St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-13

the heightened and rigorous penance
they have imposed on themselves is due
to repentance for the acts of unkind-
ness of which they were guilty to the
brother now dead, during the dispute
over the division. Neither of the stories
have ever been substantiated, and in all
probability never will be, for the Rel
,dels are averse to conversation on the
subject, and give but meager replies to
any questions put to them in regard to
their past. They live by tote, these
penance workers. and terribly wear
ing rOte 1t must be. The brothers are
never known to be at home at the same
time. That is part of the penance.
Neither has slept for the past ten years
more than two consecutive hours. Their
I lives are continual watch and watch
Of two hours duration. che sleeping
I5and praying in his hermitage for the
above length of time while the other
/ walks, then the walker relieves the
sleeper and takes his turn at the pray
t'ers while the other turns out for his
regular tramp. This has been kept up
summer and winter for the past eight
years. and the brothers intend to de-
| vote the remainder of their lives to re-
| apentance in the same manner. The ages
OF the men vary about five years,
Joseph, the elder, being bald to some
extent, and apparently about forty-five
years old, while Frank has a head
of light curly hair and looks
five years younger. When on the
street, the walked with slow, measured
step, looking neither to the right nor
left, and paying as little attention to
the smiles and comments drawn from
passers by, as result of the peculiarly
of their appearance, or to the jibes and
Af af, %H1,r r.I,
the comments had never been made,
the street gaminS were CAD flies and
they obeiisks.
A GLOBE reporter recently visited the
shanties, and succeeded in finding one
of the brothers, the younger one. at
home. In response to query by the
scribe as to whether he could speak
English, the hermit replied that he
could, but that he spoke German muc h
better.
"WiIl you tell the GLOBE why you
always go bare-headed and bare-footed,
and why you and your brother live in
this strange manner"
The hermit smiled. and the smile
should be placed Oh record as the first
either of the brothers has been seen to
smile during the whole eight years OF
their residence. His reply was brief.
Ou uOu hIOW. DAY w db you
like. l can say nothing"
"DO you know what the people say Of
you?" continued the visitor, ''they say
that you two killed your brother at the
old farm on the banks of the Rhine. Is
that true?"
For answer the hermit seized an axe
and began hacking nervOuSly at a piece
of cOrdwOOd near the door of the
shanty.
rs it true that you are doing perI-
nance for some ZEAL or imaginary
crime?" persisted the scribe.
II cannat talk your language" re-
piled the hermit in particularly good
English, ''and there is nothing to be
said. L cannot talk. Say what you
please, but leave me-" And again the
cordwood was attacked and the chips
flew in all directions as the nervous
strokes of the ak cut them. Half doz-
en- other questions were asked, but the
hermit paid no more attention to them
nor the questioner than as if he were
unaware of the utterances of the former
or the existence of the latter. Though
the Reidels live in novels themselves
they are the owners of great deal
of real estate, a dozen or so of
good dwelling houses on the hill
overlooking their retreat, and
have a very good income from
the property. They are always clad in
broadcloth, invariably carry black cloth
gloves in their hands. seldom on them.
Almost every day one or other of the
religi us twain enters the Ryan hotel,
and marches straight to the water fount-
ain. Having drawn the cup full of
water, he bows low, then raising his
eyes to the stained glass dome above,
prays fervently for several seconds.
After drinking he again bows and de-
parts as he came, seeing and speak
ing to no one. The brothers are
devout Catholics, and pray reg
ularly in one or other of the Catholic
churches of the city. Many prominent
men of st. Paul have been interested III
the queerly acting couple, and numer-
Gus attempts have been made to draw
from them their secret. This, however,
/ is a matter of rumor and conjecture so
far as any substantiation for the stories
afioat regarding them is concerned, and
though the secret, if there be one, is
doubtless shared by several of the Cath
Ollie priests of the city, it will in all
probability remain sealed book to the
curious people who have seen and won
dered at the strange actions of the twain.