Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-07-09
TWO STRANGE LIVES.
story of Two Women Who Insisted
Thai They Were Man and Wife.


Lucy Ann Slater died ia New
York state insane asylum recently.
She was SO years old, and few years
ago was famous all through the Della.
ware river counties as the female
hunter Of Long Eddy. She was born,
writes Stroudsburg, Pa, corresp0n-
dent to the New York Sun, at Long
Eddy, Delaware county, New York.
Her father was a lumberman. at
the age of 10 years she was noted for
her skill with a rifle. She killed a
panther, after following it ten miles
through the woods, when she was 10
years old. At the age of II she was
handsome and intelligent girl, She
singer. Her maiden name was Lob
dell. She was married to a raftsman
named George Slater when she was
Is. He deserted Der and her 2 months
old baby year afterward, leaving her
in destitute circumstances. Her
parents were unable to give her q
home. She left her baby in their
charge and went away. She went to
Bethany, Pa, disguised as man, and
under the name Of Joseph I. Lobdell,
opened singing school. She carried
out her assumed character so well
that in the fall Of 1856 she became
engaged to be married to one of her
pupils, the daughter OF a leading cit
izen of Bethany.
A few days before the day set for
the wedding arrived Lobdell's iden>
tity was discovered by young
man who had been a rival of the
music teacher for the hand of the
young woman. He planned with
others to seize the music teacher, tar
and feather her, and drive her out of
town. The young woman who was
to have married the singing-master
was let into the secret, and she warn
ed Lucy Ann of her danger, and she
escaped. Returning to Long Eddy,
she resumed the apparel of her own
sex and remained in the vicinity some
six months Desiring TO find employ
ment, she cast aside woman's clothing,
and, DOMINIC a hunting suit, entered
the woods. For eight years she led a
wild life IN the upper Delaware valley
wilderness, coming into the settle-
ments only when she desired to ex>
change her furs and game for ammu-
milton and necessary supplies. Her
eight years in the woods were a con-
slant struggle with hardships, priva-
tons and danger. She had many
narrow escapes from wild animals,
and, as she recorded il, she killed
1853 deer, rs bears, I panther, and
numberless quantities Of small game
Of the glade, and fur bearers Of the
stream and lake." When she return
ed TO Long Eddy she put on womans
clothes again. She had grown pre-
maturely old, and was but q wreck Of
the former dashing backwoods favor>
tie. Her parents were dead, and her
child was IN the poorhoUse. After
wandering about the valley for some
time the female hunter entered the
poorhouse also. Soon afterward he
child, Mary Slater, was adopted By a |
rich farmer IN Damascus township,
Wayne county, this state. The mother
remained in the poorhouse, and be-
came yearly more miserable and
wretched.
In the winter of 1868, Marie Louise
Perry, the 19-year-old daughter Of a |
well-to-do Massachusetts family, and
a graduate of a Boston school, ran
away from her native place with a |
man named James Wilson. The
couple went TO Jersey City, where |
they were married. In the spring Of |
the same year Wilson eloped with the |
daughter OF the laadlady where he and |
his wife we're boarding. His wife
traced the runaways along the Erie |
railway, and at Lordville, Delaware
county, was taken sick with fever. |
She was placed IN the county-bouse,
where she soon recovered. As she |
made 10 move toward returning home |
after regaining her strength, the poor |
house authorities finally notified her |
father of her whereabouts and condi> /
ton. In the mean time the woman |
had formed the acquaintance of Lucy |