Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-05
FOUND IN A CAVE.
A Strange Man Kills Himself After
Being Taken From His Refuge.
from ne Neto YORK Sun.


Being Taken From His Refuge.
From the Neto York san.
PITTsBURG, July IA hermit, living
In a damp, dark cave in one of the wild
est ravines to be found in Allegheny
county, was discovered six weeks ago n
few miles beyond Mansfield. A farmer
was out one afternoon prospecting for
natural gas territory. A forest of con-
siderable extent covers one corner OF his
property, and into this he had plunged
In about the centre of the woods there is a
deep hollow. at the bottom of which is
little stream, Following this to its source,
the farmer found a narrow path leading
further up the hollow. He thought it
worth while to investigate further, and,
passing along about 200 yards, he sud
denly stopped at the edge OF large OPEN
ing in moss-cOvered rocks. There, in a
cave about six by eight feet in size, he
was confronted by human being, wnOm
the farmer designated as "wild man"
Edward Gaber was the hermit's name.
How long he had lived in the cave before
the farmer discovered MIN is not known,
but, Judging from what he told
after his capture, aud from the
appearance OF his path out of the
cave, it must have been two or
three weeks at least. He refused to talk
with the farmer, put offered him no Vio-
lence. The owner of the property did not
object TO the occupancy of the cave, and
so the hermit remained there for over a
month longer. |, was evident, however,
that he was starving to death. He did
not steal anything from surrounding farm
houses and never stirred further away
from his rocky den than the spring.
Children heard with fear OF the wild
man" and could not be hired to venture
into the woods.
On several occasions the farmer sent or
took food to the hollow and left it at the
spring, but the hermit did not touch it.
HIS sole diet, ne afterWard said. was ber-
ries and apples. At last he grew so weak
and feeble that he could not even 20 to
the spring for water.
The county home at Meadville is only
two miles away, and the superintendent
and two OF his assistants went 10 the cave
on last Sunday 10 rescue the starving
man. be was a mere skeleton. The
clothes fell in tatters about his limbs and
his feet were bare. lie was too weak TO
offer any resistance to the men, and they
had TO almost carry him TO the poor farm.
For more than twenty-lour hours he &C.
fused to eat anything, but on Monday
evening he was coaXed TO swallow some
food, and seemed TO recover his appetite.
After that he ate regularly. he tailed
nationally enough, but beyond giving his
name as Edward Gaber, refused to tell
anything about where he came from or
what led him to seclude himself.
~ was SO unhappy" was all lie would
say.
He sometimes talked in his sleep, and
the attendants heard MIN say: "Switzer-
land is 50 far Oh" and "S5e was too
cruel" Once he uttered the name of
woman, and it is believed his trouble
started with love affair IA Switzerland
He was very restless and wished 10 20
back to his cave. Anticipating an attempt
TO escape, the attendants were told TO
watch Gaber carefully. They did so
until early yesterday morning, when at
o'clock one OF them lay down.
The moment he turned his head Gaber
bolted out Of his chair and dashed to the
window. He leaped OH with a wild yell,
falling two stories, and ne was so badly
injured tDat be died twin hours later.