article, which no doubt
was written by correspondent with an
imaginative mind, was published in
the Pittsburg Leader one day last week:
"A startling story of an unnatural
family life of hermitage is just reported
from the wild mountainous section of
Western Maryland. About twenty
years ago Thos. Murphy, aged IS years,
son of well-known and highly re-
spected farmer of Carroll County eloped
with Ellen Garnett, the 16-year old
daughter of a local preacher of the
same county. No tidings were ever
had of the elopers until few days ago,
when they were discovered by two
gunners, named Hennigham and Phelps,
residing in hut in an isolated portion
of the Blue Ridge mountain in Freder-
ick county. Two young men, while
hunting game, were startled on Tues
day last, by seeing young and pretty
girl clad in rough garments flee from
their sight like a wild animal They
followed the girl and came upon rude
hut almost concealed from view by un-
derbrush. A brawny man with long flow
ing whiskers stood at the entrance of
the hut with gun in hand and demand
ed of the intruders what they wanted.
The fact that they were hunting game
in the mountains and accidently hap
pened upon the scene was made known,
and after much difficulty the story of
the hermit and his family was obtained
from the man, who was none other than
Murphy. After the elopement he says
he endeavored to get work, but was
unsuccessful and then he resolved to
kill his wife and himself. With this
object in view Murphy persuaded the
girl Ellen to accompany him to the
mountains, where he intended to kill
her and then blow out his own brains.
But upon reaching the scene of the pro-
posed tragedy, his heart failed him,
and he could not summon courage to
commit the deed. He and the young
girl remained in the mountains until
after dark, and finding it impossible to
reach the village that night they re-
mained in the mountains. The next
day a heavy rain storm set in, and tenn
porary shelter was arranged out of
branches and leaves. After passing
several days in this manner the girl
was taken ill from exposure and came
very near dying. Murphy killed game
and the two subsisted on birds and ber-
ries for months. At length the girl
gave birth to female child and was
without any attendant except Murphy.
The next day Murphy went to the vii
lage to purchase few articles, and
since that time he declares most posi-
lively he nor his family, which now
consists of two children aged 19 and II
years, have never seen human being
until they saw Messrs. Henningham and
Phelps on Tuesday last. Four years
ago a boy baby was born. A few
months later it died and was buried by
Murphy and the girl, Ellen. About
two years later Ellen was injured by a
falling tree and died after suffering in
tensely two weeks, without medical at
tention of any kind. Murphy says he
dug a grave and buried her beside their
child. Henningham and Phelps say
they saw the graves of both. They also
state that the young daughter of Muir
ply is a beautiful girl but piteously
ignorant. She does not know of a
thing as an alphabet. and has never
been named. Since her birth she has
only been called "daughter." The
boy, now eleven years old, is equally
illiterate. He is always called ''son,
The hut in which they have lived SC
long is made of branches of trees GOV.
cred with mud. Murphy says he has
no desire to live among civilized people.
and that he is contented with his lot
1t is probable some action will be
taken by the Frederick county authori-
ties to care for the young girl and hei
brother.
s@-An invitation to dinner among
the middle-upper classes of Japan fire.
quently commences about as follows
''I beg pardon for thus insulting you il
begging your company at my house t.
dinner. The house is small and very
dirty. Our habits are rude, and yo'
may not get anything fit to eat; ant
yet hope that you will condescend t.
be present with us at o'clock on th'
9th of December" On arriving a
the house you find it spotlessly clean
tasty in arrangement, and the host AM
, hostess affable. The bill of fare con
sists of ten or fifteen courses, the bes