Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-07-07

\ Sfranxe Man Found In q Cave Kills
Himself After BeinK Taken From His
Mountain Refuge.

A telegram from Pittsburg, July 1, says: A
hermit, living in damp. dark cave in one OF
the widest ravines to be found in Allegheny
county, was discovered six weeks ago few
miles beyond Mansfield. A farmer was out one
afternoon prospecting for natural gas territory.
A forest of considerable extent covers one COR
ner of his property, and into this he had plunged.
In about the center of the woods there is a deep
hollow, at the bottom of which is little stream.
Following this to its source the farmer found
narrow path leading further up the hoi-
low. He thought it worth while to In
300 yards, he suddenly stopped at the edge
of a large opening in moss-covered rocks.
There, in q cave about by feet in size, he
was confronted by a human being. whom the
farmer designated as wild man.. Edward
Gaber was the hermit's NAME How long he
had lived in the cave before the farmer dis
covered him is not known, but judging from
what he told after his capture, and from the
have been two or three weeks at least. He
refused to talk with the farmer, out O0ered
him violence. 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. 1t was evident, however, that he was
starving TO death. He did not steal anything
from surrounding farm houses ana never
stirred further away from his rocky den than
the spring Children heard with fear of the
wild man aud could not be hired to venture
into the woods.
ON several occasions the farmer sent or took
food to tie hollow and left it AT the spring, but
the hermit did not touch 1t. His sole diet, he
afterward said, berries and apples. At
last he grew so weak and feeble that he could
rot even go 10 the spring for water. The county
home at Meadville is only two miles away and
the superintendent and two OF his assistants
went To the cave on last Sunday to rescue the
starving man. lie was a mere skeleton Inc
clothes fell in tatterS about his limbs ana MS
teet were bare. He was too weak to offer any
resistance To- the men, and they mad 10 almost
carry him to lie poor farm. For more than
twenty-lOur hours he refused to eat anything,
but Oh Monday evening he was coaXed to swa-
low some food and seemed TO recover his appe-
titc. After that he ate regularly. he talked
nationally enough. but, beyond giving his name
as Edward G..Der, refused to tell anything
about where he came from or what led him to
secude himself.
81 was SO unhappy was all he would say.
He sometimes talked in mis- sleep, and the at
PENDANTS heard him say: switzerland is SO far
off," and ..,he was too cruel" Once he uttered
the name of woman, and ii Is believed his
trouble started with love affair in SwitZer-
land. He was very restless and wished TO go
back to his cave. Anticipating an attempt to
escape, the attendants We're told to watch Ga
Der carefully. They did ST. until early yester-
day 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. lie
leaped cut with wild yell, falling two stories,
anu Lc badly injured that he died two
hours later.