Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-01-28
4 HBRMIT's LIE AND DEATH.
A Strange HecIuse who Lived As
Years in a Cave.

A Strange secIuse who Lived As
Years in "A Cave.
PoRT JERvIs, Jan. 20.--Austin Sheldon,
the famous hermit of Pike county, Pa,
died in Lehman township, that county,
ON Monday, age SO. Sheldon appeared
in the mountains of Lehman township
about 45 years ago. He took up his
abode in a half hut, half cave, in wild
and isolated spot, nine miles from the
Delaware valley. For more than 80 years
nothing was known of his history, except
that he had left similar abode in Wayne
county, Pa, because too many settlers
were taking up land around it. He pro-
fessed deep religious feeling, and spent
most of his time in reading
his Bible in his miserable home. He
never touched water to his person, and
never permitted a comb or razor to touch
his hair or beard. This, he said, was in
accordance with vow he had made. He
never made visitors welcome, but objected
to their presence in or about his cave,
and frequently ordered them angrily
away. He never removed his clothing,
which, by the constant use of years, had
become covering of many hues and
shapes, held together bytwine and withes.
The hut in which Sheldon lived was
about nine feet square, and barely high
enough to permit person of ordinary
hight to stand erect. The only article of
furniture was the butt of log with a
straight back, which served as the her.
mit's chair and bed, for he slept sitting
on the uncomfortable contrivance.
Sheldon had cleared a small patch of
ground ON which he raised few pota-
toes, cabbages and other vegetables. His
snares provided him with rabbits and
birds. He made few butcher knives
occasionally, out of iron he begged, and
by means of crude forge in one corner
of his hut. These he importuned visitors
to buy.
In 1873 this strange being WIS made
the subject of q news item in local
paper. The item was copied in other
papers, among them one in Connecticut.
The latter paper wasread by persons who
recognized in the hermit relative who
had disappeared in 1882 from Stony
Brook, Conn.,, and of whom nothing had
ever been heard. A sister of Sheldon
visited Pike county at once, accompanied
by her husband. They were guided
through the rough, wild region that led
to the hermit's cave. Sheldon ad-
inltteu nlb lueutlty, Dut feJecleu
their appeals to return to Con-
necticut. From these people it
was learned that he had been pros
porous blacksmith in Stony Brook, and
that he always had singular ideas on re-
ligion. He married a worthy young
woman to whom he was warmly attached.
| She died soon after the marriage and
Sheldon's grief was great. A short time
after her death he disappeared. He had
evidently been living the life of a half
crazed recluse ever since.
| Three years ago Austin Sheldon created
a sensation by visiting several widows
and young women in the settlement in
the region and proposing marriage to
them. Being unsuccessful in obtaining q
wife he returned to his hut. A few
months later he announced that he was
going back to Connecticut to die.
He walked all the way to his
native place, but in short
time returned to his cave in the noun
tains. He was induced few weeks ago
to remain at the house of man of Leh-
man township, where he died. Iu his
long and lonely life he had several narrow
escapes from death by freezing, by forest
fires, and by flights with bears and other
wild animals. He will be buried in Con-
necticut.