Connecticut western news., 1886-12-15
A STRANGE RACE.
OUTLAWS DWELLING ON THE BENNE.
 WATER LAKES.
Their OrixIu unknown-Qneer Habits and Gust tems-Scencs nt their Midnight
 OrHIeA.
From the N. Y. Herald. l

From the N. Y. Herald.l
 KINGSTON, N. Y., Dec, 1898. About three miles west Of Kingston commences chain of five lakes known as the Bennewaters, the largest being about one mile long and three quarters of a mile broad The scenery is of wild and romantic character, and, as the lakes arc well stocked with fish, 1t has long been favorite resort of anglers as we'll as tourists. For between one and two hundred years curious tribe of people has dwelt upon the borders of the lakes. Though they possess certain patronymics, they arb not known by them, but arc described under the general term of the Benpcwaters. :" No prescribed caste of India was ever more thoroughly set apart from its fel lows than are these people. Whence or why they calrc has often been made q matter of sur,nise, but hs. tevef ad- vanced beyond the r6giob of speculation. In appearaice they convey the impres. sion of being descended from the red man, having in the majority of cases the high check bones, black halr and swarthy skin which arc characteristic of his race. They are moreover. never met in groups abreast, but always walk in Inaian file. and in this order may be met any day walking to and from their homes to Kingston. As opposed to this theory, however, it may be mentioned that in no case do their names betray Indian origin. They have been so long i-olated that, though they undoubtedly possess cel ltaih points 0f resemblance ill cortinon, they would hardly be claimed even as remote kindred by any known tribe of Indians In some respects they more nearly resemble the eypsics, though they arc not nomadic, and many incline to the belief that they are descendants of some fere,gn gypsy tribe.
 Li&s 1hdians and gypsics they show deep rooted and ineradi'able distaste for active labor, and it is probably that the comparative cease with which life can be sustained in the ncighborhood of good fishing ground first attracted them to the Bennewator lakes They never acquire property and possess no animals except certain wolflsh looking dogs. It is rare t6 see Bennewater " unattend- cd by one of these i'll led and hungry looking beasts Unlike the Indians, they have no taste for fighting, and during the late War were notorious bounty jumpers" dcserting almost without ex. ception as soon as they received the bounty. This region and the Shawan, gunk mountains became in consequence n veritable city of fefuge fpr deserters and other criminals; and raids were per pctually made at that time by the authorities on tkc Bcnnewaters, who it was well known freely offered sanctu- ary to all offenders against the law, even when not of their race. It will be remembered that on occasion of the abduction of Charley Ross, in conse qucncc of its beng believed that he had at midnight in Small boat, the whole district of the Bennewatcf lakes was subject to thorough search by Finker- ton's detectives, in the belief that the stolen child would be found secreted with these people. Although the search, as far as Charley Ross was concerned, proved fruitless, evidences which led tc the elucidation of other mysterious crimes werB discovered.
 Though not communicative to stran. gers they are not surly, neither are they Quarrelsome, except when they yield to their craving for drink. In summer they devote themselves to berry gather. ing and the supplying of bait to the anglers who visit the lakes. Their Knowledge of the arts and industries is extremely limited, being confined to the making of coarse baskets and mats o1 straw and corn husks, which they pcddlc in this city and the neighborhood with an importantly that is only equal led by their pcrsistency in begging Certain rude attempts arc occasionally made at wood carving, but thes arc generally the results of instructions re- ceived during residence in penitenti aries. These visits nre by no means m frequent, but are rarely for crimes of { serious nature. X weakness for petty larceny clings to the "Bennewaters' fo1 life. When by chance any one of then meets with an unusual amount of gooC fortune he is not backward in sharing the fruits of it with his fellows. On fine evenings, when these occasions happen, tho whole fraternity gathers out O doors round large bonfire, when ovel Q feast of roasted corn and stolen chick ems, washed do n by liberal potation' of the rawest whiskey, they present 1T the early hours, with the effective set ting of dark background of woods anc hills and the glow of the flaming fire highly picturesque and gypsy like scene These gathcrin ks generally degenerate into orgies of the worst description, tho scenes enacted being worthy of the wit uess' revel on Walpurgis Night.
 The chief person at these fcasts whose word then and on all other occa sions is all powerful, is man of unusu ally large stature and weight and O commanding will who represents in hi: person all the law and government which exists among them. The use O. soap and water appears unknown, while their dress is of the poorest description shoes and stockings being rarities, anf even to this day soldiers overcoats uset during the war, in the last stage O. decay, may be seen. But despite thei rags and dirt they vie with the savage in their love for gay olors and for orna ments of tawdry and striking kind.
 Taken collectively they are the re serve of well favored, though occasion ally young girl may be met possessing singular beauty, but this rarely lasts be yond youth.
 Their houses, which are the mos miserable of shanties, are almost entire ly devoid of furniture. They have nc stoves, and their whole mode of life i as wretched and dcbascd as can be found within the limits of the worlds civil1za tion. The house consists usually of on, room, in which whole family and visi tors live an sleep.
 Marriage, as an institution, is as little understood as chastity, and the laws O consanguinity arc utterly disrcgarded to which doubt ess can be attributed their mental and physical infcriorty and their steady decrease in numbers They arc entirely destitute of education and tradition, and do not seem to have