Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-07-09

Anl Slater, ana, lnexpllcable IS 1t
seems. the two formed mutual atfec.
tionso strong that they refused 10 be
sepSated, aud when the girls father
arrived at Delhi to take her back to
Massachusetts,, she and Lucy Ann
Siatr had left the poor>aouse, and no
trac' of them could be found. 1t was
subsequently learned that Lucy Ann
had assumed the character of man,
and under the name OF Joseph Israel
Lo5tell, had.been married by Wayne
coarty justice OF the peace to Marie
Louise Perry, a few days after they
ran iway from the poor house.
Inthe summer Of 1869 couple call
ing themselves the Rev Joseph Israel
LobCell and wife appeared in the
mountain villages in the western part
of this (Monroe) county. For two
year, they roamed about the region,
living in caves in the woods, and sub.
slstng on berries and roots, such
gam, as the long rifle which the
man carried might provide, and the
charity OF the people. Ia 1871 they
became such a nuisance that they
were arrested ON a charge of vagran-
cy, and lodged in the Stroudsburg
jail. Nothing was known Of their
history, and nothing could be obtains
ed fpm the couple that would throw
lighton their antecedents,
Or the very night that the myster-
ious couple were placed in Jail here,
Mar Slater, Lucy Ann Lobdell's
daughter, who had grown to be a
beautiful young woman, was seized
by two men near her her foster faith.
er's house in Damascus, and was
gagged, bound and thrown into a
wagon, which was driven rapidly
away toward the Delaware river.
In the voice of one of the men the
girl recognized that OF George Kent,
a young man whose attentions she
had refused a few days before. Miss
Slater was so maltreated by the men
that she became unconscious. She
was aroused by the sound of rushing
wate's. The men lifted her from, the
wagon, and, carrying her to the river
bank, threw her into the stream She
remembered nothing more. At dsv
light next morning. she reeained con
sciou'ness again. She was living on
small island in the river. She was
discovered by man who lived near,
who took her off the island in a boat.
Before she could give any account OF
who she was or how she came to be
on the island she lost her reason, and
was permitted to wander away. She
was found three days later in the
Sullivan county mountains, a ravine
maniac. 1t was several days before
she could give an account of hen
mysterious disappearance. Kent was
arrested but escaped from custody
and was never recsptured.
The story of the abduction, outrage
and attempted murder Of Mary Slater
was printed in the local papers, ano
one day twas read in Stoudsburg jail
by Joseph Israel Lobdell," and from
his rawlings over the outrage it was
learned that "hen was the woman
Lucy Ann Slater, and the mother o.
the girl The result was that the tive
singular outcasts were returned Il
Delaware county. But they soon re
stunned their wild life, and for fvl
years lived in the mountains o
Wayne county. One day in 1877
they appeared in Honesdale, where
Joseph" was taken into custody as {
lunatic. His companion, who insist,
ed that he was her husband in name
and fact, prepared remarkable petit
tion which she presented to the court
asking for the custody of her hus'
band In this petition she made the
startling affirmation that the prisoner
was not only mother but father
as we'll, the petitioner declaring sol
EMMY that she had herself born {
child of which the prisoner was G
father. The court ordered the lunatit
to be delivered to her companion, ans
the two returned to Damascus town
ship. They lived there until 1880
when the authorities intcrfered and
sent Lucy Ann to the lunatic asylum
The grief Of her companion at tn,
separation was pitiful, and after Z
few months she went away, returning
it is supposed, TO her parents in Mass
achusetts.